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The Late Bronze Age Sanctuary at Ayios Iakovos: Dhima Revisited

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The Late Bronze Age Sanctuary at Ayios Iakovos: Dhima Revisited Institutionen för arkeologi och antik historia The Late Bronze Age Sanctuary at Ayios Iakovos: Dhima Revisited Adam Lindqvist Masteruppsats 45 hp i Antikens kultur och samhällsliv VT 2017 Handledare: Michael Lindblom Abstract Lindqvist, A. 2017. Ett återbesök i den sena bronsålders helgedomen i Ayios Iakovos: Dhima År 1929 grävde den Svenska Cypernexpeditionen ut en helgedom daterad till den tidiga delen av Sencypriotisk II (1400-1340/1315), namngiven Ayios Iakovos: Dhima. Kring ett terrakotta-kar återfann arkeologerna flera värdefulla och exotiska föremål. Sedan dess har platsen och dess fynd tolkats på många olika sätt, utan någon egentlig klarhet. Genom att göra en systematisk studie över det hittills opublicerade skärvmaterialet har nya slutsatser om platsen kunnat läggas fram. Tidigare tolkningar om ett kronologiskt gap under Sencypriotisk I kan nu ifrågasättas. Det finns belägg för ett kontinuerligt bruk från Mellancypriotisk III fram tills platsen övergavs under Sencypriotisk II. Den stora mängden slutna kärl, förknippade med transport av väldoftande oljor och salvor, vittnar om de aktiviteter som en gång företogs på platsen. Dessutom visar närvaron av typiska rituella dryckeskärl ett av de tidigaste exemplen på utvecklingen av Cypriotisk rituell tradition, nu separerad från de tidigare starka banden till gravriter. i Acknowledgements I would first like to thank my supervisor, Dr Michael Lindblom of the Department of archaeology and ancient history at Uppsala University. Without his invaluable guidance and persistent help, this thesis would not have been possible. I would also like to extend my thanks to the staff of the Mediterranean Museum in Stockholm, especially Dr Christian Mühlenbock, Dr Eva Myhrdal and Emma Andersson for their assistance in accessing the material that makes up the core of this study. Finally, I must express my gratitude to my parents and my partner, for providing me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study and through the process of researching and writing this thesis. This accomplishment would not have been possible without them. Thank you. Adam Lindqvist ii CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... I 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 6 1.1 PURPOSE OF THESIS AND RELEVANT RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........................................................ 6 1.2 APPROACH ............................................................................................................................................. 7 1.3 RE-EXAMINING AN OLD EXCAVATION – PROBLEMS AND POSSIBILITIES ...................................... 7 2. THE SWEDISH CYPRUS EXPEDITION ........................................................................... 9 3. WHAT MAKES A SANCTUARY? ................................................................................... 10 3.1 THE EXCAVATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF AYIOS IAKOVOS: DHIMA ........................................... 10 3.1.1 The excavation ................................................................................................................................... 11 3.1.2 The documentation .......................................................................................................................... 12 3.1.3 The stratigraphy ................................................................................................................................ 13 3.1.4 The architecture ................................................................................................................................ 15 3.1.5 The material culture ........................................................................................................................ 16 3.2 AYIOS IAKOVOS IN TIME AND SPACE. .................................................................................................. 20 4. PRESENTATION OF THE PREVIOUSLY UNSTUDIED MATERIAL ......................... 23 4.1 THE CERAMIC ASSEMBLAGE AT AYIOS IAKOVOS: DHIMA ................................................................ 23 4.2.1 Middle Bronze Age ............................................................................................................................ 24 4.2.2 Late Bronze Age ................................................................................................................................. 30 4.2 COMMENTS ON THE POTTERY .............................................................................................................. 41 5. RE-CONTEXTUALIZING AYIOS IAKOVOS ................................................................. 57 5.1 PREVIOUS INTERPRETATIONS OF AYIOS IAKOVOS: DHIMA IN A NEW LIGHT................................ 57 5.1.1 Dhima as a dual deity site ............................................................................................................. 57 5.1.2 Dhima as a typical Cypriot Sanctuary ..................................................................................... 59 5.1.3 Dhima as a short-lived sanctuary and funerary site ........................................................ 61 5.1.4 Dhima as a last resort during times of distress ................................................................... 63 5.1.5 Dhima as an eastern Mediterranean sanctuary ................................................................. 65 5.2 DHIMA IN THE LIGHT OF NEWLY STUDIED POTTERY ........................................................................ 67 5.2.1 The construction of the floor and the chronology of the sanctuary .......................... 67 5.2.2 An enclosure ........................................................................................................................................ 68 5.2.3 Two areas in the sanctuary. ......................................................................................................... 68 5.2.4 The pottery and its function during the LCII period. ........................................................ 68 5.3 WHAT DOES THE RE-CONTEXTUALISATION MEAN FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF EARLY LCII CULT?............................................................................................................................................................... 70 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................... 72 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 77 LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................................. 77 LIST OF PLATES ............................................................................................................................................. 77 iii Table 1. General terminology and Abbreviations. Pottery Wares Chronology Base Ring BR Early Cypriot EC Black Slip BS Middle Cypriot MC Cypro-Mycenaean Cypr. Myc. Late Cypriot LC Grey Ware GW Late Helladic LH Plain Ware handmade PWHM Plain Ware wheelmade PWWM Red Lustrous RL Red-on-Black RoB Red Polished RP Red Slip RS White Painted handmade WPHM White Painted wheelmade WPWM White Porous WPo White Slip WS Table 2. Relative and (approx.) absolute chronology of Cyprus and the Aegean (after Crewe 2007, and Mountjoy 1986, ). Middle-Late Cypriot Periods Mainland Aegean periods MCI (1950-1850) MCII (1850-1750) MCIII (1750-1650) LCIA (1650-1550) LHI (1550-1500) LCIB (1550-1400) LHIIA (1500-1450) LHIIB (1450-1400) LCIIA (1400-1375) LHIIIA1 (1400-1350) LCIIB (1375-1340/15) LHIIIA2 (1350-1300) LCIIC (1340/1315-1200) LHIIIB1 (1300-1225) LHIIIB2 (1225-1175) LCIIIA (1200-1100) LHIIIC Early (1175-1130) LHIIIC Middle (1130-1090) LCIIIB (1100-1050) LHIIIC Late (1090-1060) iv Figure 1. Map of Cyprus with important Late Cypriot sites (from Knapp 2008a). v 1. Introduction In 1999, Jennifer Webb defined the Late Bronze Age Sanctuary at Ayios Iakovos: Dhima as an “extramural cult locale possibly associated with mortuary ceremonial (of which Ayios Iakovos Dhima is the only example and might be unique)”. However, the interpretations of this site have been many and widely differing. All primarily based on the publication by the Swedish Cyprus Expedition, a report that neglected a most of the pottery and focused only on the complete finds. The numerous gold objects, the well-preserved ceramic vessels and the many imports have been puzzling to many. It is cited as one of the best examples of a largely undisturbed Cypriot sanctuary and is usually included in studies on early Cypriot cult or ceramic studies on the unusually large number of Red Lustrous arm vessels.1 But beyond that, it is only mentioned in passing as a cultic locale found in the Cypriot hinterlands.2 The sherd material from the sanctuary has never been thoroughly studied and it is time to update Dhima with a century worth of archaeological progress in Cypriot prehistory. 1.1 Purpose of thesis and relevant research questions The aim of this thesis is to revisit the sanctuary at Ayios Iakovos: Dhima, to gain a better understanding of its role in the Cypriot ritual tradition. Focusing on the unpublished pottery, this study will re-evaluate previous interpretations of Dhima to determine which interpretations are, and which are not, supported. With a more thorough
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