Well Built Mycenae: The Helleno-British Excavations within the Citadel at Mycenae, 1959-1969, Fascicule 14 Tsountas House Area

Well Built Mycenae, Fascicule 14: Tsountas House Area presents the results of the excavations in this area at Mycenae conducted under the direction of Wace (1950) and Taylour (1959–60) in collaboration with Papademetriou and later Mylonas. Located in the 'Cult Centre', the Tsountas House Area contains two buildings and multiple access ramps. It represents both the earliest and latest constructions in this sanctuary complex. First investigated by Tsountas in the late 19th century but never fully published, the remains were fully restudied, and the excavation expanded to discover the first evidence of ritual architecture, features, and paraphernalia. This study is essential for understanding the conception and function of Mycenaean religious space, the associated features and finds, and the socio-political development of cult in the earliest known religious installation at Mycenae. It is also important for a diachronic understanding of the Cult Centre's development from an individual extra-urban shrine to a sanctuary complex enclosed eventually within a fortified citadel. The contextualised discussion of the unique finds and evidence for ritual and practice directly informs the continuing dialogue about popular and official religions and the role of a palatial administration. Well Built Mycenae, Fascicule 14: Tsountas House Area presents the results of the excavations in this area at Mycenae conducted under the direction of Wace (1950) and Taylour (1959–60) in collaboration with Papademetriou and later Mylonas. Located in the ‘Cult Centre’, the Tsountas House Area contains two buildings and multiple access ramps. It represents both the earliest and latest constructions in this sanctuary complex. First investigated by Tsountas in the late 19th century but never fully published, the remains were fully restudied, and the excavation expanded to discover the first evidence of ritual architecture, features, and paraphernalia. This study is essential for understanding the conception and function of Mycenaean religious space, the associated features and finds, and the socio-political development of cult in the earliest known religious installation at Mycenae. It is also important for a diachronic understanding of the Cult Centre’s development from an individual extra-urban shrine to a sanctuary complex enclosed eventually within a fortified citadel. The contextualised discussion of the unique finds and evidence for ritual and practice directly informs the continuing dialogue about popular and official religions and the role of a palatial administration. Kim Shelton is Director of the Nemea Center for Classical Archaeology at the University of California, Berkeley. She directs the excavations at the Sanctuary of Zeus, Ancient Nemea, the Petsas House, Mycenae, and the TAPHOS chamber tomb project at Aidonia. As a specialist in ceramics and the political economy of the prehistoric Aegean, her research is focused on workshop dynamics and their relationship to the market economy of pottery, the regional needs of a diverse population, and the Mycenaean palatial administration. Her research on ancient Greek ritual and religion explores the earliest manifestations of Greek religious ritual through permanent architectural establishments and ritual parap Cover 1 Title Page 3 Copyright information 4 CONTENTS 7 TEXT ILLUSTRATIONS 9 SUPPLEMENTARY DATA PDF 11 FOREWORD 13 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 15 INTRODUCTION 17 NOTE ON THE POLYGONAL TOWER 19 HISTORIOGRAPHY OF EXCAVATION AND PUBLICATION 19 CHRONOLOGICAL THEORIES 21 PART 1. THE HOUSE 27 DESCRIPTION AND EXCAVATION 27 THE FINDS 38 SUMMARY 43 USE OF THE HOUSE 43 PART 2. THE TSOUNTAS HOUSE SHRINE (G) 47 TERMINOLOGY 47 DESCRIPTION AND EXCAVATION 47 THE FINDS 60 SUMMARY 68 USE OF THE SHRINE 68 PART 3. ACCESS TO THE AREA 71 DESCRIPTION AND EXCAVATION 71 THE FINDS 93 SUMMARY AND USE 106 PART 4. CONCLUSION 109 ENDNOTES 115 BIBLIOGRAPHY 125 Well Built Mycenae, Fascicule 14: Tsountas House Areapresents the results of the excavations in this area at Mycenaeconducted under the direction of Wace (1950) and Taylour (1959-60)in collaboration with Papademetriou and later Mylonas. Located inthe 'Cult Centre', the Tsountas House Area contains two buildingsand multiple access ramps. It represents both the earliest andlatest constructions in this sanctuary complex. First investigatedby Tsountas in the late 19th century but never fully published, theremains were fully restudied, and the excavation expanded todiscover the first evidence of ritual architecture, features, andparaphernalia. This study is essential for understanding theconception and function of Mycenaean religious space, theassociated features and finds, and the socio-political developmentof cult in the earliest known religious installation at Mycenae. Itis also important for a diachronic understanding of the CultCentre's development from an individual extra-urban shrine to asanctuary complex enclosed eventually within a fortified citadel.The contextualised discussion of the unique finds and evidence forritual and practice directly informs the continuing dialogue aboutpopular and official religions and the role of a palatialadministration Since 1890 when Sir Flinders Petrie first realised the importance of the Aegean pottery he had found in Egypt further discoveries of these wares have been noted with more than superficial interest. Early studies, however, right up to the mid 20th century, had to be based on stylistic, and thus often subjective, criteria. Presenting results of excavations in the 'Cult Centre' area at Mycenae, the Tsountas House Area contains two buildings and multiple access ramps. This study is essential for understanding the conception and function of Mycenaean religious space and the socio-political development of cult.