Destruction and other material acts of transformation in Mycenaean funerary practice

THRAVSMA

THRAVSMA

by K. Harrell & J. Driessen

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Contents

Fragmented souvenirs 15

Introduction to the volume

Jan Driessen

Kate Harrell

Fragmentation in Aegean Bronze Age context

John Chapman

Situated intentions 49

Providing a framework for the destruction of objects in Aegean prehistory

Stratos Nanoglou

The rough and the smooth 61

Care and carelessness in the forgetting of buildings

Carl Knappett

Damaged Pottery, Damaged Skulls at the Tsepi, Marathon Cemetery 75

Maria Pantelidou Gofa

Evidence for ritual breakage in the Cycladic Early Bronze Age 81

The Special Deposit South at Kavos on Keros

Colin Renfrew

Des biens de prestige grecs intentionnellement fragmentés dans un contexte indi-

gène de la Méditerranée occidentale au VIIe siècle av. J.-C. 99

Mario Denti

Coincident biographies 117

Bent and broken blades in Bronze Age Cyprus

Jennifer M. Webb & David Frankel

Piece Out 143

Comparing the Intentional Destruction of Swords in the Early Iron Age and the Mycenae Shaft Graves

Kate Harrell

Destruction and other material acts of transformation in Mycenaean funerary practice 155

Michael J. Boyd

Breaking Up the Past 167

Patterns of Fragmentation in Early and Middle Bronze Age Tholos Tomb Contexts in Crete

Giorgos Vavouranakis & Chryssi Bourbou

List of Illustrations

Fragmented souvenirs

Jan Driessen

Kate Harrell

Bits and pieces

John Chapman

Fig. 3.11. Two views of a fragment of the spout of an amethyst Triton

THRAVSMA. Contextualising the Intentional Destruction of Objects in the Bronze Age Aegean and Cyprus

8

Situated intentions

Stratos Nanoglou

The rough and the smooth

Carl Knappett

Damaged Pottery, Damaged Skulls at the Tsepi, Marathon Cemetery

Maria Pantelidou Gofa

Evidence for ritual breakage in the Cycladic Early Bronze Age

Colin Renfrew


9

in situ

6478 in situ

6478

6478

Des biens de prestige grecs intentionnellement fragmentés dans un contexte indigène de la Méditerranée

occidentale au VIIe siècle av. J.-C.

Mario Denti

e

e e


10

e

e e

Incoronata

Dinos

perirrhanterion

oinochoe

Incoronata

krateriskos

stamnos

askos askos

Coincident biographies

Jennifer M. Webb & David Frankel


11

et alii

et alii

et alii et alii

et alii

Archaeology 131


12

et alii

Piece Out

Kate Harrell

Destruction and other material acts of transformation in Mycenaean funerary practice

Michael J. Boyd

Breaking Up the Past

Giorgos Vavouranakis & Chryssi Bourbou


13

in situ micro-excavation

in situ

Destruction and other material acts of transformation in

Mycenaean funerary practice

Michael J. Boyd

presenting certain practices as meaningful in particular ways. This is close to a description of what is often referred

The archaeological approach to grave contexts has been monotonous. Burial contexts are seen as a pristine

tombs remains a primary observation and interpretative discriminant even in recent excavations and reports.

For us as secondary interpreters the opinion of the excavator is a problem where it has thus shaped excavation

this is little short of a methodological emergency in Greek archaeology1.

results of multiple intervals of repeated use. Contexts become palimpsests and the disposition of material the result

et alii et alii

forthcoming.


156

for the context within which they were now situated. Therefore what we are studying is not so much destruction as

transformation and then try to relate them to contextual meaning.

as almost all primary funerary contexts went through a second stage during which the contexts themselves were

but I hope by considering some examples we can see how some of these possibilities may have been worked

through in the past.

agency of the dead may indeed sometimes have been important. But the deliberate and considered manipulation

The transformation of dead

prior contexts.


157

one aspect of the extended funerary cycle was often this return to the grave to disinter the remains of the dead

et alii et alii

In the case of the Peristeria grave the transformation of prior contexts is taken a stage further by the likelihood

end to the funerary cycle of interment followed by rearrangement followed by further interments. The intention

In addition there were further beads and elements of necklaces. In this pit we see not only the partial and highly

but above in the stomion a small group of bones from at least two individuals was placed with some pottery. After


158

for Tholos 3. The deliberate destruction of Tholos tombs at a perceived end of their use life has not been seriously

course another example of the destructive transformation under consideration here.

by the deposition of a select group of disassembled adornments which formed the last act evidenced in the tomb.

The collapse of the tomb thereafter could be seen as another example of deliberate destruction following a series

bent and was missing its tip and perhaps a small part of its tang. Fragments of a small bronze knife were found

was a small drinking vessel within which were found eight gold-foil circles. This remarkable context reveals

mixed in a rearrangement of the original context of interment. The objects similarly represent only a portion of the


159

parts of the grave.

picked out from the evidence for action in other graves. Some of these activities are further discussed below.

Transforming metal

It is clear from these examples already discussed that the processes of creating and recreating contexts of

of deformed bronze artefacts were placed next to each other in two elongated pits dug into the entranceway of

larger vessels. It is worth noting that the other examples also involve constricted pits and so perhaps the digging

have been discussing here. It would also be wrong to give the impression that bronze objects were normally

be said for bronze vessels. At Dendra the famous Dendra Panoply and associated items were found uncrushed


160

Transforming pottery

much more common event.

these acts presents methodological problems in that often vessels may have been broken accidentally. From many

excavations whole pots are preferentially reported over pottery fragments. However some careful examination of

may be drunk and then the cups smashed against the closed door of the tomb. This seems to be widely attested in


161

part of the meaningful material content of the tomb.

This analysis follows from the remarks of the excavator concerning the provenances of joining fragments. The

remains of several individuals in most of the pits. Breakage followed by dispersal to several contexts was not

pots in different pits suggests that the act of depositing the pots in these contexts did not depend on their fragmentary

or may not involve alteration of the physical and functional characteristics of the item. The breakage of some of the

of intact and broken pots.

Jewellery and composite items

in other depositional zones. These general descriptions tend to suggest that the breakup of the original composite

the mixing of the elements of the necklaces with bones and other objects may sometimes deliberately have been


162

et alii

only one of which relates to secondary action within the Mycenaean period. He discusses in detail the example

events.

Conclusion

incorporation of the material in the wider contexts of the tomb. These activities sometimes involved the reduction

again be utilised. The endless production of context within the tomb involved a cycle of transition and stability

symbolised by the dead and the reincorporated material in the tomb. Much of the apparently destructive activity

that we see in tombs can be understood within this narrative framework.


163

Acknowledgements

during the editorial process.

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