Unit:
Specialty Greek and Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology: From the Bronze Age Palaces to the Hellenistic KingdomsLibrary of the School of Philosophy
Author:
Paes Troiano Leonardo
Supervisors info:
Supervisor: Dr. Giorgos Vavouranakis, Associate Professor of Prehistoric Aegean at the Department of History and Archaeology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Committee member: Dr. Yiannis Papadatos, Associate Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology in the Department of History and Archaeology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Committee member: Dr. Vassilis Petrakis, Assistant Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology in the Department of History and Archaeology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Original Title:
Materiality, ritual performance and social interactions in Minoan peak sanctuaries during the Neopalatial period.
Translated title:
Materiality, ritual performance and social interactions in Minoan peak sanctuaries during the Neopalatial period.
Summary:
Peak sanctuaries, some of the main cult places in Minoan Crete, are known to present changes during the Neopalatial period. The appearance of high-quality votive objects, such as inscribed libation tables, double-axes, and naturalistic-style figurines during this period has been interpreted as a sign of elite influence. At the same time, peak sanctuaries are one of the few cult places known to have housed popular rituals. If both elite and lower strata of society congregated at peak sanctuaries, understanding the ways in which these interactions took place is imperative. Properly appreciating the social dimension of peak sanctuaries during the Neopalatial period entails a detailed understanding of how the material assemblage participated in the ritual, shaped it, and afforded certain social interactions. The paraphernalia utilized in ritual activity constitute a key in the performance of the ritual itself. In this work, stone-carved vases and double-axes from Neopalatial assemblages are analyzed semiotically and in a contextual approach, to acknowledge their importance to ways of socializing during this period that marks the heydey of the Minoan civilization.
Main subject category:
Archaeology
Keywords:
Minoan , Crete , Neopalatial , Peak Sanctuary , Ritual , Materiality , Material Culture , Crafts , Elite , Cult , Popular Cult
Number of index pages:
94
Number of references:
187
