Demakopoulou

STONE VASES FROM MIDEA*

The recent Greek-Swedish excavations on the Mycenaean Acropolis of Midea, which started in 1983 and continue to the present day, have shown that Midea was an important palatial centre in the Argolid, comparable to Mycenae and Tiryns.1 The excavations, which have been conducted at three sectors inside the Acropolis, have brought to light the West Gate,2 an inner gate inside the East Gate,3 and several buildings, most of which were constructed against the fortification wall in the areas of the East and the West Gate.4 The finds from the excavations in Midea include important works which can be compared to those found in the other two great citadels of the Argolid. From the West Gate area, where the Greek team has been working, the following finds are of special interest: a) Fine pottery including quite a few fragmentary vases and sherds with pictorial decoration.5 The pottery was found in well stratified LH IIIB2 deposits. b) A large wheelmade terracotta figure of a goddess, height 0.30 m;6 she is wearing a high polos and is of outstanding quality and very well preserved. She has a beautiful patterned decoration and is similar to the clay hollow figures found in the shrines of Mycenae, Tiryns, and Phylakopi on Melos.7

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I am very grateful to my colleague and collaborator in Midea excavations Mrs. Nicoletta Divari-Valakou for her valuable help and encouragement. I also thank Dr. Nikos Beloyiannis, Head of the Institute of Stone in Athens, for the petrological examination of the Midea mortars, and Mr. Yannis Patrikianos for the photographs. See K. DEMAKOPOULOU and P. ÅSTRÖM, ArchDelt 38 (1983) B1, 76-78; P. ÅSTRÖM and K. DEMAKOPOULOU, “New Excavations in the Citadel of Midea 1983-84,” OpAth 16 (1986) 19-25; P. ÅSTRÖM, K. DEMAKOPOULOU and G. WALBERG, “Excavations in Midea 1985,” OpAth 17 (1988) 7-11; P. ÅSTRÖM, K. DEMAKOPOULOU, N. DIVARI-VALAKOU, P. FISCHER and G. WALBERG, “Excavations in Midea 1987,” OpAth 18 (1990) 9-22; P. ÅSTRÖM, K. DEMAKOPOULOU, N. DIVARI-VALAKOU and P. FISCHER, “Excavations in Midea 1989-90,” OpAth 19 (1992) 11-22; K. DEMAKOPOULOU, N. DIVARI-VALAKOU and G. WALBERG, “Excavations and Restoration Work in Midea 1990-1992,” OpAth 20 (1994) 19-41; K. DEMAKOPOULOU, N. DIVARI-VALAKOU, P. ÅSTRÖM and G. WALBERG, “Excavations in Midea 1994,” OpAth 21 (1996) 13-32. See also K. DEMAKOPOULOU, “Mycenaean Citadels: Recent Excavations on the Acropolis of Midea in the Argolid,” BICS 1995, 151-61; Eadem, “Midea in the light of recent excavations” in E. de MIRO, L. GODART and A. SACCONI (eds.), Atti e Memorie del Secondo Congresso Internazionale di Micenologia (1996) 979-94; P. ÅSTRÖM, “Excavations in Midea,” in ibid. 1133-35; G. WALBERG, “Excavations on the Lower Terraces at Midea in the Argolid,” in ibid. 1333-38; P. ÅSTRÖM and K. DEMAKOPOULOU, “Signs of an Earthquake at Midea?” in S. STIROS and R.E. JONES (eds.) Archaeoseismology. Fitch Laboratory Occasional Paper 7 (1996) 37-40. DEMAKOPOULOU 1995 (supra n. 1) pl. 4a. ÅSTRÖM et al. 1988 (supra n. 1) fig. 3. DEMAKOPOULOU et al. 1994 (supra n. 1) 19-25, figs. 5-10; DEMAKOPOULOU et al. 1996 (supra n. 1) 15-17, figs. 5-7. DEMAKOPOULOU et al. 1994 (supra n. 1) 26-31, figs. 14-30; DEMAKOPOULOU et al. (supra n. 1) 17-23, figs. 12-30. K. DEMAKOPOULOU et al., “Excavations in Midea 1995-1996,” OpAth 22 (1998) (forthcoming). For good illustrations of the figures from Mycenae and Tiryns, see K. DEMAKOPOULOU (ed.), The Mycenaean World (1988) 95, no. 25, 192, nos. 167-68. See also E. FRENCH, “The figures and figurines,” in C. RENFREW et al., The Archaeology of Cult. The Sanctuary at Phylakopi. BSA Suppl.18 (1985) 215, 221, no. SF 2660, fig. 6.4, pls. 31, 32a, 33a-b, for the Phylakopi figure.

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c) Many sealstones among which worthy of mention is one, made of agate, with the depiction of a minotaur.8 d) A steatite mould for casting gold, faience, and glass beads.9 This find suggests the existence of jewellery workshops in Midea. e) Two storage stirrup jars and one clay nodule with Linear B inscriptions.10 Another inscribed storage stirrup jar and three clay nodules have been found on the Lower Terraces of the Acropolis in the East Gate Area.11 Two finds from the West Gate Area are of special importance: a storage stirrup jar with the Linear B inscription wi-na-jo and a prismatic perforated nodule with a seal impression depicting a spider and the ideogram GRA for wheat, which has been incised on the spider.12 It is apparent that the administrative system in Midea can be equated with that of the great palatial centres on the Mainland, although no Linear B tablets have yet come to light. The finds from the recent excavations in Midea also include quite a few stone vessels, which give more evidence for the importance of the Acropolis. The most impressive stone vessel from Midea is a large fragment of an amethyst rhyton in the form of a triton shell (Pl. XXIa-c). It was found in 1991 in a LH IIIB2 context in the West Gate Area of the Acropolis.13 The shape of this vessel is purely Minoan.14 It can be compared to the stone triton shell models of the Late Minoan I period found in Crete.15 The Midea piece is a remarkable find, since in the Middle and Late Bronze Age Aegean amethyst, like rock crystal, was used for seals and small pieces of jewellery, but very rarely for the manufacture of vases.16 There is only one other example known, a small amethyst fragment from the Acropolis of Mycenae, exhibited in the National Museum, Athens (inv. no. 1396) (Pl. XXId-e). It comes from the old Tsountas excavations and has been published as a small vase.17 However, its shape shows that it must have been part of a triton shell model as well. Both fragments, as is shown on Pl. XXIc and e, are from the upper part, namely the lip of a triton shell rhyton. It is even possible that they could be from one and the same vase, which must have been especially fine and precious. The fragments were still considered valuable for a long time after breakage and were kept as such, becoming separated and dispersed. The original, or the originals, were most probably Minoan work(s) created from large single pieces of raw amethyst, most probably imported from Egypt in Late Minoan I. The vessel or vessels were subsequently sent to the Argolid from Crete. They are thus closely related to the rock crystal duck bowl from Shaft Grave Omicron at Mycenae;18 all of them must have been among the finest lapidary products of Late Minoan I.

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DEMAKOPOULOU et al. 1994 (supra n. 1) 32, figs. 43-44. Ibid. 31, fig. 37. K. DEMAKOPOULOU and N. DIVARI-VALAKOU, “New Finds with Linear B Inscriptions from Midea (MI Z 2, Wv 3, Z 4),” Minos 29-30 (1994-1995) 323-28. One of the nodules has been published, see G. WALBERG, “A Linear B inscription from Midea,” Kadmos 31 (1992) 93; Eadem, in K. DEMAKOPOULOU et al. 1994 (supra n. 1) 39, figs. 58-61; Eadem (supra n. 1) 133637, figs. 2-4. For the two other nodules and the inscribed storage stirrup jar, see Minos 31 (1996; forthcoming). DEMAKOPOULOU and DIVARI-VALAKOU (supra n.10) pls. IB, IIA-B. DEMAKOPOULOU et al. 1994 (supra n. 1) 32-34, fig. 45; DEMAKOPOULOU 1995 (supra n. 1) 160-61; Eadem 1996 (supra n. 1) 991-92, fig. 11. P.M. WARREN, Minoan Stone Vases (1969) 91, type 35. C. BAURAIN and P. DARCQUE, “Un triton en pierre à Mallia,” BCH 107 (1983) 49f; cf. also the appendix by DARCQUE 59-73, for a full list of triton shell models in stone, clay and faience. See also J.F. LLOYD, “A Clay Triton Shell in a Private Collection in New York,” OpAth 20 (1994) 75-86 with bibliography. D. EVELY, Ground Stone. Well Built Mycenae 27 (1992) 17. J.A. SAKELLARAKIS, “Mycenaean Stone Vases,” SMEA 17 (1976) 181, pl. VII.20. See also EVELY (supra n. 16) 17. G.E. MYLONAS, ^O Tafików Kúklow B& tôn Mukhnôn (1972-1973) 203-205, pls.183-85.

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The other stone vases found in Midea are all mortars. Eight of them were discovered in the West Gate Area in LH IIIB2 contexts; two more were found in trenches on the Lower Terraces in the northeast area of the Acropolis, likewise in a LH IIIB2 context.19 To them may be added the tripod mortar found by Axel Persson on the upper Acropolis during the first sounding at Midea.20 They are nearly complete, with the exception of three which are fragmentary. Moreover, two of them are badly preserved, having being damaged during the destruction of the West Gate and other buildings at ca. 1200 BC, when Midea was struck by a devastating earthquake, which was followed by an extensive fire.21 In total, there are eleven stone mortars from Midea, which can be classified in three groups based on their shape: the first and larger group includes nine specimens with three feet and a well defined spout; the feet are usually square in section. The second group consists of one example, which has three feet but no spout. To the third group belongs a fragmentary mortar of the plain bowl type without feet and probably without a spout. The stone mortars from Midea are all circular bowls, except for one, which is oval. They are all undecorated. Their diameters range from ca. 0.15 to 0.35 m. CATALOGUE 1) Tripod mortar (Pl. XXIIa-b). Height 0.12 m; diameter 0.25 m. Found in 1985 in the debris which covered the gateway of the West Gate of the Acropolis. Mended from many fragments. Large parts of the rim are missing. Thick-walled circular bowl on three square feet with a well defined spout. Made of grey volcanic stone, most probably trachyte. It was apparently broken to pieces during the destruction of the Acropolis by the earthquake. Bibliography: OpAth 18 (1990) 16, fig.19. 2) Tripod mortar (Pl. XXIIc-d). Height 0.10 m; diameter 0.21 x 0.25 m. Found in 1987 in the debris which covered the gateway of the West Gate of the Acropolis. Badly damaged possibly by the fire, which accompanied the earthquake. Parts of the rim are missing. Thick-walled oval bowl on three very short, roughly shaped feet and a large roughly shaped spout. Made of calcareous sandstone. Bibliography: OpAth 18 (1990) 16. 3) Tripod mortar (Pl. XXIIe-f). Height 0.12 m; diameter 0.23 m. Found in 1995 in the destruction level on the f loor of Room VIa of the building complex, which was uncovered adjacent to the fortification wall to the left of the West Gate. Broken clay vases, large pieces of mud-brick and crushed lead vessels were found nearby in the same room. Relatively well preserved in two joining pieces. Thick-walled deep circular bowl on three square feet with a well defined spout. Made of grey volcanic stone, most probably trachyte. Bibliography: OpAth 22 (1998) (forthcoming). 4) Tripod mortar, fragmentary (Pl. XXIIIa-b). Height 0.125 m; diameter 0.22 m. Found in 1995 in the debris which covered Room VIa of the building complex. Part of the circular bowl with the spout and one square leg is preserved. Made also of grey volcanic stone, most probably trachyte. Bibliography: OpAth 22 (1998) (forthcoming). 5) Mortar, fragmentary (Pl. XXIIIc-d). Height 0.095 m; diameter max. 0.245 m, diameter base 0.14 m. Found in 1995 in the destruction level of Room VIa of the building complex. Mended from many pieces. Large parts of the rim and body are missing. Plain bowl with no feet. The fragmentary condition of the bowl makes the existence of a spout uncertain. The bowl has a low f lat base, slightly incurving rim and is carefully finished all around. Made of light grey whitish volcanic stone, most probably trachyte. Bibliography: OpAth 22 (1998) (forthcoming).

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G. WALBERG, “Excavations on the Lower Terraces at Midea,” OpAth 19 (1992) 33, fig. 16; see also DEMAKOPOULOU et al. 1994 (supra n. 1) 35-41. A.W. PERSSON, New Tombs at Dendra near Midea (1942) 10-11, fig.8. ÅSTRÖM and DEMAKOPOULOU 1996 (supra n. 1).

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6) Tripod mortar (Pl. XXIIIe-f). Height 0.17 m; diameter 0.245 m. Found in 1996 on the f loor of Room VII of the building complex, near the collapsed wall, which separated Room VII from Room VI. Almost complete and in a very good state of preservation. Thick-walled circular shallow bowl on three tall square feet and with a large square well defined spout. Carefully finished all around. Made of hard grey volcanic stone with black splinter crystals, most probably trachyte. Bibliography: OpAth 22 (1998) (forthcoming). 7) Tripod mortar (Pl. XIVa-b). Height 0.10 m; diameter 0.26 m. Found in 1997 on the f loor of Room VIIIb of the building complex, along with a large number of clay vases, stone tools, and crushed lead vessels. Complete. Thick-walled circular shallow bowl on three low square feet and with a large well defined square spout. Made of hard grey volcanic stone, probably trachyte. 8) Tripod mortar (Pl. XIVc-d). Height 0.10 m; diameter 0.17 m. Found in 1997 on the f loor of Room VIIIb of the building complex, near mortar no. 7. Complete with extensive traces of fire on the exterior surface of the bottom. Small, extremely thick-walled, slightly oval bowl with three roughly defined square feet and a small spout. Vertical shallow groove on the exterior surface of the feet. Made of hard brown volcanic stone, probably trachyte. 9) Tripod mortar. Height 0.104 m; diameter 0.153 m. Found in 1990 in a trench on the Lower Terraces. Mostly complete, in two joining pieces. Small deep circular bowl with three roughly defined short legs. No spout. Made of grey white stone with black inclusions, probably calcareous sandstone. Bibliography: OpAth 19 (1992) 33, fig.16. 10) Tripod mortar fragment. Diameter 0.22 x 0.16 m. Found in 1991 in a trench on the Lower Terraces. Bottom of the roughly circular bowl preserved with three feet sockets. Made of grey brown stone, probably calcareous sandstone. Bibliography: OpAth 20 (1994) 35-41. 11) Tripod mortar (Pl. XIVe). Height 0.135 m; diameter 0.35 m. Found by A. Persson in 1939 on the upper Acropolis and now exhibited in Nauplion Museum (inv. no. 8874). Almost intact with parts of the rim and spout completed with plaster. Thick-walled circular bowl with three square feet. This is the largest and the finest stone tripod mortar from Midea. It is very carefully worked all around. The interior is extremely well polished. Made of grey hard stone with inclusions, most probably trachyte. Bibliography: A.W. Persson, New Tombs at Dendra near Midea (1942) 10-11, fig.8.

The grinding vessels from the recent excavation at Midea must have been in use in the LH IIIB2 period of occupation of the Acropolis, as is suggested by their contexts. The mortar found by Persson must also belong to the same period. The function of all these vessels for grinding f lour or other products, such as crushed herbs or coloring, is obvious. Indeed a large number of stone pounders, pestles or grinding stones, and also many millstones, were found in Rooms VIa-b, VII and VIIIa-b in the West Gate Area and in the Gate itself, where most of the mortars have been discovered. However, neither pestles nor any kind of ground-in substances were found in close association with any of them. In total, eleven stone mortars have been found so far in Midea and this is an impressive collection. Until recently very few pieces were known from Mainland Greece; more have been found in the Aegean islands, while the majority of this type of vessel comes from the Syro-Palestinian area and Cyprus.22 However, thirteen mortars from the Citadel House area of Mycenae have been recently published by Dr. D. Evely.23 The Mycenae group and now the pieces found in Midea have increased considerably the number of mortars known from Mainland Greece, adding to our knowledge and to the question of their origin.

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WARREN (supra n. 14) 115-17. See also SWDS, 241-45, for a list of stone mortars found on Mainland Greece, Crete, and on the Aegean islands and thought to be of Cretan or Theran origin. EVELY (supra n.16) 3-4, 12-16, figs.5-8, pl.2:13-15.

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Since stone mortars from datable contexts are rare, the examples from Midea are important, because almost all of them come from well stratified deposits and can be dated to the LH IIIB2 period, like most of the Mycenae pieces. The Midea mortars, as those from Mycenae, were found in rooms or other areas along with various objects, such as pottery, lead vessels, and tools. Furthermore, there are close similarities between the Mycenae and Midea mortars in terms of shape, manufacture, and material. Most of the mortars of both groups were made of volcanic material, while a few of them are of limestone or sandstone. The majority of them has a rough and careless finishing, especially on their outer surface. However, their interiors are smoother, even polished in some cases, probably as a result of wear. The distribution of stone mortars is wider in Crete and on the Aegean islands, especially Thera, from where a large number is known.24 Most of the Cretan examples are said to be made of trachyte, while those from Thera are made of local volcanic stone, for which Prof. P.M. Warren prefers the term dacite.25 Warren, indeed, thought that the Cretan tripod mortars were in fact Theran,26 and not Syro-Palestinian as Buchholz had suggested long ago in an extensive article.27 Following Warren’s observations, a Cycladic origin for the mortars found on the Mainland, in Crete, and other Aegean areas, cannot be ruled out.28 Buchholz’s theory of a Syro-Palestinian or Cypriot origin for most of the stone mortars found at Aegean sites is no longer valid.29 Recent research has shown the presence of volcanic stone not only in the Cyclades, but also in Crete and even within Mainland Greece. As Dr. C.N. Runnels has noted, in the northeastern Peloponnese and especially in the area around Corinth, Aegina, Poros, and Methana, such volcanic material exists locally, because of the seismic and volcanic character of this region.30 Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the mortars found in Midea were probably made locally. Dr. Evely, in his careful study on the Mycenae mortars, suggested that these too were probably of local origin.31 Most of the Midea mortars are of volcanic stone and some are of sandstone. Sandstone is a local material and could have been obtained in the vicinity.32 The volcanic rock used to make stone vessels could have been brought to Midea from the northeast coast of the Peloponnese or from the Cyclades, most probably from Melos. If this is the case, which could be determined by more thorough petrological analyses, then the Midea pieces could indeed have been manufactured in the Argolid. In any event, the increasing number of these mortars, found in two of the great Mycenaean centres of the Argolid, strongly suggest their local origin. Katie DEMAKOPOULOU

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P.M. WARREN, “The Stone Vessels from the Bronze Age Settlement at Akrotiri, Thera,” ArchEph 1979, 83-86, 104-105. Ibid. 108. Ibid. H.-G. BUCHHOLZ, “Steinerne Dreifussschalen des ägäischen Kulturkreises und ihre Beziehungen zum Osten,” JdI 78 (1963) 1-77. WARREN (supra n. 24) 104; EVELY (supra n. 16) 15. BUCHHOLZ (supra n. 27); WARREN (supra n. 14) 115-17, 141; but see also Idem (supra n. 24) 108. Mentioned by EVELY (supra n. 16) 15. Ibid. 15-16. Ibid. 16.

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Katie DEMAKOPOULOU LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Pl. XXIa-b Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl. Pl.

XXIc XXId XXIe XXIIa XXIIb XXIIc XXIId XXIIe XXIIf XXIIIa XXIIIb XXIIIc XXIIId XXIIIe XXIIIf XXIVa XXIVb XXIVc XXIVd XXIVe

Fragment of an amethyst ritual vase in the form of a triton shell (front and back). Midea, West Gate Area. Drawing of the fragment in Pl. XXIa with reconstruction of the triton shell rhyton. Fragment of an amethyst vase in the form of a triton shell. Mycenae, Acropolis. Drawing of the fragment in Pl. XXId with reconstruction of the triton shell rhyton. Stone tripod mortar. Midea, West Gate, gateway. Drawing of mortar in Pl. XXIIa. Stone tripod mortar. Midea, West Gate, gateway. Drawing of mortar in Pl. XXIIc. Stone tripod mortar. Midea, West Gate Area, Room VIa of the Building Complex. Drawing of mortar in Pl. XXIIe. Fragment of a stone tripod mortar. Midea, West Gate Area, Room VIa of the Building Complex. Drawing of mortar in Pl. XXIIIa. Stone mortar. Midea, West Gate Area, Room VIa of the Building Complex. Drawing of mortar in Pl. XXIIIc. Stone tripod mortar. Midea, West Gate Area, Room VII of the Building Complex. Drawing of mortar in Pl. XXIIIe. Stone tripod mortar. Midea, West Gate Area, Room VIIIb of the Building Complex. Drawing of mortar in Pl. XXIVa. Stone tripod mortar. Midea, West Gate Area, Room VIIIb of the Building Complex. Drawing of mortar in Pl. XXIVc. Stone tripod mortar. Midea, Upper Acropolis, excavation by Persson in 1939.

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Discussion following K. Demakopoulou’s paper: J.B. Rutter (Chair): Thank you very much for that very stimulating talk. We are now demoting some things that used to indicate Near Eastern - Aegean contacts — they no longer seem to apply — and surely that will inspire some questions and comments from somebody in the audience. We have time for one or two questions. P. Åström: I would like to point out that there are tripodic mortars in Cyprus which have been analyzed and found to be of vesicular basalt from northern Syria. [Eds.: The results have been published by ELLIOT, MALPAS and XENOPHONTOS in RDAC 1986: 78-96.] They are of different material than the mortars you have shown here from Midea. K. Demakopoulou: Yes, thank you. We hope that we will be able in the near feature to sample some of the stone vases from Midea and make some petrological analyses. J.B. Rutter: I wonder if I may take advantage of being the Chair to ask a question myself. This doesn’t strictly have to do with the mortars, but I did want to ask a question about the destruction at Midea and the evidence for the earthquake, which is then followed by a fire. I’m just curious to know exactly what it is that you take to be indicative of an earthquake having preceded the fire, as opposed to shifting stones or something since the destruction occurred? What exactly is it that you take to be identifying this earthquake at Midea? K. Demakopoulou: I am not sure if I understood you correctly; the earthquake occurred first and was the cause of the great fire. This is apparent, because there are many tilted and distorted walls, and also collapsed walls and a lot of fallen stones inside the rooms. It is quite clear. I think that there were many signs of the earthquake before the final destruction, so the people f led, for only one skeleton, obviously belonging to a victim, was found under fallen stones in a room in the East Gate Area of the Acropolis. G. Walberg: I would also like to remind the audience of the conference on Archaeoseismology held in 1991. A group of participants visited Midea and agreed that the probable cause of destruction was an earthquake. The evidence is published in Archaeoseismology [Eds.: P. ÅSTRÖM and K. DEMAKOPOULOU, “Signs of Earthquake at Midea?,” pp. 37-40], edited by S. STIROS and R.E. JONES, and has just been published as the Fitch Laboratory Occasional Paper No. 7 (1996). V. Karageorghis: These type of mortars are very common in Cyprus from a very early stage in the Late Bronze Age. They’re usually made of local andecite, more rarely in steatite, and also Syrian basalt as Professor Åström has said. I wonder whether the origin of the type may not be Levantine. K. Demakopoulou: I think that most of the pieces found in the Aegean area — mainland Greece — can be local. They are not made of the same stone and are not very similar to the Cypriot-Levantine mortars. There is an example in the Stathatos Collection in the National Museum, Athens, said to be from Attica. This is of steatite, and smaller in dimension, and it’s clearly not a grinding vessel. It has a very fine incised decoration. It’s very similar to the Cypriot example you mention. This can be an import. V. Karageorghis: I’m not suggesting that they are imports, those found in Midea, but the type may have originated in the Levant and was imitated in the Aegean. K. Demakopoulou: Yes, that’s possible, that the type is Levantine and was imitated in the Aegean.