Proceedings Ofthe Danish Institute at Athens • II
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Proceedings ofthe Danish Institute at Athens • II Edited by Seven Dietz & Signe Isager Aarhus U niversitetstorlag Langelandsgade 177 8200 Arhus N © Copyright The Danish Institute at Athens,Athens 1998 The publication was sponsored by: The Danish Research Council for the Humanities. Consul General Gosta Enbom's Foundation. Konsul Georgjorck og hustru Emmajorck's Fond. Proceedings of the Danish Institute at Athens General Editor: Seren Dietz and Signe Isager Graphic design and Production by: Freddy Pedersen Printed in Denmark on permanent paper ISBN 87 7288 722 2 Distributed by: AARHUS UNIVERSITY PRESS University ofAarhus DK-8000 Arhus C Fax (+45) 8619 8433 73 Lime Walk Headington, Oxford OX3 7AD Fax (+44) 865 750 079 Box 511 Oakvill, Conn. 06779 Fax (+1) 203 945 94 9468 The drawing reproduced as cover illustration represents Kristian Jeppesen's proposal for the restoration of the Maussolleion, in particular of the colonnade (PTERON) in which portrait statues of members of the Hecatomnid dynasty said to have been carved by the famous artists Scopas, Bryaxis,Timotheos, and Leochares were exhibited. Drawing by the author, see p. 173, Abb. 5, C. The Early Sanctuary ofthe Argive Heraion and its External Relations (8th - Early 6th Cent. B.C.) Bronze Imports and Archaic Greek Bronzes Ingrid Strom Abstract territories of the city-state ofArgos, presumably having been appropriated sometime between the Thepresent article continues my studies of the years 615 and 515 B.C. Greek Geometric Bronzesfrom the Argive Heraion (IS IV) which concluded that until the early 1th Cent. B.C., the Greek bronzes ofAr- I. Introduction gos and the Argive Heraion differed to such a degree as to indicate the sanctuary as indepen The present paper should be seen as an dent of thesettlement ofArgos. immediate continuation of my article on the Greek Geometric bronzes from the Similar results concerning the bronze imports Argive Heraion which concluded that its having been reached earlier (IS II), the signi Greek Geometric and early 7th Cent, ficance of Near Eastern imports of bronze ves bronzes differed in so many respects from sels in wine sets is now stressed, suggesting that the contemporary bronzes ofthe sanctua the introduction of banquets with wine shortly ries and tombs of the settlement ofArgos before 100 B.C to some Greek sanctuaries was as to give the impression oftwo sites inde influenced via Phrygia. The banquet implements pendent of each other.' Previously, similar ingeneral emphasize the cult correspondance of conclusions were reached from the studies the two North East Peloponnesian Hera sanc ofthe early monumental architecture of tuaries, the Argive Heraion and the Heraion of the Argive Heraion compared with that of Perachora. Argos as well as for the early Near Eastern connections ofthe two sites.2 Until the early 6th Cent. B.C., the Archaic Greek bronzes at the Argive Heraion are spora As stated in these papers, the ultimate pur dic apartfrom fibulae and some banquetting va pose ofmy studies is a deeper understan ses, and in contemporary Argos they are almost ding ofthe relations between the Argive absent. However, from the second quarter of the Heraion and Argos during the period of 6th Cent. B.C., a rich production of banquet- the emerging city-states with a view to a ting implements, a beginning of local bronze more general insight into the role played mirror manufacture and, inparticular, several by the sanctuaries in this crucial develop fine bronze statuettes indicate a revival of the ment.3 The present paper deals with the cult life at the Argive Heraion. From now on, imported bronzes and their close Greek the bronze sculptures at the Argive Heraion and imitations as well as with the EarlyArchaic Argos appear inseparable, continuing a stylistic bronzes ofthe 7th and the first half of the tradition which developed atArgos already in 6th Centuries B.C.The bronzes may pro the EG Period, but previously was unidentified vide a chronological frame for the time, at the Heraion, and showing a correspondance when the bronzes ofthe two sites - and of the two sites, also in their outside relations, thus the relations they represent —appear especially to the Corinthia and Eaconia. The inseparable, possibly an indication that the Archaic Greek bronze sculptures, in particular, Argive Heraion was no longer an inde suggest that by the early 6th Cent. B. C, the pendent establishment, but had passed un Argive Heraion formed an integral part of the der direct control ofthe city ofArgos, such 37 Fig, 1A - B.Athens. National Museum. NM 23082 and 14032. Italic Bronze Fibulae "a serpeg^ianti".A.AH 853. Museum Photo. B.AH 854. From AH II,pi. LXXXVI. Fig. 2. AH 855 - 857. Italic Bronze Fibulae "Navicella/Sanguisuga". Drawings. From AH II,pi. LXXXVI. as was definitely the situation in the Clas The Bronze Imports and sical Period. their Close Greek Imitations The paper will be divided into two main J. Italic Bronzes parts, one dealing with the bronze imports and the other with the Archaic Greek TheArgive Hera ion bronzes. The lettering ofthe sections is continued from my article on Geometric The few Italic bronzes at the Argive Hera bronzes, the first three sections ofwhich ion comprise five fibulae, AH 853 - 857, apply to both papers.4As in my previous only one ofwhich, AH 855, had a known paper on the Geometric bronzes, material find spot, the Back ofSouth Stoa.They are from the votive deposits near the Heraion all fragmentary, only their arches being will be included and the studies of the Ar preserved. gos bronzes will primarily be based on the finds in the sanctuaries, only secondarily AH 853 - 854 (NM 14032 and 23082) are on the bronzes in the Argos tombs. fibulae "a drago ", ofwhich only AH 854 has one ofits pair ofglobes preserved. In their fragmentary state, they measure 6 and 4.35 cm., respectively (Fig. I).5 38 Fig. 3 A - C.Athens. National Museum. NM 16554. Egyptian Bronze Statuette ofHarpocrates.Argive Heraion. A - B. Photo American School of Classical Studies. C. Museum Photo. AH 855 - 857 are ofsanguisuga/navicella at the Argive Heraion, all Greek imita fibula types. Judging from their descrip tions; one has preserved some ofits bone tion, AH 855 is a sanguisuga fibula, its arch disks, while one separate ivory disk shows measuring 2.45 cm. in length, while AH remnants ofthe arch. Amber disks ofim 856 and AH 857 are navicella fibulae, their ported Italic fibulae were found on Samos, arches measuring 2.5 and 3.35 cm. respe but most examples in Greece are imita ctively. All three fibulae have engraved tions, known from many islands as well as Geometric ornamentation (Fig. 2).() the Mainland sanctuaries ofOlympia, Perachora, Pherai and Sparta." According to Kilian, the " a drago" fibulae in Greece were ofSouth Italian or Sicilian AH 1800 (NM 20689) is a small fragment origin and this observation may apply also ofa basin rim with raised points, measu to the sanguisuga/navicella fibulae.7 As in ring 9.2 X 4.8 cm.12There are similar Italy the former type was connected with Etruscan bronze vessels in Olympia, Pera male, the latter with female dress,8 their chora and Kerkyra; they were produced dedicators may perhaps be differentiated from the early 7th Cent, until the 5th accordingly. Without knowledge ofthe Cent. B.C. and had a very wide distribu length ofthe pins, the exact chronology of tion area, which besides Central Italy in the Argive Heraion Italic fibulae is not cluded Magna Graecia and Northern Italy easy to establish, but they are dated within as well as Europe north of Italy.13 Although the period ofthe second half ofthe 8th of Central Italic origin, the basin may have Cent. B.C. and the first half of the 7th reached the Argive Heraion via Magna Cent. B.C.9 Genuinely Italic fibulae are Graecia. known in Greece from many sanctuaries as well as from one tomb, in Exochi on Rho In general, the Italic bronze offerings at des.10 the Argive Heraion are ofhumble char acter and as such would have been given Ofthe arched fibulae with disks ofbone, by private persons, in most cases probably amber or ivory,there are several examples Greeks.14 39 The neighbouring votive the Argive Heraion statuette to the deposits and Argos Twenty-sixth Dynasty (664 - 525 B.C.). However, according to Bianchi, the No early Etruscan/Italic fibulae or other separately cast arms attached by a mortise- bronzes are published from either ofthese and-tenon system represent a tradition of sites.There is thus no reason to assume the Third Intermediate Period (ca. 1070 - that the Italic fibulae at the Argive Heraion 656 B.C.).Judging from technical and sty reached the sanctuary via the settlement of listic criteria as well as from its very fine Argos and its trading relations. execution, a work ofthe Nubian Twenty- fifth Dynasty (719 - 656 B.C.) seems a K. Egyptian Bronzes. more likely date,17 taking into account also the general absolute chronology of Egyp The A rgive Hera ion tian bronze figures found in Greece. Many are definitely products of the Twenty-fifth Only one Argive Heraion bronze is defini Dynasty, as e.g. the nude female figures tely of Egyptian origin, the statuette of the with movable limbs, two ofwhich come Horus child or Harpocrates from Blegen's from Rhodes and two from the Heraion excavations ofthe Southern Slope (NM ofSamos, besides fragments ofseveral 16554) (Fig. 3). It is a seated, nude, young others.l8 male, his feet resting on a plinth. It measu res 9. 3 cm. in height. Like several other The largest collection ofEgyptian bronzes Egyptian bronze figures, it was apparently in Greece, that of the Samian Heraion, hollow cast,still with its casting core in numbers more than 130 items, dated from side.