"Animal Sacrifice in the Mycenaean World," Journal of Prehistoric Religion 15 (2001) 32-38. 4 5 7 Fig. 4. Seal impressionfrom Pylos showinga pre-potnia motif. Fig. 5. Lentoid sealfeaturing a pre­ potnia scene. Fig. 6. Ivory plaquefrom Mycenae with possiblepotnios theme. Fig. 7. Jasper ringfrom Mycenaefeaturing a potnios theron scene. 10 Animal Sacrifice in the Mycenaean World.* Stephie Nikoloudis Introduction Animal sacrifice is attested, directly and 16) and enhances community spirit indirectly, in the textual, iconographical through an associated celebration and and archaeological remains of the feast (Killen 1994: 70). Interestingly, by Mycenaean Bronze Age. The following serving to intensify group identity, synthesis of the current evidence sacrifice may deliberately exclude (archaeological, iconographical, anthro­ outsiders (Seaford 1994: xii). At the same pological and textual) is presented in the time, it articulates status and role hope that it may help to generate new divisions, thereby reinforcing the internal insights into this topic. Much new social structure of a given community evidence has appeared in the last decade (Seaford 1994: xii). in all four categories of specialized study. A predominantly synchronic approach It is examined, here, in a combinatory is adopted in comparing the information way. The aim is to ascertain, as far as retrievable from the administrative possible, the identity of the sacrificers and records (tablets and sealings), seals and the receivers, the animals sacrificed and seal-rings, frescoes and archaeological the occasion(s) and place(s) at which this remains from the Mycenaean palatial was carried out, the procedure(s) and centres of Thebes, Pylos and Knossos paraphernalia involved, and the under­ dating from the LH/LM ill period. It lying reasons for the fulfilment of this should also be underlined that as sacrifice practice. constitutes an example of religious Preliminary answers to these questions practice, definitive conclusions cannot be are offered by ethnographic studies, drawn about its associated belief system, which highlight the link between religion especially given the secular nature of the and society. Sacrifice itself effects textual evidence and the difficulties communion between the mortal and inherent in decoding (and reconstructing) divine spheres and involves the the iconographical remains. Furthermore, expectation of resulting well-being for the while different levels/strata may well have givers. It resolves the human conflict been operating in the Mycenaean world, between the need to kill (for food) and the e.g. officiaVstate and popular cult, guilt associated with killing by probably with some overlap and levels in constituting a means through which part between (Hagg 1996: 601), the current of the kill is offered to the gods (Burkert project is concerned with the level(s) 1983: 38; Dietrich 1988: 36). It enforces attested in the Linear B texts (i.e. community solidarity by channelling palatially-connected sacrifice). Nor is the aggression away from the human issue of human sacrifice explored here. members of a society (Marinatos 1988: 11 The Linear B Texts 1 to the payment of a religious fine, derived from the verb 'ttVCOand meaning 'due to Thebes. Sixty sealings (nodules) have be paid' (Hutton 1990-91: 125-6). The been recovered from Building III, a term a-ko-ra (e.g. TI-I Wu 49, 50), from complex resembling a workshop, at the verb a')'Etpco, is relatively more Thebes (Piteros, Olivier and Melena: intelligible to us, referring to 'a passim). Each sealing has three faces and, collection' or 'gathering together' of in general, bears a seal impression on side animals. The verb a-pu-do-ke (3rd sing. a and an animal ideogram usually on top Aor. of a1t'l){)tOcoµt)on TI-I Wu 89 of this, accompanied by a Linear B implies a transaction: the 'handing over' inscription on sides ~ and y. Each sealing of something (* 190) to someone. Killen is thought to have represented a single alleviates the difficulty in determining animal and twenty-three seal or ring whether this particular sealing impressions have been identified, authenticates 'entry' into or 'exit' from interpreted as the personal authentication the Palace by noting that the verb a-pu­ marks of twenty-three individual seal­ do-ke (='he paid') regularly appears users. elsewhere on the Linear B records in Several toponyms occur on the Theban relation to the payment of taxes and, thus, sealings, including the Euboean a-ma-ru­ most likely concerns incoming supplies at to (f\µapuv0oc;) on TI-I Wu 58 and ka-ru­ Thebes (Killen 1994: 71). to (Kapucr'toc;) on TI-I Wu 55. The The animals on the Thebes sealings allative-form te-qa-de, 'to Thebes,' on TH include numerous pigs, ovids and caprids Wu 51, 65 and 96 implies the movement but only two bovids (one of each sex, as of livestock from outlying districts to indicated by the ideograms on TI-I Wu 53 Thebes. The formula 'pa-ro + personal and 76). The sealing inscriptions betray a name' (= from/in the care of 'Name') on variety of other characteristics of the TH Wu 47, 59 and 60 tends to strengthen animals. For example, the adjective this hypothesis referring, as it seems 'sacred' occurs as i-je-ra (neut. pl.) on TH likely, to the person (official or herdsman) Wu 44 (probably meant as a collective of in charge of the animals or other items in origin, but potentially problematic as such question. since it does not reflect the 1:1 The economic vocabulary appear-ing correspondence attested elsewhere in on the sealings includes the problematic support of the theory that one sealing term qe-te-o (e.g. TI-I Wu 49, 50) which represents one animal) and as i-je-ro occurs in other contexts, too, with animals (neut. sing.) on TI-I Wu 66, 86 and 87, and products, including oil and textiles, in referring to goats, sheep and a pig (all which the palatial administration has a males). The abbreviation SJ, for si-a2-ro certain interest, e.g. PY Fr 1206, Fr 1241; (crta,11,oc;),describes the pigs on TI-I Wu KN Fh 348, Fp 363 (Piteros et al. 1990: 52 and 68 as 'fattened'. Both words, 152-3). Hutton suggests that it may refer 'sacred' and 'fattened', are suggestive in 12 terms of animals which may be int ended guarantees for, delivery and constituted for sacrifice or slaughter. So, too, is the primary information documents from term o-pa (taken to be an action noun which palatial tablets could be compiled. from the verb ercro), which is found on The three bone styluses found in the room TII Wu 46, 56, 58, 64, 76 and 88 in in which the sealings were discovered association with male and female animals may have been intended for such a of all sorts and which, as Killen suggests, transfer of information. may refer to a 'finishing' process to be Pylos. Turning to the textual evidence understood as 'fattening' in the case of from Pylos, Piteros, Olivier and Melena livestock (Killen 1999: 332, 336). (1990) have pointed to the similarities The abbreviation we, for wetalon between the number and type of animals (=yearling) on TII Wu 74 and 78, the recorded on the Thebes Wu sealings and word po-ro-e-ko-to 'superior' (from rcpo those listed as 'due(?)' from Dunios on PY Un 138. They propose that these two + exro on TII Wu 67 and 92, and the sets of animals were destined for a similar form e-qi-ti-wo-e (Perf. participle of fate, consumption at a ceremonial cp0ivro-'to decay, perish'- in the plural or banquet. According to their calculations, dual) further reflect the effort made to each group of livestock would have record accurately the sex, age and other provided roughly the same quantity of characteristics of these animals. This may meat. In terms of recorded details, the have been required by the Palace as a 'yearlings' and 'fattened' pigs are precaution against fraud and welcomed by reminiscent of those on the Thebes the men responsible for the deliveries as nodules, as is the significantly small security against unfair retribution for the number of bovids (here, two bulls and one untimely, natural death or deterioration of cow), which is understandable given the inferior animals (Piteros et al. 1990: 157; higher worth and maintenance cost of Killen 1992-93: 102). Additionally, the such creatures in relation to sheep, goats sealings contain a number of problematic and pigs. ideograms which have been variously Other familiar vocabulary includes the associated with fodder or other 2 term qe-te-a 2 and 'pa-ro + personal commodities. name,' leading to the proposal that PY Un Overall, the sealings from Thebes 138 may itself have been compiled from suggest the transfer of animals from information derived from similar sealings. outlying districts/centres of production to One obvious difference between the two Thebes itself, either to the palace proper sets of data is the mention of a single or to some nearby pastures, at which time person (Dunios) as responsible for they were physically separated from the roughly the same number of animals as sealings which accompanied them. opposed to at least 23 individuals (as · Alternatively, the sealings may have presumed) in the Theban case .. This may preceded the arrival of the animals. They simply be the result of two distinct stages would have acted as certificates of, or of information processing, with a single 13 official assuming complete responsibility equipment compiled when Phygebris once he had been handed the nodules and carried out an inspection on the occasion perhaps even personally inspected the when the wanax appointed Aukewas to the delivery. The olives and wine noted on office of da-mo-ko-ro.