Keramikós, the oldest (dating back to the 11C) and largest (16ha) cemetery in Attica, offers a tranquil and shaded refuge away from the ancient city. Its name is thought to come from the word for the clay (kéramos) used to make the funerary objects that were set out around the deceased. From the 6C BC, the tombs were decorated with stelae and statues, which became more and more opulent during the century of Pericles. A track leads down towards the Avenue of Tombs, lined with plots belonging to wealthy families.