Engendering Aphrodite: Women and Society in Ancient Cyprus (ASOR Archaeological Reports; CAARI Monographs 3)

474 Pages·2002·44.13 MB·English

by  Diane Bolger

W O M EN A ND S O C I E TY IN A N C I E NT C Y P R US

ENGENDERING APHRODITE
ENGENDERING APHRODITE
WOMEN AND SOCIETY IN ANCIENT CYPRUS
edited by
Diane Bolger and Nancy Serwint
©2002
American Schools of Oriental Research
Billie Jean Collins
ASOR Director of Publications
Library of Congress С atal og i ng - i η - Ρ ubli с ati on Data
Engendering Aphrodite : women and society in ancient Cyprus / edited by
Diane Bolger and Nancy Serwint.
p. cm. — (American Schools of Oriental Research archaeological
reports ; 7) (American schools of oriental research archaeological
reports ; 7)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-89757-059-6 (alk. paper)
1. Women—Cyprus—History—To 500. 2. Cyprus—Civilization. 3,
Cyprus—Antiquities. 4. Antiquities, Prehistoric—Cyprus, i. Bolger,
Diane R. II. Serwint, Nancy J. III. Series. IV. Series: American schools
of oriental research archaeological reports ; 7
HQ1137.C93 E54 2002
305.4Ό93937—dc21
2002011976
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Figures vii
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xv
1. INTRODUCTION: APPROACHING GENDER IN СYPRIOT ARCHAEOLOGY 1
2. GENDER AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION (NEOLITHIC-MIDDLE BRONZE AGE) 21
Alain Le Brun Neolithic Society in Cyprus: A Tentative Analysis 23
Demetra Papaconstantinou Life Cycles and the Dynamics of Domestic Architecture:
Households in Neolithic Cyprus 33
Edgar Peltenburg Gender and Social Structure in Prehistoric Cyprus:
A Case Study from Kissonerga 53
Diane Bolger Gender and Mortuary Ritual in Chalcolithic Cyprus 67
Jennifer M. Webb Engendering the Built Environment: Household and
Community in Prehistoric Bronze Age Cyprus 87
3. GENDER AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION (LATE BRONZE AGE-MEDIEVAL) 103
Louise Steel Wine, Women and Song: Drinking Ritual in Cyprus in
the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages 105
Lone Wriedt S0rensen Cypriot Women of the Archaic Period: Evidence from
Sculpture 121
Maria Hadjicosti Evidence of Gender and Family Relations in a Tomb
of the Cypro-Archaic I Period 133
Marianne Vandervondelen Childbirth in Iron Age Cyprus: A Case Study 143
Ioanna Christoforaki Sainted Ladies and Wicked Harlots: Perceptions of Gender
in Medieval Cyprus 157
4. GENDER, IDENTITY AND ETHNICITY 169
David Frankel Social Stratification, Gender and Ethnicity in Third
Millennium Cyprus 171
Lauren E. Talalay and
Trace y Cullen Sexual Ambiguity in Plank Figures from Bronze Age Cyprus 181
¥
vi
Elinor С. Ribeiro Altering the Body: Representations of Pre-pubescent Gender
Groups on Early and Middle Cypriot "Scenic Compositions" 197
Shiomo Bunimovitz and
Assaf Yasur-Landau Women and Aegean Immigration to Cyprus in the
12th Century B.C.Ε 211
Dena Gilby The (Ethno)gynographic Gaze: The Black Female on
Display in Ancient Cypriot Art 223
5. GENDER, TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIAL CULTURE 235
Carole McCartney Women's Knives 237
Joanne Clarke Gender, Economy and Ceramic Production in Neolithic
Cyprus 251
Gloria Anne London Women Potters and Craft Specialization in a Pre-market
Cypriot Economy 265
Joanna S. Smith Changes in the Workplace: Women and Textile Production
in Late Bronze Age Cyprus 281
6. GENDER AND THE GODDESS 313
Stephanie Lynn Budin Creating a Goddess of Sex 315
Nancy Serwint Aphrodite and Her Near Eastern Sisters: Spheres of Influence 325
Demetrios Michaelides A Decorated Mirror from Nea Paphos 351
Bonnie MacLachlan The Ungendering of Aphrodite 365
7. GENDER AND CYPRIOT ARCHAEOLOGY: CRITICAL VIEWS 379
Naomi Hamilton Women in Cypriot Prehistory: The Story So Far 381
Georgia Bonny Bazemore Gender, Sex and the Cypriot Syllabic Inscriptions: Females
in the Written Record of Ancient Cyprus 397
Michael Given Corrupting Aphrodite: Colonialist Interpretations of the
Cyprian Goddess 419
8. PANEL DISCUSSION: EQUITY ISSUES IN ARCHAEOLOGY TODAY 429
Jennifer M. Webb, Tracey Cullen, Frosso Egoumenidou, Lone Wriedt S0rensen,
Despo Pilides, Joanne Clarke
Index 451
LIST OF FIGURES
2. GENDER AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION (NEOLITHIC-MIDDLE BRONZE AGE)
Le Brun
Fig. 1 General plan of the Aceramic Neolithic settlement of Khirokitia. 24
Fig. 2 The position of the body in the masculine and feminine burials at Khirokitia. 27
Fig. 3 The orientation of the body in the masculine and feminine burials at Khirokitia. 28
Fig. 4 Nature and distribution of the grave goods at Khirokitia. 29
Papaconstantinou
Fig. 1 Neolithic sites in Cyprus. After Todd (1987). 37
Fig. 2 Plan of Ayios Epiktitos-Vrv.v/. After Peltenburg (1983). 38
Fig. 3 Average number of features (hearths, platforms, fixed containers) per floor
in each phase and sector. 39
Fig. 4 Number of types of features (hearths, platforms, fixed containers) per phase
and sector. 39
Fig. 5 Average number of finds (implements, miscellaneous, vessels) per floor in
each phase and sector. 41
Fig. 6 Number of types of finds (implements, miscellaneous, vessels) per floor in
each phase and sector. 41
Fig. 7 The furnishing of four buildings in Ayios Epiktitos-Vrys/. 43
Peltenburg
Fig. 1 Selected developments at Kissonerga during the 4th and 3rd millennia B.C. 55
Fig. 2 Schematic plan of Kissonerga 3B. The location of the figurine deposit is
indicated by "hoards" below the late building, which intruded into the area
of calcarenite structures in the upper sector. 56
Fig. 3 Occurrence of food producing equipment in calcarenite and other buildings
of Kissonerga 3B. 60
Fig. 4 Distribution of pottery discs and bone needles in Kissonerga 3B. Circles are
discs, triangles are needles. Note that black symbols post-date the structures. 61
Fig. 5 Standardized Chalcolithic house plan showing close relationship of interments
with buildings. 62
Fig. 6 Occurrence of interred males, females and children with houses in the 4th and 3rd
millennia B.C. at Kissonerga. Note that with the exception of anomalous Period
3B, females occur regularly in association with houses. 62
Bolger
Fig. 1 Plan of Lemba Area I showing buildings and adjacent graves. 69
Fig. 2 Plans and sections of pit graves from Lemba Area 1. 70
Fig. 3 Plan and section of Kissonerga-Mosphilia Grave 563. 73
Fig. 4 Plan and section of Kissonerga-Mav/?/?/7/V/ Tomb 505. 74
Fig. 5 Plans and sections of Tombs 1-3 at Souskiou-Vathyrkakas. After Christou ( 1989). 75
Fig. 6 Anthropomorphic figurines from Chalcolithic and Bronze Age Cyprus. Top row:
picrolite (LL 300, left; LL 152, right). Center row: Red-on-White figurines
vii
viii LIST OF FIGURES
(KM 1451, left; KM 1475, right). Bottom row: Early Bronze Age figurines
(Lapithos, left; unprovenanced, center and right). After Morris (1985). 76
Fig. 7 Diagram of kinship reckoned by bilateral descent. After Harris (1971). 77
Fig. 8 Diagram of kinship reckoned by unilineal descent. After Harris (1971). 78
Fig. 9 Plan of the Early Bronze Age Cemetery at Bellapais-VbH/wz/s. After Stewart (1950). 82
Fig. 10 Plan and section of Early Bronze Age Tomb 11 at Bellapais-Vounous. After Dikaios
(1940). " 83
Webb
Fig. 1 Plan of Marki-A/fl/7/Y/ at the end of the 1996/97 excavations. 90
Fig. 2 Schematic plans showing six successive stages of construction, expansion,
partitioning, localized replacement and abandonment of EC III-MC I
households at Mavki-Alonia. 91
3. GENDER AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION (LATE BRONZE AGE-MEDIEVAL)
S0rensen
Fig. 1 Female with calathos. Hermary (1985: fig. 19). 122
Fig. 2 Hathor capital. Hermary (1989: no. 807). 122
Fig. 3 Female with a wreath/turban. Hermary (1989: no. 811). 123
Fig. 4 Male with turban. Pryce (1931: no. С 79). 124
Fig. 5 Male with conical cap. Cesnola (1885: no. 407). 124
Fig. 6 Female with pointed cap. Karageorghis (1993: pi. 59, 2). 124
Fig. 7 Female with scarab seals. Westholm (1937b: pi. 185). 125
Fig. 8 Male with scarab seal. Karageorghis (1993: pi. 13, 2). 125
Fig. 9 The Vouni Kore. Westholm (1937a: pi. 51 ). 126
Fig. 10 Male with a wreath. Cesnola (1885: no. 453). 126
Fig. 11 Male with band of rosettes. Cesnola (1885: no 13). 127
Fig. 12 Male with wreath and "diadem." Hermary (1989: no 245). 129
Hadjicosti
Fig. 1 Cadastral plan showing the area of Mari Tomb 1 and map of Cyprus
showing the area of Mari village. 135
Fig. 2 Plan and sections of Mari Tomb 1. 136
Fig. 3 Iron sword no. 25, photograph. 137
Fig. 4 Iron sword no. 25, drawing. 137
Fig. 5 River pebble no. 27. 138
Fig. 6 Bronze artifact no. 28. 138
Fig. 7 Bronze artifact no. 29. 139
Fig. 8 Fragmentary iron fibula no. 24. 139
Fig. 9 Bronze bowl no. 21. 140
Fig. 10 Iron knife no. 23. 140
Vandervondelen
Fig. 1 Limestone sculpture representing a childbirth scene. New York, Metropolitan
Museum of Art, 74.51.2698. Photo courtesy of Dr. J. Mertens. 146
Fig. 2 Limestone sculpture representing a childbirth scene. London, British Museum,
1869.6-8.54. Photo courtesy of Dr. R. Senff. 146
LIST OF FIGURES ix
Fig. 3 Limestone sculpture representing a childbirth scene. London, British Museum,
1866.1-1.334. Photo courtesy ofDr. R. Senff. 147
Fig. 4 Limestone sculpture representing a childbirth scene. London, British Museum,
1866.1-1.334. Photo courtesy ofDr. R. Senff. 148
Fig. 5 Limestone sculpture representing a childbirth scene. London, British Museum,
1855.11-1.26. Photo courtesy ofDr. R. Senff. 149
Fig. 6 Two views of a fragment in limestone representing two torsos of women clinging together
belonging to a childbirth scene. Stockholm, Medelhavsmuseet, V 406.
Photo by M. Vandervondelen. 151
4. GENDER, IDENTITY AND ETHNICITY
Talalay and Cullen
Fig. 1 Single-headed Plank Figure. Lapithos, Tomb 201. Red Polished Ware.
Ht. 0.27 m. After Morris (1985: Fig. 178). 183
Fig. 2 Plank Figure Attached to Vessel. Vounous, Tomb 71. Red Polished Ware.
No scale given. After Moms (1985: Fig. 242). 183
Fig. 3 Cradled Plank Figure. No Provenance. Red Polished Ware. Ht. 0.16 m. After
Morris (1985: Fig. 237). 183
Fig. 4 Double-headed Plank Figure. Dhenia. Red Polished Ware. Ht. 0.28 m.
After Morris (1985: Fig. 218). 183
Ribeiro
Fig. 1 Drab Polished Blue Core jug (Morris Collection, SC 2). 200
Fig. 2 Red Polished bowl (Marki, SC 9); detail. 201
Fig. 3 Red Polished bowl (Kalavassos, SC 5); detail. 201
Fig. 4 Red Polished bowl (Kalavassos, SC 5; detail. 201
Fig. 5 Red Polished bowl (Pierides Collection, SC 8); detail. 202
Fig. 6 Red Polished bowl (Pierides Collection, SC 8); detail. 203
Fig. 7 Red Polished bowl (Pierides Collection, SC 8); detail. 203
Fig. 8 Red Polished Cradle Figurine (Hadjiprodromou Collection, CI). 203
Bunimovitz and Yasur-Landau
Fig. 1 Ashdod, Area G, Stratum Xlllb. After Dothan and Porath (1993: plans 8-9). 215
Fig. 2 Maa-Palaeokastro, Buildings II and IV, Area III, Floor II. After Karageorghis
and Demas (1988: plan 8)/ " 217
5. GENDER, TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIAL CULTURE
McCartney
Fig. 1 Map showing locations of sites discussed in text. 238
Fig. 2 A) Sotira "pointed" and B) "squarish" blades. Redrawn from
Dikaios (1961: pis. 116-18.) 239
Fig. 3 Sotira general plan. Redrawn from Dikaios (1960: pi. 10): A) structures
with "pointed" blades, B) structures with "squarish" blades, C) structures
with other retouched tools, D) structures with cores and flake debitage. 241
Fig. 4 Cutting group tools, all examples from Tenta: 1) glossed piece with angled
gloss, 2) bi-truncated glossed piece, 3) unretouched glossed piece,