Proceedings Ofthe Danish Institute at Athens •I
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Proceedings ofthe Danish Institute at Athens •I Edited by Soren Dietz © Copyright The Danish Institute at Athens, Athens 1995 The publication was sponsored by: Consul General Gosta Enboms Foundation. The Danish Research Council for the Humanities. Konsul George Jorck og Hustru Emma Jorck's Fond. Proceedings ofthe Danish Institute at Athens General Editor: Seren Dietz Graphic design and Production by: Freddy Pedersen Printed in Denmark on permanent paper ISBN 87 7288 721 4 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 Oakville, Conn. 06779 Fax (+1)203 945 94 9468 The cover illustration depicts a Bronze Statuette of a Horse found at the Argive Heraion. NM 13943. Drawing by Niels Levinsen. See p. 55, Fig. 19. The Early Sanctuary ofthe Argive Heraion and its External Relations (8th.- Early 6th. Cent. BC.) The Greek Geometric Bronzes Ingrid Strom Abstract small Hera sanctuary are similar to those of the Heraion; the contemporary deposits in the sur The Geometric bronzes from the Argive Hera rounding Mycenaean tombs, however, are only ion and Argos, primarilyfrom the sanctuaries, similar inpart, perhaps because they were made are compared to clarify relations between the primarily by male visitors. two sites. The bronze statuettes, quadrupeds and A. Introduction birds, from the Heraion are of Thessalian, Central Greek, Peloponnesian, primarily Arca In an earlier paper on the same general dian, or local origin, the local qudrupeds being subject I discussed the monumental archi influenced by Arcadia. Of three known figures tecture ofthe Early Argive Heraion from from Argos, a local warrrior shows Laconian re the late 8th to the early 6th Cent. BC, lations and a Central Greek bird differs from comparing it with that ofcontemporary the Heraion types. The personal ornaments Argos. I reached the conclusion that the from the Heraion comefrom the same regions as building program ofthe sanctuary seemed well as Macedonia, the ornaments found at Ar to be organized separately from the con gosfrom Arcadia, in addition to insularfibulae temporary settlement.1 However, the ar of types unknown at the Heraion. EPC vases chitectural remains at both sites are too andpins local to the Corinthia and the Argive scarce for definite results concerning the Heraion (Geometric IC and III) are absent in relations between sanctuary and settlement Argos, the Argos "Kalotten-schale" and pins of during this period of early urban develop Geometric XVIIIA and XX at the Heraion. ment and the study material needs to be The EG/MG bronzes (in Argos known expanded. onlyfrom tombs) differ at the two sites. Al Our basic information ofthe period in though both show connections with Arcadia, the question is archaeological, but since only a LG Heraion is more closely related to Corinthia small selection ofthe total pottery and than to Argos, which has ties to Laconia. terracotta finds from the Argive Heraion Bronze tripods are unknown at Argos, but are published,2 I have chosen the bronzes develop at the Heraion from MG II to Subgeo- as supplementary study material.Those metric, presumably locally produced by itinerant from the Argive Heraion are, to a large artisans, connected especially with the eastern extent, published3 and those from Argos Mainland regions. are well-known4 and they may inform us According to the evidence of the bronzes (the ofinterrelations between the two sites as only Geometric material adequately published), well as ofpossible differences regarding the Argive Heraion developed slowlyfrom production centres and foreign contacts, around 900 BC orearlier, independently of economic and cultural aspects. Argos. From MG II onwards, inhabitants of The bronzes from the Argive Heraion Argos increasingly visited the Heraion, but nev will form the fundamental basis ofmy er outnumbered other Mainland Greek visitors; studies which after a few introductory sec apparently they were mainly women, not in tions will be divided chronologically. This fluential and wealthy men. The LGII/Subgeo- paper examines the Greek Geomeric metric votive bronzesfrom the neighbouring bronzes.3 37 The studies ofeach main group of well as of Classical or later date,12 but the bronzes from the Argive Heraion will be majority are Geometric or Archaic, the followed first by those ofthe two nearby periods which concern us here. The votive deposits ofLate Geometric/Early bronzes were found all over the area ofthe Archaic date, the small Hera sanctuary Classical sanctuary as well as immediately close to the Early Mycenaean tholos tomb outside.13 The three primary in situ find and the offerings in the Mycenaean cham spots are the following: ber tombs in the surrounding hills,6 and I. The Old Temple Terrace, where the second by those from Argos, primarily the monumental bronzes appear to domi bronze votives from the sanctuaries.7 nate.14 There may have been several bronze II. The hill above with its votives of workshops in the Argolid during the Geo mainly miniature character.'5 metric and Early Archaic Periods and there III. The area east ofthe Classical Tem are, ofcourse, bronze votives at other ple, the supposed site ofthe Altar, where sanctuaries in the region as well.8 How phialai and smaller votives were mingled ever, since the principal purpose ofmy with fragments ofmonumental bronzes.16 studies is a deeper understanding ofthe About 20 bronzes were found at the relations between the Argive Heraion and Northeast Stoa and the area east ofthat the settlement ofArgos at the time ofthe stoa. As their find spots thus border the emergent city-states, I shall confine myself Altar area to the north, it is possible that chiefly to the bronzes from the two sites. they were lying close to their original po sition.17 The same observation may apply B. Distribution of Finds in to the bronzes stated to have come from the Argive Heraion the foundations ofthe Second Temple, bordering the Altar area to the west.18 The bronzes from the Argive Heraion, Most ofthe votive bronzes from the known today to number about 3.000, are sanctuary were found in a secondary posi nearly all in the National Museum ofAthens. tion. The large fill west of the Classical The greater part ofthe bronzes come from Temple was presumably brought mainly Ch. Waldstein's excavations, supplemented from the Altar area. by smaller collections from the investiga However, the fill also contained build tions ofBlegen and Caskey and Amandry.9 ing material belonging to the Archaic Very few bronzes in other museums seem Temple and its Terrace, and therefore pos to have the Argive Heraion as their prove sibly other objects as well,19 which may nance.10 The present whereabouts of the have been thrown in after the destruction bronzes found before Wald-stein's excava ofthe Temple in 423 BC. The bronzes of tions are not known to me. This applies, this fill2" were generally ofthe same types e.g., to a lion figure discovered in 1836 by as the numerous bronzes from the West General Gordon on the site ofthe Classi Building, which comprised mirrors, phia cal Temple, to some bronzes, not further lai, miniature vases, personal ornaments specified, from General Kallergis' excava such as rings, fibulae, pins etc. as well as a tions in the 1840's, as well as to the finds of few figured bronzes21, and which presum Rangabe and Bursian in 1854 east ofthe ably are also mainly altar refuse. The de Classical Temple. They comprised:"... posit ofthe same general character, found mehrere verbrannte und verrostete Frag- at the Eastern Retaining Wall, is identified mente von Bronze-gerathen wie Nagel, as an altar discard from around 550 BC.22 Nadeln, Ringe, Stiicke, wahrscheinlich The many bronzes from the Back of von Opferschalen, und unter anderen South Stoa23 and the Southern Slope24 are einen kleinen Stierkopf... der als Weihge- ofa similar appearance, although the latter schenk an der Wand angenagelt zu sein find spot, in particular, yielded a consider scheint."11 able proportion ofthe Archaic bronze fig There are bronzes of Mycenaean as ures known from the Argive Heraion. As 38 Fig. I(A - B). Athens. National Museum. NM 14004. Casting waste with lion's paw. AH 2829. Museum photos. both areas were situated outside the Ar bronzes do not necessarily imply manu chaic sanctuary,25 the bronzes may chiefly facture nearby.30 Nor does a small terra represent votives fallen down from above. cotta mould for casting miniature orna The bronzes from the Northwest ments; it may have served for votives in Building are few, consisting ofone seal e.g. gold or silver.31 However, at the Ar Fig. 2. Athens. National ring, four Geometric or Archaic bronze give Heraion we have examples ofround Museum. NM 14004. figures, and one fragment of an Archaic copper or bronze ingots, the raw material Casting waste with lion's paw. support with a lion's paw; it thus differs in for bronze working32; ofshapeless pieces AH 2829. Drawing of detail. character from the above-mentioned large ofspill, the superfluous material from the discards from the altar with their many melting process33; as well as of bronze miniature votives.26 As regards the North scraps collected for remelting.34 Stoa I have no information at all ofany In all, these finds indicate the existence bronze votives.27 This remarkable lacuna ofbronze working in the immediate vi may perhaps indicate that the early bronze cinity ofthe sanctuary. The exact find votives placed in the Altar area did not ex spots are in most cases unknown and al tend west ofthe Ramp which led to the though some may point to a position to Old Temple Terrace between the North the west or south of the original sanctuary3''', and the Northeast Stoai.28 In fact, the the workshops cannot be located today.