Site details

Eleusis: Megaron B

PK	C6559
TITLE	Eleusis: Megaron B
WGS84	38.04095° N, 23.538708° E
Accuracy	Exact

LAT/LON	38.04095, 23.538708
LON/LAT	23.538708, 38.04095

DMS

38° 2' 27.42" N

23° 32' 19.3488" E

W3W	readings, unnerves, after
UTM	34 S, 722785, 4213401
EGSA87	459373, 4210171

Elevation m	12
Elevation feet	39.4
Region	Attica

GENERAL SITE TYPE Temple

TYPE

1.    Artifacts.   Ålin [1962], 112    'Im Tempelbezirk sind unter den geometrischen Mauerresten ... Schichten gefunden worden.'
2.    Temple.   Mylonas [2010], 34    'We believe that the Temple of Demeter mentioned by the (Homeric, rhc) Hymn was found in the excavations of 1931 and 1932 by Kourouniotes and his collaborators on the east slope of the citadel of Eleusis ... '
3.    Temple.   Cosmopoulos [2014], 424

PERIOD (High Chronology)

1. Middle Helladic: (2000 BC - 1600 BC)
    a.    Ålin [1962]: 112, 'Im Tempelbezirk sind unter den geometrischen Mauerresten spät- und mittelhelladische Schichten ... '

2. Late Helladic: (1700 BC - 1050 BC)
    a.    Ålin [1962]: 112, 'Im Tempelbezirk sind unter den geometrischen Mauerresten spät- und mittelhelladische Schichten ... '

3. Late Helladic II: (1635 BC - 1410 BC)
    a.    Mylonas [2010]: 37, 'The sherds belong to the category known as Late Helladic II, and to that period, accepted as encompassing the fifteenth century B.C., the Megaron and its peribolos wall should be assigned.'
    b.    Ålin [1962]: 112, 'Das eine, mit deutlichem Megaronplan, war von einem Peribolos umgeben und wird in die Übergangszeit von SH II bis III datiert.'

4. LH IIB: (1470 BC - 1410 BC)
    a.    Cosmopoulos [2014]: 424, 'From LH IIB/IIIA1 through LH IIIB, the Megaron B complex was used for religious rituals involving burned animal sacrifices.'

5. LH III: (1410 BC - 1060 BC)
    a.    Mylonas [2010]: 37, 'In the fill of this room a good many sherds were found, indicating that it was in use to the very end of Late Helladic III period ... '
    b.    Ålin [1962]: 112, 'Das eine, mit deutlichem Megaronplan, war von einem Peribolos umgeben und wird in die Übergangszeit von SH II bis III datiert.'

6. LH IIIA1: (1410 BC - 1375 BC)
    a.    Cosmopoulos [2014]: 424, 'From LH IIB/IIIA1 through LH IIIB, the Megaron B complex was used for religious rituals involving burned animal sacrifices.'

7. LH IIIB: (1320 BC - 1190 BC)
    a.    Mylonas [2010]: 37, ' ... and that its construction must have taken place in the course of what is known as Late Helladic III B era.'
    b.    Cosmopoulos [2014]: 424, 'From LH IIB/IIIA1 through LH IIIB, the Megaron B complex was used for religious rituals involving burned animal sacrifices.'
    c.    Ålin [1962]: 112, ' ..., darunter eine Kanne aus IIIB, die abgebildet ist.'

8. LH IIIC: (1190 BC - 1060 BC)
    a.    Ålin [1962]: 112, 'Auf dem Boden eines Hauses aus IIIC lag eine ... '

9. Geometric: (900 BC - 700 BC)
    a.    Mylonas [2010]: 38, 'These small finds may indicate that perhaps the building was still in use in Geometric times.'
    b.    Ålin [1962]: 112, 'Fast auf dem Boden in einer Ecke des Zimmers B1 wurden 2 geometrische Henkel gefunden, ... '

NOTES

1.  According to Mylonas [2010] 37-38 the main building was constructed in LH II; an extension belongs to LH III. See his illustration 11 which maps the original building and successive additions.

2.  Mylonas thought that this structure was evidence of a Demeter cult in Mycenaean times. Later scholars disputed this notion as anachronistic. These and other issues concerning the construction and use of the various parts of the Megaron B structure are complex and involve subtle notions about the continuity of religious practice. The issues are addressed in Cosmopoulos [2014] and Cosmopolous [2015] (I did not have access to this last at the time of writing in 4/2019). See those sources for nuanced and detailed discussion - along with the excellent bibliography.

3.  Additional material on Megaron B and the practice of burnt sacrifices in Cosmopoulos and Ruscillo [2014]

rhc

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Ålin [1962]: Ålin, Per. Das Ende der mykenischen Fundstätten auf dem griechischen Festland. Carl Bloms Boktryckeri A.-B., Lund, 1962., 'Eleusis', pg. 112.

2. Cosmopoulos and Ruscillo [2014]: Cosmopoulos, Michael B and Deborah Ruscillo. ‘Burnt Animal Sacrifice in Mycenaean Eleusis’, Oxford Journal of Archaeology (33:3) 257 - 273. 2014., '', Online here.

3. Cosmopoulos [2014]: Cosmopoulos, Michael B.. ‘Cult, Continuity, and Social Memory: Mycenaean Eleusis and the Transition to the Early Iron Age’, American Journal of Archaeology (118:3) 401-427. 2014., 'Conclusion', pg. 424. Online here.

4. Cosmopoulos [2015]: Cosmopoulos, Michael B.. Bronze Age Eleusis and the Origins of the Eleusinian Mysteries. Cambridge University Press. 2015., '',

5. Mylonas [2010]: Mylonas, George E.. Eleusis and the Eleusinian Mysteries. Cyceon Tales Publications. Elefsina, 2010., 'The Temple of the Homeric Hymn', pg. 33.