The Emergence of Ancient Tegea
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Emergence of Ancient Tegea Political Unity, Synoikism and Identity in a Greek Polis MARI HEINSDATTER MALMER Master of Arts Thesis in Archaeology Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History Faculty of Humanities UNIVERSITY OF OSLO September, 2011 Cover Illustration: Reconstruction of the interior of the Classical temple of Athena Alea. (After Stewart 1990: Fig. 541). ii Preface The first time I visited Tegea was in the spring of 2007, when I was attending a course at the Norwegian Institute at Athens. Our professor and guide, Knut Ødegård, mentioned that young archaeologists would be needed at the future excavations in the area, and I remember thinking, “I will be one of them!” When the Hellenic-Norwegian Excavation at Tegea started up in 2009, I was one of the lucky few who were invited to join the project. For three years (and counting) I have been happily swinging the pick-axe in the urban centre of ancient Tegea. Naturally, my first thanks go to my supervisor, Knut Ødegård, for taking me on the project at Tegea in the first place. He also helped me develop this project and allowed me to make it my own, and never turned me down when I would drop by his office with endless questions. Other thanks are due: IAKH, for giving me the travel scholarship, the Norwegian Institute at Athens for giving me a room, and the Nordic Library at Athens for providing me with a desk there. Karin Hägg Niklasson for initiating a very fruitful seminar. Linn Solli, Irene Selsvold and Elisabet Janssen for participating, and for being part of our exclusive Classics club. Marianne Hem Eriksen, Amy Donaldson, Vincenzo Cracolici and Rasmus Brandt, who read my project and gave me valuable and encouraging feedback. Jørgen Bakke, for letting me use his beautiful maps. All the people who‟ve sat with me in the break room; the forum where one can vent, have silly conversations and some laughs, or exchange precious advice and encouragement. My friends, who (hopefully) have been patient enough to wait for me while I shut myself off from the world during this project. My employers, Peder and Annette Sødem, for a great seven years, and for giving me time off to write and travel which I needed to complete my project. My parents, who have always supported me, believed in me and who read the final draft of the project. And the final thanks go to my beloved Jo-Simon Stokke, my everything, who has supported and encouraged me through the highs and lows of this project, and whose love makes me believe I can do anything. iii Notes: The word synoikismos means “dwelling together”. But the meaning is ambiguous, as it can be used in the political sense (the acceptance of a single political centre by people living more or less scattered), or in the physical sense (the migration of the population to an existing or newly, purpose-built place of habitation) (Snodgrass 1980:34). In the following study, synoikism will be used in the physical sense (unless otherwise specified). In this project Greek spelling of names is preferred over the Latinised versions, hence ai instead of ae, kh instead of ch, os instead of us, and so on. All dates are B.C., unless otherwise specified. The main premise of this study is that we are in fact dealing with an orthogonal city of the Archaic period. The future seasons of the Hellenic-Norwegian Excavations at Tegea, which started in 2009, will probably provide us with the answer. Only through excavations can the apparent plan, as suggested by the magnetometer survey, be confirmed and dated. Further surveys in the area are also needed to ascertain the form and date of the water management of the Tegean plain. For now, this present study provides a sketch of the possible development of the early Tegean polis. iv Contents PREFACE ............................................................................................................................................................ III CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................................... V LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................... VII ABBREVIATIONS................................................................................................................................................ VII INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT ....................................................................................................... 1 Notes on the Use of Ancient Sources ............................................................................................................. 2 Method and Structure .................................................................................................................................... 3 PART I: .................................................................................................................................................................. 5 MATERIAL AND ANALOGIES ........................................................................................................................ 5 THE SANCTUARY OF ATHENA ALEA ................................................................................................................... 7 The Early Excavations ................................................................................................................................... 7 The Norwegian Involvement .......................................................................................................................... 8 The Temple Phases ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 The Location and Background of the Sanctuary ....................................................................................................... 10 THE URBAN LAYOUT OF TEGEA ........................................................................................................................ 15 Earlier Research .......................................................................................................................................... 15 Recent Research .......................................................................................................................................... 15 The Urban Planning of the Western Colonies ............................................................................................. 17 Selinous .................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Metapontion.............................................................................................................................................................. 20 Poseidonia ................................................................................................................................................................ 20 Mantineia .................................................................................................................................................................. 23 Discussion ................................................................................................................................................................ 24 WATER MANAGEMENT ON THE PLAIN OF TEGEA ............................................................................................... 27 The Water Management of the Western Colonies........................................................................................ 31 Selinous .................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Poseidonia ................................................................................................................................................................ 32 Metapontion.............................................................................................................................................................. 33 Sybaris ...................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Discussion ................................................................................................................................................................ 35 PART II: .............................................................................................................................................................. 37 THEORY AND ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................... 37 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................................................. 39 Identity ..................................................................................................................................................................... 39 Ethnicity ................................................................................................................................................................... 40 Invented Tradition and Memory ............................................................................................................................... 41