The Birth of the Greek Polis

THE PROTOGEOMETRIC PERIOD (TO 900)
VERY FEW SETTLEMENTS to provide information (though tombs show presence)
- in contrast with N Greece (to be studied later)
- most evidence from end of C10th onwards
Argos, long stratigraphic sequence but little structure,
silver extraction
Nichoria, remains of a few structures including apsidal forms
Lefkandi - Heroon - at Toumba c 950 BC
- moulds deposit at Xeropolis c 900 BC
Karphi, Kavousi still in use at start of C10th ?
Athens - no information
- settlement patterns suggested by distribution of graves
Athens - ? several small `village' communities
SOME SANCTUARY EVIDENCE
Ithaka - `cairn' deposit at Aetos, Polis cave offerings
Idean cave deposits
Kommos, first sanctuary structure (? NE influence)
Poseidi in Macedonia
Wide variety of burial practices (see 3)
Cremation in urns - small pits Kerameikos
Cremation in full size grave pits Lefkandi - Skoubris
Cremation in urns in chamber tombs Knossos
Burial in cist tombs Argos
Burial in chamber tombs Elateia
Burial in pithoi Messenia
Burial in pithoi in tumulus Messenia
GRAVE OFFERINGS limited at first with little sign of overseas contact
Usually c 5 pots
pair of long pins (female) - bronze or iron
pair of arched fibulae (female) - bronze, occas. iron
simple finger rings (not Myc practice) - iron and bronze
spiral terminal rings - bronze
iron swords - Naue II type, spears, knives
`shield bosses' - or belt ornaments ?
simple bronze bowls
virtually no bronze tools or weapons
beads and pendants rare
REGIONAL VARIATION in pottery: PG style is properly only Athens. Local
preferences in shapes - kalathos (basket) at Lefkandi
Early adoption of PG style with conc. circles
Attica, N. Cyclades, Smyrna
PG shapes - high feet, but decoration later
Euboea (Lefkandi), Thessaly (Iolkos)
Myc shapes - simple `geometric' decoration
Laconia, Messenia, Achaea, Ithaka, Aetolia
This matches division between E Greek (Attic) and W Greek (Doric)
In Crete, Minoan shapes and decoration continue but reduced.
Occasional oddities - duck askoi, Cypriot bottles, chests
Lefkandi centaur, Cretan hut `shrines'.
Signs of increase in wealth by end of 10th c
CRETE remains more prosperous than most areas - Cypriot pottery present.
- see Knossos North Cemetery

Lefkandi one of the most important sites - both archaeologically and

in its own period - apart from Heroon, large quantities of NE objects.

in TOUMBA CEMETERY

Index to Birth of the Polis pages

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