Sanctuary of Dionysos

GENERAL

At the fortified acropolis of Minoa, on the hill of Moundoulia, lies a sanctuary of the Geometric Period. The hill overlooks the bay of modern Katapola, in the middle of the SW coast of the island. On the summit of the acropolis a cult complex was excavated (Building K).

MONUMENTS

Building K consists of Room K1, which is preceded by a porch or courtyard (K/A1) and is flanked to the N by an hypaethral terrace (K2/K3). Room K1 forms a trapezium measuring 5.80 (N), 5.13 (S), 4.50 (W) and 4.95m (E). Against the SW part of the rear wall there was a stone bench (1.40x0.50 m). The entrance of the room consisted of a monolithic threshold. The building must have been roofed. Space K/A1 is a kind of porch or courtyard of room K1. To the NE of this space there was a stone bench. Approximately in the middle of space K/Al and opposite the entrance of K1 lies a large, roughly circular stone block, which in its turn lay on top of a smaller roughly cylindrical stone. The structure is believed to serve as an altar or an offering table. Spaces K2 and K3, to the N of room K1, represent a hypaethral terrace and contained sacrificial pits. K2 dates earlier than K3. The unit is bordered to the E by a curved retaining wall. A cave-like hollow of undetermined depth was located just outside the curved peribolos wall, in Area K/A4.

MOVABLE FINDS: VOTIVE OFFERINGS & CULT EQUIPMENT

Among the finds one may mention clay vessels, jewellery (pins, fibulae, earrings, fingerings and hair fasteners) armour (arrow- and spearheads and perhaps a mitra (?) of bronze), bronze vessels, iron daggers, decorated terracotta plaques, as well as animal bones (often calcinated) and mollusks. The sacrificial pyres in space K2/K3 contained ashes, charcoal, animal bones, sea shells, pumice and sea-pebbles, as well as some offerings.

CHRONOLOGY

The earliest pottery from the lowest layers of room K1 dates to the Sub-Neolithic and Early Cycladic periods. The main bulk, associated with the architectural remains, date to the Late Geometric and Early Archaic periods. The cave-like hollow contained objects from the LPG until the R periods.

IDENTIFICATION

The identity of the divinity worshipped at the sanctuary is uncertain. Dionysos is a possible candidate, since his name appearson a graffito on a 4th c. B.C. vase. The hypothesis that the sanctuary was originally dedicated to the cult of a Hero ktistes cannot be excluded.

RECORDS

Excavation Date: 1985-1986, 1989-1991 Institution/Excavator: Greek Archaeological Society/Marangou L. Excavation Type: Systematic

REFERENCES

Primary Publications:

Marangou L. 1985. Αμοργός, Ergon: 67-69 Marangou L. 1985. Ανασκαφή Μινώας Αμοργού, Praktika: 182-196 Marangou L. 1986. Αμοργός, Ergon: 116-120 Marangou L. 1986. Ανασκαφή Μινώας Αμοργού, Praktika: 212-218 Marangou L. 1988. Τειχισμένοι οικισμοí των Γεωμετρικών χρóνων (9ος-8ος π.Χ. αι.), PAA, 63: 80-92 Marangou L. 1989. Αμοργός, Ergon: 110-114 Marangou L. 1989. Η Μινώα της Αμοργού, Mentor, 3: 13 Marangou L. 1990. Αμοργός, Ergon: 117-123 Marangou L. 1990. Ανασκαφή Μινώας Αμοργού, Praktika: 259-265 Marangou L. 1991. Αμοργός, Ergon: 96-102 Marangou L. 1991. Ανασκαφή Μινώας Αμοργού, Praktika: 282-287 Marangou L. 1996. Minoa nell’ età géometrica, Lanzillota E. (ed), Le Cicladi ed il mondo Egeo. Atti del Seminario internazionale di studi,Roma, 19-21 novembre 1992, Rome, 187-209 Marangou L. 1998. The Acropolis of Minoa on Amorgos: Cult Practice from the 8th Century B.C. to the 3rd Century A.D., Hägg R. (ed), Ancient Greek Cult Practice from the Archaeological Evidence, Proceedings of the fourth International Seminar on Ancient Greek Cult, Organized by the Swedish Institute At Athens, 22-24 October 1993, Stockholm, 9-26 Marangou L. 2002. Αμοργός Ι: η Μινώα: η πόλις, ο λιμήν και η μείζων περιφέρεια, Athens, 250-280 Marangou L. 2002. Minoa on Amorgos, M. Stamatopoulou-M. Yeroulanou (eds), Excavating Classical Culture, Recent Archaeological Discoveries in Greece, Oxford, 303-305

Secondary Publications:

Gounaris A. 2005. Cult places in the Cyclades during the Protogeometric and Geometric periods: their contribution in interpreting the rise of the Cycladic poleis, Yeroulanou M., Stamatopoulou M. (eds), Architecture and Archaeology in the Cyclades. Papers in honour of J. J. Coulton, Oxford, 41, 46, 55, 60 Lemos I. S.2002. The Protogeometric Aegean. The archaeology of the late eleventh and tenth centuries BC, Oxford, 239 Mazarakis Ainian, A., 1997. From Rulers’ Dwellings to Temples. Architecture, Religion and Society in Early Iron Age Greece (1100-700 B.C.), Jonsered (Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology 122), 195-197 Mermoz J. 2010. La vie religieuse des Cyclades de l’HR IIIC à la fin de la période archaïque, Lyon, PhD Thesis, 165-169