Industrial Religion: Saucer Pyres of the Athenian Agora

28 Pages·2013·4.59 MB·English

by  Susan I. Rotroff

i
n
d
u
s
t INDUSTRIAL RELIGION This book focuses on the “saucer
r pyres,” a series of 72 deposits excavated
i The Saucer Pyres of the Athenian Agora in the residential and industrial areas
a
bordering the Athenian Agora. Each
l
consisted of a shallow pit, its floor some-
r
times marked by heavy burning, with a
e
l votive deposit of pottery and fragments
i
of burnt bone, ash, and charcoal. Most
g
i susan I. rotroff of the pots were miniatures (including
o
the eponymous saucers), but a few larg-
n er vessels were found, along with offer-
ings associated with funerary cult. These
Susan I. Rotroff is the Jarvis Thurston
deposits are a largely Athenian phenom-
and Mona van Duyn Professor in the
enon, with few parallels known from
Humanities at Washington University in
elsewhere. When first discovered in the
Saint Louis, Missouri. She has worked on
1930s, the deposits were interpreted as
sites in Greece, Turkey, and Tunisia, and
baby burials. Recent zooarchaeological
is the author of several books on pottery
analysis of the bones, however, reveals
of the Hellenistic period. Prof. Rotroff
that they are those of sheep and goats,
was awarded the prestigious AIA Gold
and that the deposits were sacrificial
“This monograph will make a major contribution to Greek religion. . . . [It is] beautifully
Medal in 2011.
rather than funerary. The present study
written in a clear style that delivers highly technical information about Athenian pottery
investigates the nature of those sacri-
(and other finds) for the specialist, as well as truly original ritual evidence and its
fices, taking into account the contents of
interpretation.”
the pyres, their spatial distribution, and
— Sarah P. Morris, Steinmetz Professor of Classical Archaeology and Material Culture, their relationship to buildings around
Department of Classics, University of California at Los Angeles, and the UCLA Cotsen the Agora and elsewhere. In light of a
Institute of Archaeology strong correlation between pyres and
industrial activity, the author argues that
the pyres document workplace rituals
“Industrial Religion: The Saucer Pyres of the Athenian Agora is an expert, important, and r designed to protect artisans and their
o
largely new contribution to our knowledge of Athenian custom. A considerable body of enterprises.
t
Agora material spanning the whole area of excavation is here identified and brought r
o
together for the first time so as to illustrate an unsuspected form of private religion,
f
one that arose and flourished during the period of Athens’s greatness.” f
— Noel Robertson, Emeritus Professor of Classics, Brock University
Back cover: Front cover:
Pottery assemblage from pyre 51. 47 Ribbon-handled plates from pyre 51.
ASCSA
s
n
e
h
t
A

at IndustrIal relIgIon

s
e
i
d
u
t
S

l
a
c
i
s
s
a
l
C

f
o

l
o
o
h
c
S

n
a
c
i
r
e
m
A.
e

3t
u
1
b
0
i
2r
t
s
t
hi
d
g

it
ro
y
n
p

oo
CD
s
n
e
h
t
A Hesperia supplements

t
a
The Hesperia Supplement series (ISSN 1064-1173) presents book-length
s
e studies in the fields of Greek archaeology, art, language, and history. Founded
i
d in 1937, the series was originally designed to accommodate extended essays
u
t too long for inclusion in the journal Hesperia. Since that date the Supple-
S
ments have established a strong identity of their own, featuring single-author
l
a
monographs, excavation reports, and edited collections on topics of interest
c
si to researchers in classics, archaeology, art history, and Hellenic studies.
s
a
Hesperia Supplements are electronically archived in JSTOR (www.jstor.org),
l
C
where all but the most recent titles may be found. For order information and

f
o a complete list of titles, see the ASCSA website (www.ascsa.edu.gr).

l
o
o
h
c
S

n
a
c
i
r
e
m
A.
e

3t
u
1
b
0
i
2r
t
s
t
hi
d
g

it
ro
y
n
p

oo
CD
Hesperia Supplement 47

s
n
e
h
t
A Industrial Religion

t
a

s
e
i
d
The Saucer Pyres of the Athenian Agora
u
t
S

l
a
c
i
s
s
a
l
C

f
o

l
o
o
h
c
S

n
a
c
i
r
e
susan I. rotroff
m
A.
e

3t
u
1
b
0
i
2r
t
s
t
hi
d
g

it
ro
y
n
p

oo
CD
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens
2013
s
n
e
h
t
A

t
a

s
e Copyright © 2013
i
d The American School of
u
t Classical Studies at Athens,
S
Princeton, New Jersey
l
a
c
i
s All rights reserved.
s
a
l
C

f
o

l
o
o
h
c
S

n
a
c
i
r
e
m
A.
e

3t
u
1
b
0
i
2r Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
t
s
t
hi
d Rotroff, Susan I., 1947–
g

riot Industrial religion : the saucer pyres of the Athenian Agora / Susan I. Rotroff.
y
n
p pages cm. — (Hesperia supplement ; 47)

oo
CD Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 978-0-87661-547-8 (alkaline paper)
1. Agora (Athens, Greece) 2. Athens (Greece)—Antiquities. 3. Excavations
(Archaeology)—Greece—Athens. 4. Funeral rites and ceremonies—Greece
—Athens—History—To 1500. 5. Religious articles—Greece—Athens— His-
tory—To 1500. 6. Pottery, Greek—Greece—Athens. 7. Animal remains (Archae-
ology)—Greece—Athens. 8. Social archaeology—Greece—Athens. 9. Industrial
archaeology—Greece—Athens. I. Title.
DF287.A23R69 2013
938΄.5—dc23 2013043336
s
n
e
h
t
A

t
a

s
e In memoriam
i
d
u
t Evelyn Byrd Harrison
S
Evelyn Lord Smithson
l
a
c
i
s
s
a
l
C

f
o

l
o
o
h
c
S

n
a
c
i
r
e
m
A.
e

3t
u
1
b
0
i
2r
t
s
t
hi
d
g

it
ro
y
n
p

oo
CD
s
n
e
h
t
A

t
a

s
e
i
d
u
t
S

l
a
c
i
s
s
a
l
C

f
o

l
o
o
h
c
S

n
a
c
i
r
e
m
A.
e

3t
u
1
b
0
i
2r
t
s
t
hi
d
g

it
ro
y
n
p

oo
CD
Contents

s
n
e
h
t
A

t
a

s
e List of Illustrations ix
i
d List of Tables xv
u
t Acknowledgments xvii
S

l
a
c Chapter 1
i
s
s Introduction 1
a
Cl Chapter 2
f the agora Pyres: the data 9
o

ol Chapter 3
o
Chronology 43
h
c
S Chapter 4

n toward a new Interpretation 55
a
c
Chapter 5
i
r
e afterword 91
m
A. Catalogue 95
e

3t
u
1
0b Appendix I
i
2r
t analysis of Charcoal in some agora Pyres 183
s
t
hdi by Maria Ntinou
g

it
yro Appendix II
n
p
other settlement Pyres in attica 187
oo
CD
Appendix III
graveside Pyres in attica 193
Appendix IV
Pyrelike deposits outside of attica 201
References 205
Indexes
General Index 215
Index of Objects 223
Index of Deposits 227
s
n
e
h
t
A

t
a

s
e
i
d
u
t
S

l
a
c
i
s
s
a
l
C

f
o

l
o
o
h
c
S

n
a
c
i
r
e
m
A.
e

3t
u
1
b
0
i
2r
t
s
t
hi
d
g

it
ro
y
n
p

oo
CD
ILLustratIons

s
n
e
h
t
A

t
a

s
e 1. Characteristic pyre shapes 3
i
d
u 2. Plan of Agora in Early Hellenistic period, with buildings
t
S containing pyres labeled 10

l
a 3. Possible forerunners of the lopadion 22
c
i
s 4. Types of drinking cups found in Agora pyres 30
s
a 5. Chronological ranges of drinking-cup types found in
l
C
Agora pyres 31

f
o
6. Chronological markers for lopadia and lekanides 44

l
o
o 7. Gloss patterns on ribbon-handled plates 46
h
c 8. Distribution of Agora pyres by date 47
S
9. Distribution of settlement pyres at Agora and elsewhere
n
a by date 50
c
i
r 10. Distribution of cemetery pyres at Kerameikos by date 51
e
m
11. Schematic partial reconstruction of third phase of
A.
e Building Z in Kerameikos, with pyrelike Opferstellen
3t
1u marked and coded for date 59
b
0
2ri 12. Percentage of settlement pyres at Agora and cemetery pyres
t
s
t at Kerameikos by date 72
hi
d
g
it 13. Architectural contexts of Agora pyres by building type 78
ro
y
n
p 14. Association of pyres with commercial or industrial activity 80

oo
CD 15. Plan of Greek Building Δ, with pyres marked and coded
for date 98
16. Cross-section through west side of room 7 of
Greek Building Δ, showing position of pyre 1 99
17. Pyre 1 99
18. Pyre 1 in situ 100
19. C ross-section through west side of room 6 of
Greek Building Δ, showing position of pyre 2 100