The Cultic Significance of Wheelmade Terracotta Figures in Late Helladic III C Eleon, Greece
Date
2024
Authors
Galumbeck, Alix
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Abstract
Without written records, the evolution of religious practices can only be ascertained from
the evaluation of cultic objects. During the Late Bronze Age (1700-1050 BCE) in mainland
Greece, a significant shift in ritual practice occurred. With the decentralization of Greek society
after the so-called collapse near the end of the Late Bronze Age, it appears that rites previously
restricted to palatial centers were now executed at non-palatial areas. Recently discovered
artifacts consisting of wheelmade terracotta figures excavated at Eleon, a non-palatial site extant
during this period, were evaluated to determine not only their cultic significance but also if
distinct cultic spaces were located at this site. The findings were categorized using a novel
schema including ritual framing and semiotic analysis. Additionally, the objects were correlated
with comparanda from similar sites throughout Mainland Greece, Melos, and Crete to categorize
both their typology and ritual significance. Analysis of the data was performed through the lenses
of cultic continuity, cultic progression, and regional variation. The results reveal that ritual
practices were similar between Eleon and other sites, suggesting that this Post Palatial center had
both cultic objects and shrines.
Description
Keywords
Mycenaean, Eleon, Late Bronze Age, bull, female figure, Wheelmade Terracotta Figure, ritual, cult