Structures and artifacts: the hero cult in Greek sites of Iron Age (XIth to VIIIth centuries BC)

Author(s)

Camila Diogo de Souza

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia (MAE)
• Defense date: 2005-06-20

Examining board members

Elaine Farias Veloso Hirata; Alvaro Hashizume Allegrette; Maria Beatriz Borba Florenzano

• Advisor: Elaine Farias Veloso Hirata

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the aspects of ritual practices that took place in monumental apsidal structures* in Greek sites of Iron Age (1100 to 700BC). Many authors believe that these funerary practices are dressed up as a real hero cult. Though, they also observe that generally is really difficult to establish a clear distinction between the sacred and the profane functions fulfilled by these structures. We have chosen four sites where these structures can be found and dated to the 11th to 8th BC in order to understand better the interaction between the sacred and the profane activities, investigating the religious aspects of the Greek Iron Age: Megaron A and Megaron B in Thermos, the Toumba building in Lefkandi, Buildings C, D e S in Asine and Building A (or Daphnephoreion) and Temple D in Eretria. We intend to link the exam of architectural aspects to the archaeological material associated with the apsidal structures. Our purpose is to establish a comparative analysis between the archaeological data, the written and the image sources available for this period, providing considerations about the meaning, and the implications of the religious nature of these sites related to the rise of the polis (AU)