Archaeology in Greece 2002–2003

The Life of Buildings: Minoan Building Deposits in an Ecological Perspective

“…At Phaistos, dozens of broken and intact ceramic vessels, animal bones, carbon and ash were deposited in two pits under the pavement of Room 50, and these features were apparently associated with the inauguration of the second palace (Levi 1976, 405–8). Two small ‘foundation pits’ have also been recently reported from Phaistos (Whitley 2003, 82). At Mallia, a single jug in a small stone‐lined cist was found in the foundations of the first palace (Pelon 1986) whereas conical cups, a chalice and a sheep bone were discovered in a niche under the west façade of the new palace at Zakros (Boulotis 1982).…”

“…At Mallia, a single jug in a small stone‐lined cist was found in the foundations of the first palace (Pelon 1986) whereas conical cups, a chalice and a sheep bone were discovered in a niche under the west façade of the new palace at Zakros (Boulotis 1982). Evidence of a ‘foundation ritual’ has been reported from the north wing of the Galatas palace where a coarse ware vessel containing two cups was placed under the floor of Room 53 (Whitley 2003, 80).…”

Martial Minoans? War as Social Process, Practice and Event in Bronze Age Crete

“…Warrior burials are a problem. When they do not exist we may wonder if there were any warriors; when they do exist, we have to ask were they really warriors (Whitley 2002; Smith 2009). The casual introduction by Hood and de Jong (1952) of ‘warrior burials’ to mean burials with weapons at Knossos was not intended to be dogmatic, but has nonetheless met with considerable debate (Whitley 2002; Driessen and Schoep 1999; Preston 2004a; 2004b; Alberti 2004; Smith 2009).…”

“…When they do not exist we may wonder if there were any warriors; when they do exist, we have to ask were they really warriors (Whitley 2002; Smith 2009). The casual introduction by Hood and de Jong (1952) of ‘warrior burials’ to mean burials with weapons at Knossos was not intended to be dogmatic, but has nonetheless met with considerable debate (Whitley 2002; Driessen and Schoep 1999; Preston 2004a; 2004b; Alberti 2004; Smith 2009). The earliest burials with weapons come from Aghia Photia in East Crete (Davaras and Betancourt 2004) and from tholoi in the Mesara (Branigan 1974), and, despite differences in burial practices in the two areas, daggers, axes and/or spears were associated with individuals and deposited in the event of a funeral.…”

“…Whitley (2002) has comprehensively sought to dispossess the deceased in Cretan graves of a warrior identity in life (see also Smith 2009; Driessen and Schoep 1999), and Preston (1999; 2004a; 2004b) has convincingly questioned the unilateral ‘Mycenaean-ness’ of burial practices in general. We can thus make assumptions neither about the identification of persons buried with weapons as being warriors, nor about their being Mycenaean in ethnicity or identity.…”