Sanctuary of Athena and Herakles

GENERAL

Zagora is a promontory located to the SW coast of Andros. Within the Geometric settlement a sanctuary was founded in the 8th c. BC. It continued to function until the 5th c. BC, although the settlement was abandoned c. 700 BC.

MONUMENTS

The Archaic temple consists of a closed prodomos and an almost square cella. It is oriented to the SE. The external dimensions are approximately 10.42 x7.56 m. The internal dimensions of the prodomos are 2.80x6.29 m. and those of the cella 5.87x6.30 m. The temple is built entirely of schist. To the S of the temple a deposit was discovered. The stratification of the deposit was disturbed. Within the cella of the temple a trapezoidal structure was discovered. It was built of schist and framed along its S and W sides by long thin slabs. The structure is placed about 0.52 m E of the axis of the temple and was built upon a layer of Geometric material. It has been interpreted as an altar. A wall was built parallel to the long walls of the temple at a distance of c. 5 m from the temple. The wall was interpreted as a retaining wall, which would have supported the open-air temenos and may also have served as a peribolos.

VOTIVE OFFERINGS & CULT EQUIPMENT

Among the finds of the deposit at the south of the temple are clay vessels, clay plaques, figurines (terraccota figurine, maybe a bird? and the base of a lead figurine), scarabs, seal stones of black stone and loom weights. In association with the retaining wall clay vessels and burnt animal bones were found. Beneath the floor of the Archaic temple two underlying levels containing Late Geometric pottery were encountered. The bottom level contained pottery dated to the Late Geometric II period and the fill underneath, fragments from a Late Geometric I krater. The upper level contained also pottery dated to the Late Geometric period. The main bulk of the pottery consists of drinking-vessels (skyphoi and kotylai). Small finds were also discovered, such as jewellery (terraccota beads, a fragment of a bronze band, iron and bronze fibulae, 2 finger rings made of lead and of bronze, a blue bead, a bone tubular object with four holes, a necklace of green stone, etc) and terracotta plaques. Two bronze jugs were also found. A fragment of the arm of a kore was found in front of the temple. The find dates to the second half of the 6th c. BC. In front of the temple the base of a lead Late Geometric figurine was also found. Burnt animal bones were also present. Some of the finds bear remarkable decoration. The top surface of the base of the lead figurine was decorated with a motif, identified as the stamps of the feet of a standing figurine, now lost. The bottom surface of the base of a lead figurine is decorated with an incised scene of two figures placing an altar. The top surface of one scarab is decorated with a human head and the bottom with a figure of Maat and hieroglyphic symbols. A seal face depicts men in procession, the other face of the seal is decorated with an abstract motif. Two of the narrow sides bear inscriptions. The top of another seal represents a frontal female figure (goddess?), on the side of this seal a heraldic composition: a sacred tree flanked by 2 winged animals. At last the top surface of another seal represents a relief lying lion and the bottom surface 3 figures in a proseccion. One of the terracotta plaques, found in the temple, is decorated with a relief scene of a man with a spear (warrior?), while the other represents the arm and foot of a female figure and, at the right, part of a warrior.

IDENTIFICATION

Based on an inscription found upon a lekane of the 6th c. BC the sanctuary was dedicated to Athena Polias. Upon a kantharos of the 5th c. BC was inscribed the name of the Herakles. Thus, by that period, Athena Polias was probably worshipped at the sanctuary side by side with Herakles.

CHRONOLOGY

The megaron-shaped temple was built c. 570-550 BC. The deposit contained material from the Late Geometric until the Classical Period. The non-axial placement of the altar, found within the cella of the Archaic temple and the Geometric layer found beneath it, suggest that the altar must have been constructed during the first phase of the sanctuary, in the Late Geometric period.

RECORDS

Excavation Date: 1960, 1969-1975 Institution/Excavator: Greek Archaeological Service/N. Zapheiropoulos, Greek Archaeological Society, University of Sydney/A. Cambitoglou Excavation Type: Systematic

REFERENCES

Excavation Websites: http://sydney.edu.au/arts/aaia/fieldwork/zagora.shtml http://www.aaia.chass.usyd.edu.au/Zagora/Zagora/Welcome.html

Primary Publications:

Cambitoglou, A. - Birchall, A. - Coulton, J.J. - Green, J.R. 1988. Zagora 1, Excavation of a geometric town on the island of Andros. Excavation season 1967; study season 1968-1969, Athens, 20-21 Cambitoglou, A. - Birchall, A. - Coulton, J.J. - Green, J.R. 1988. Zagora 2, Excavation of a geometric town on the island of Andros. Excavation season 1969; study season 1969-1970, Athens Cambitoglou, A. 1967. Ανασκαφή Ζαγοράς Άνδρου, PAE: 102-111 Cambitoglou, A. 1969. Ανασκαφή Ζαγοράς Άνδρου, PAE: 135-138 Cambitoglou, A. 1970. Ἀνασκαφαì Ζαγοράς Ἄνδρου, ArchEph: 154-233 Cambitoglou, A. 1972. Ανασκαφή Ζαγοράς Άνδρου, PAE: 251-273 Cambitoglou, A. 1974. Ανασκαφή Ζαγοράς Άνδρου, PAE: 163-180 Cambitoglou, A. 1991. Archaeological Museum of Andros. Guide to the finds from the excavations of the Geometric town at Zagora, Athens, 84-99 Zaphiropoulou, Ph. 1960. Άνδρος,Ergon: 249

Secondary Publications:

Coldstream, J. N. 2003. Geometric Greece, 900-700 B.C., London, New York, 385, 394 Drerup, H. 1969. Griechische Baukunst in Geometrischer Zeit, Arch.Hom., II, Göttingen, 55Ekschmitt, W. 1986. Kunst und Kultur der Kykladen II, Mainz, 11-25Fägerstrom, K. 1988. Greek Iron Age Architecture : Developments Through Changing Time, SIMA, 81, Göteborg, 64 Gounaris, A. 2005. Cult places in the Cyclades during the Protogeometric and Geometric periods : their contribution in interpreting the rise of the Cycladic poleis, M. Yeroulanou - M. Stamatopoulou (eds), Architecture and Archaeology in the Cyclades. Papers in honour of J. J. Coulton, Oxford, 60 Heilmeyer, D. W. 1982. Frühgriechische Kunst : Kunst und Siedlung in geometrischen Griecherland, Berlin, 92-94 Kourou, N. 1985. Οικισμοí και ιερá των πρώιμων ιστορικών χρóνων. Σημειώσεις πανεπιστημιακών παραδóσεων θερινοú εξαμήνου 1984-1985, Athens, 17 Langdon, M. K. 1993. From Pasture to Polis, Columbia and London, 93 Lenz, R. J. 1993. Kings and the Ideology of Kingship in Early Greece (1200-700BC), Ph. Dies, Columbia University, 153 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), 170-174 Mermoz, J. 2010. La vie religieuse des Cyclades de l’HR IIIC à la fin de la période archaïque, Lyon, PhD Thesis, 231-236 Sinos, S. 1971. Die Vorklassichen Hausformen in der Ägaïs, Mainz, 112 Themelis, G. P. 1975. Ζαγορά πóλις ή νεκρóπολις, ArchEph, 230-266