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Euboean Geometric imports from the acropolis of Pithekoussai1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2013

J. N. Coldstream
J. N. Coldstream
Affiliation:
University College London
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Abstract

In a rescue operation of 1965 on the Monte di Vico acropolis of Pithekoussai, Dr G. Buchner excavated a vast deposit of unstratified pottery and other finds, ranging in date from the Middle Bronze Age to early Roman times. At his invitation, the Euboean imports of the 8th cent. BC are presented here. Though fragmentary, they are of considerable importance not only in dating the foundation of the Greek colony, but also in providing the prototypes for the much more numerous colonial imitations in the same deposit, and in the recently published portion of the cemetery.

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Articles
Information
Annual of the British School at Athens , Volume 90 , November 1995 , pp. 251 - 267
Copyright
Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 1995

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References

2 Ridgway, FP with references.

3 Pithekoussai, i, carta topographia, no. 6. Buchner, G., ‘Mostra degli scavi di Pithecusa’, DdA 3 (1969), 98–9Google Scholar, fig. 27; id. ‘Pithekoussai, oldest Greek colony in the West’, Expedition, 8.4 (1966), 10–12; id. ‘Premessa’, in Di Sandro, N., Le anfore archaiche dello Scarico Gosetti, Pithecusa (Cahiers du Centre J. Bérard, 12; Naples, 1987), 9–10Google Scholar; Ridgway, , FWG, 83–91Google Scholar, 152 with references.

4 It is very much to be hoped that the other colonial pottery in the deposit (local, Corinthian, etc.) will soon be published.

5 J. N. Coldstream, ‘The Cesnola Painter: a change of address’, BICS 18 (1971), 10, pls 1 a, 2 a and e. On various interpretations of this theme, id. ‘Some peculiarities of the Eubocan Geometric figured style’, Ann. 69, n.s. 43 (1981), 244–5; Crielaard, J. P., ‘Some Euboean and related pottery in Amsterdam’, BABesch 65 (1990)Google Scholar, with references. I now find Criclaard's interpretation very persuasive.

6 Pithekoussai, i. 700, pls ccviii, 242.

7 Arch. Eph. 1903, 3, fig. 2; AK 9 (1966), pl. 26. 1. Also from Chalcis: BCH Supp. 23 (1992), 104–5, no. 101, fig. 7, 13.

8 Lefkandi, i, pls 52 and 62, no. 231; pl. 55, no. 268.

9 Cf. Courbin, P., La Céramique géometrique de l'Argolide (Paris, 1966), pl. 34Google Scholar, c 703 (horizontal), pl. 37, c 3262 (vertical).

10 Vertical: Arch. Eph. 1977, pl. 36 c, top right; Pithekoussai, i, pl. 238, Sp 1/10 (Euboean import). Horizontal, : Arch. Eph. 1982, pl. 27 no. 106Google Scholar; Pithekoussai, i, Sp 1/7, pl. 236 (local).

11 e.g. Lefkandi, 86, pl. 63 no. 248.

12 E.g. Eretria:BSA 47 (1952), 7, fig. 9; Chalcis:BCH suppl. 13 (1992), 110, nos. 125–8, fig. 8; Lefkandi, i, pl. 55, no. 272.

13 e.g. BSA 48 (1953), pl. 48, no. 790; Johansen, F. F., Vases sicyoniennes (Paris, 1923), pl. 1. 2.Google Scholar

14 Pithekoussai, i, gr. 168.2–3; Sp 1/2, 1/4, 1/5, 1/7.

15 GGP 192.

16 GGP 195, pl. 41 ƒ (e.g.); in Corinthian LG, op. cit. 99.

17 GGP 101, pl. 19 j.

18 Pithekoussai, i, grs. 175.1, 184.1, 201.1, 435.1, 490.1, 634.1, all LG I; 168.5, 483.2, LG II.

19 e.g. Hesp. 18 (1949), pl. 19, fig. 27 ( = GGP pl. 19 b). Cf. the local oinochoe, Pithekoussai, i, gr. 171.1.

20 e.g. Hesp. 17 (1948), pl. 75, Well C, no. 5 (cf. GGP 104). Cf. also the local oinochoe Pithekoussai, i, grs. 634.1, 662.1, LG I; 159.1, 178.1, LG II.

21 e.g. Pithekoussai, i, gr. 181.1, 654.1.

22 e.g. BSA 43 (1948), pl. 8 no. 131.

23 GGP 92, pl. 16 c (EG); 94, pl. 17 d (MG).

24 Cf. the local oinochoai, Pithekoussai, i, grs. 158A.1, 325.1.

25 Cf. BSA 48 (1953), 311 no. 892, fig. 32, pl. 54; and a local oinochoe, Pithekoussai, i, gr. 160.1 (LG II).

26 BSA 48 (1953), 311 nos. 908–9, fig. 29, 344 no. 1062, pl. 62. Neat diagonal zigzags, however, begin in Corinthian LG: see GGP 99 n. 4, and add AJA 92 (1988), 56, Angelopoulos gr. 4.1 (fig. 2) from Volimedia. Cf. the local oinochoai Pithekoussai, i, grs. 438.1 (LG I), 653.1 (LG I–II), 152.2, 354.1, 474.1 (LG II).

27 Cf. GGP pl. 21 b; EPC import to the cemetery, Pithekoussai, i, gr. 472.1.

28 GGP 97 (MG II), 100 (LG).

29 Lefkandi, i, 70, pl. 56, nos. 286, 291–2.

30 Hesp. 18 (1949), pl. 19, fig. 26 ( = GGP pl. 19 a).

31 Pithekoussai, i, grs. 178.2, 208.1, 355.1.

32 Ibid. grs. 161.1, 436.1, 469.1 (LG I); 654.1 (LG II).

33 e.g. The Swedish Cyprus Expedition, iv. 2, figs. 19. 11, 23. 4, 29. 3.

34 AK 10 (1967), pl. 38. 2–5; Arch. Eph. 1975, pl. 53 a; Arch. Eph. 1983, pl. 62. 202–5.

35 BICS 18 (1971), pls. 1, 2 a.

36 Pithekoussai, i, gr. 632.1.

37 GGP 192–3 and (in a different format) pl. 41 a, c–e. If there are circles in the scantily preserved belly zone, this piece could be from a Euboean prototype of large Boeotian LG oinochoai like GGP pl. 45 a.

38 In Lefkandi, i, section 4, J. Boardman and M. Price present four deposits from the LG settlement. Deposit A, the only substantial one, includes skyphoi representing the entire range of their LG sequence (pp. 62–6). Various deposits from the Swiss excavations at Eretria, announced by Descoeudres, J.-P. (BSA 78 (1983), 22–3, nn. 44–53)Google Scholar, still await full publication. A copious well deposit at Chalcis contained pottery ranging from PG to Attic black-figure: Andreiomenou, A., BCH 108 (1984), 37 n. 3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

39 Brann, E. T. H., Hesp. 30 (1961), 93–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

40 See my article, ‘The meaning of the regional styles in the eighth century BC’, in Hägg, R. (ed.), The Greek Renaissance of the Eighth Century BC (Stockholm, 1983), 20–5.Google Scholar

41 Lefkandi, i. 62.

42 Ibid. 62–6. The final, Bichrome, type (pp. 65–6) has not yet been found in the west. Cf. GGP 192–3.

43 Arch. Eph. 1981, 84–113.

44 Descoeudres, J.-P. and Kearsley, R., ‘Greek pottery at Veii: another look’, BSA 78 (1983), 9–53, esp. 13–34.Google Scholar

45 FP 51–6, nos. 2–9.

46 FP 52.

47 Neeft, apud Ridgway, FP 49, n. 21.

48 n. 44, 22–3, nos. 11, 17, and 18 (our 57, 58, and 61).

49 In GGP 96–7 and 108 I advanced reasons for thinking that Corinthian MG II persevered through the period of LG I a in Attica. Likewise the beginning of Euboean LG, as seen in the work of the Cesnola painter, is contemporary with Attic LG I b; see Coldstream (n. 5), 9–11. These correlations, with suggested absolute dates (e.g. c. 760–750 for Attic LG I a) are tabulated in GGP 330. In Descoeudres's list of Attic chevron skyphoi (n. 44), no. 11 is from the LG I a grave 17 in the agora area (GGP 46); no. 15, from Kerameikos grave 32, transitional LG I a/b (GGP 46), but also containing a MG II horse pyxis, Kerameikos, v. 1, pl. 60 no. 332; no. 16, from Agora Well I, transitional MG II/LG I (GGP 22).

50 GGP 48.

51 Lefkandi, i. 58, deposit A, no. 1, ‘skyphos–kotyle’, pl. 60.

52 Johannowsky, W., DdA 3 (1969), fig. 12 b.Google Scholar

53 D'Agostino, B., Pontecagnano, ii: La necropoli del Picento, 1: Le tombe della prima età del Ferro (Napoli, 1988)Google Scholar, testo fig. 3–4, id. in Descoeudres, J.-P (ed.), Greek Colonists and Native Populations (Oxford, 1990), 79Google Scholar, figs. 2, 3. Cf. 60.

54 GGP 97–8, pl. 18 e.

55 Pfaff, C. A., ‘A Geometric well at Corinth: well 1981–6’, Hesp. 57 (1988), 21–80, esp. 27–9CrossRefGoogle Scholar on chronology. Part of a Corinthian MG II proto-kotyle has come to light in the west, at Incoronata near Metaponto: Orlandini, P., Atti e memorie dell Società Magna Grecia, n.s. 15–17 (1974–1976), 177–86.Google Scholar

56 Lefkandi, i. 63–4, Boardman type II. For a full sequence see Andreiomenou, , Arch. Eph. 1981, 90–4, pls. 21–3.Google Scholar

57 Cf. Lefkandi, i, pl. 60. 10; Arch. Eph. 1981, pl. 28. 175.

58 Lefkandi, i. 64, Boardman type III: Andreiomenou, , Arch. Eph. 1981, 94–9, pls. 24–9.Google Scholar

59 See below, n. 66.

60 Cf. Descoeudres, , Érétria, v, pl. 4, FK 139/14.5Google Scholar; Andreiomenou, , Arch. Eph. 1981, 90, pl. 19. 48.Google Scholar

61 Cf. Andrieomenou, , Arch. Eph. 1977, 150–1, nos. 122–30Google Scholar, pl. 53 b; ead., Arch. Eph. 1981, 90, pl. 20. 58–9.

62 Pithekoussai, i, pl. 248, Sp 5/21.

63 Cf. Pithekoussai, i, gr. 547.1, Sp 5/16, both local.

64 See above, n. 17.

65 Neeft, C. W., BA Besch. 50 (1975), 108Google Scholar, type 6; chronology, pp. 115–16.

66 GGP 199 (iii). Eretria:Boardman, J., BSA 47 (1952), 2, fig. 1. 6–8Google Scholar; Andreiomenou, , Arch. Eph. 1975, 211, pl. 54 cGoogle Scholar; ead., Arch. Eph. 1982, 166, pl. 23. 29–31. From Lefkandi, only one fr.: Boardman, , Lefkandi, i. 66–7, pl. 51. 209.Google Scholar

67 Pithekoussai, i, pl. 248, Sp 5/23 ( = GGP pl. 41 h).

68 Pithekoussai, i, pl. 67, gr. 168.1. The motif on 91 could be taken as a ligature of the two left-handed ‘letters’ on the foot of this krater, i.e. the six-point star and the dotted circle.

69 Cf. n. 67.

70 For all three criteria cf. the Corinthian imported kotylai, gr. 159.2 and 160.2 in Pithekoussai, i.

71 e.g. GGP pl. 41 j from Cumae.

72 Pithekoussai, i, 267, gr. 208.9 (H. 14.9), pl. 90.

73 For the distribution see GGP 387 n. 5; add Pithekoussai gr. 242.2, 243.3, both in LG II contexts. The case for a metropolitan Euboean origin is presented by Williams, D., in Swaddling, J. (ed.), Italian Iron Age Artifacts in the British Museum (London, 1986), 298Google Scholar, on fig, 19. Canciani, F., Cahiers J. Bérard, 3 (Naples 1982), 194–5Google Scholar, has noted unpublished examples in Eretria Museum. Dr Buchner kindly drew my attention to these last two references.

74 Lefkandi, i, 59, no. 24, pls. 38 and 60.

75 GGP 49, pl. 10 m; Brann, E. T. H., Agora, viii. 45Google Scholar, esp. no. 117, pl. 7.

76 Eretria: a complete plate (AK 11 (1968), 100 no. 5, pl. 27.7) and few scraps (BSA 47 (1952), 11, fig. 12. 3, 6.

77 e.g. Pithekoussai, i, gr. 151.2–3 (Corinthianizing decoration). On local plates from the Scarico Gosetti, of Phoenician shape but with Euboean decoration, see Buchner, G., ‘Die Kolonie Pithekoussai und der nordwestsemitische Raum’, in Niemeyer, H. G. (ed.), Phönizier im Westen (Madrider Beiträge, 8; Mainz, 1982), 283–90Google Scholar; also Leach, S. S., Subgeometric Pottery from Southern Etruria (Göteborg, 1987), 93–5. 99–100Google Scholar, 117, figs. 67–73.

78 GGP 190; cf. especially pl. 47 e. Boardman, , BSA 47 (1952), 7–9 (Eretria)Google Scholar; id. in Lefkandi, i, 71, pl. 57, nos. 309–17.

79 See above n. 35.

80 Buchner, G., AR 17 (1971), 63, fig. 1.Google Scholar

81 Hydria on lid, Cesnola krater, BICS 18 (1971), pl. 1; skyphos on lid, krater from Pescia Romana near Grosseto, Canciani, F., DdA 8 (1975), 84–5, figs. 6–7 (workshop).Google Scholar

82 Snodgrass, A. M., Early Greek Armour and Weapons (Edinburgh, 1964), 13–16, pl. 9.Google Scholar

83 Kerameikos 2855: Bohen, B., AM 91 (1976), 15–22, pl. 3.Google Scholar Smaller lids from Delos, (Délos, xv, pl. 50 Aa 64)Google Scholar and Halos, (BSA 18 (1911–1912), 11, fig. 8. 2)Google Scholar both have crossing strap handles; the Halos lid, from a warrior's pyre, also has a domed knob which could well represent a helmet.

84 GGP 77–91. For the dogs cf. especially the name-piece, BSA 42 (1947), pl. 20 b; and Athens 17519, GGP pl. 14 e.

85 Arch. Eph. 1982, pl. 32 no. 177, dog's rump.

86 PAE 1972, pl. 237 b.

87 GGP 78–9, nos. 33, 40.

88 Délos, xv. 30, Ab 11, pl. 53 a. On Parian LG, GGP 178–81.

89 Délos, xv. 16–18, hydriai Aa 1–15; cf. especially Aa 12, pl. 5

90 Brea, B. and Cavalier, M., Mylai (Novara, 1959), 108–10, pl. 47.Google Scholar

91 Pithekoussai, i, pl. 245, Sp 4/4; Ridgway, , FWG 87–8Google Scholar; id.FP 48–9 n. 18 with 57 fig. 1.

92 Ridgway, , FWG 89.Google Scholar

93 Ibid. Following Ridgway, I have omitted the larger shapes (kraters, amphorae) from this table.

94 Howe, T. P., TAPA 89 (1958), 49 n. 24Google Scholar, quoting the archaeologists of the Athenian Agora.

95 Coldstream, , RDAC 1988, part 2, 92.Google Scholar

96 Ridgway, FWG, 111–18.Google Scholar

97 See above n. 77.

98 Pithekoussai, i. 219, gr. 168.9, pls. 72–3; pp. 745–50, with references.