The Polygonal Wall at Ancient Eleon with Reference to the Mycenaean Past

Meditations on the Diversity of the Built Environment in the

Aegean Basin and Beyond

Proceedings of a Colloquium in Memory of Frederick E. Winter

Athens, 22-23 June 2012

2014

Publications of the Canadian Institute in Greece Publications de l’Institut canadien en Grèce

No. 8

© The Canadian Institute in Greece / L’Institut canadien en Grèce

2014

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Meditations on the Diversity of the Built Environment in the Aegean Basin and Beyond : a Colloquium in Memory of Frederick

E. Winter (2012 : Athens, Greece) Meditations on the diversity of the built environment in the

Aegean Basin and beyond : proceedings of a colloquium in memory of Frederick E. Winter, Athens, 22-23 June 2012.

(Publications of the Canadian Institute in Greece = Publications

de l'Institut canadien en Grèce ; no. 8) Includes bibliographical references.

Includes essay in French. ISBN 978-0-9737979-2-3 (pbk.)

1. Architecture, Greek--Mediterranean Region--Congresses.

2. Architecture, Ancient--Mediterranean Region--Congresses. 3. Fortification, Greek--Mediterranean Region--Congresses. 4. City

planning--Mediterranean Region--History--Congresses. 5. Archaeology--Mediterranean Region--Congresses. 6. Mediterranean

Region--Antiquities--Congresses. I. Canadian Institute in Greece issuing, body II. Title. III. Series: Publications of the Canadian

Institute in Greece no. ; 8

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Editorial/Scientific Committee Richard C. Anderson Rodney D. Fitzsimons

Rune Frederiksen David W. Rupp Joseph W. Shaw Maria C. Shaw

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BRENDAN BURKE, BRYAN BURNS & ALEXANDRA CHARAMI The Polygonal Wall at Ancient Eleon with Reference

to the Mycenaean Past

The landscape of Boeotia is dramatically marked by remains of the ancient past, including stone towers, fortified peaks, and stretches of city walls. Defensive constructions have been well considered for their strategic position and political geography, but the symbolic presence of their built structures has not been fully explored. As Anthony Snodgrass noted in 1986: “The main phase of later Archaic fortification is, in my view, a different and in large part an independent story. Instead of representing a series of tactical expedients governed by local considerations, Greek fortification now becomes essentially a physical manifestation of the workings of Archaic Greek politics. As such, not surprisingly, it shows a degree of assimilation in each area where this political system prevailed, even though the starting-point for development was not the same in different areas.”1 At ancient Eleon in eastern Boeotia, the large, polygonal wall is a highly elaborate construction that defines the eastern boundary of the relatively small site, about which very little is known from contemporary historical sources (Fig. 1).

Before discussing our understanding of the wall at Eleon, it is necessary to contextualize the remains at the site within the cultural and physical landscape of eastern Boeotia. The Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project began in 2007 as a collaborative venture of the Canadian Institute in Greece and the 9th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, based in Thebes. The first phase of work was a diachronic surface survey, using intensive field-walking strategies to document the history of the

1 Snodgrass 1986: 130.

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MEDITATIONS ON THE DIVERSITY OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

agricultural plain east of Thebes.2 Our survey work explored the landscape east of Thebes, bounded by the Ipatos Mountains to the north and the Soros range along the south. This broad plain functioned as a conduit between Thebes, the major economic center of the region, and the Euboean Gulf. Previous work in the region includes extensive surveys of sites by Fossey and Hope Simpson and Dickinson, regional studies by Bintliff and colleagues, as well as excavations of a Classical cemetery north of Arma and the Mycenaean chamber tombs east of modern Tanagra, famous for their painted larnakes.3 Eleon occupies the center of this plain, and its visible features have attracted the attention of many scholars over the years. We were certainly not the first team to note the impressive nature of the wall and the rich diversity of the surface finds.4 Our investigation, however, is the first systematic study of the site, and our analysis documents activity during three distinct chronological phases. Most recent is the late Medieval phase, 14th-17th centuries A.D.; then, material from the Archaic-Classical eras, 7th-4th centuries B.C.; and finally from the later Mycenaean period, 13th-11th centuries B.C. Occupation of the site during the LH IIIB period is of particular importance to its identification as ‘Eleon’. The toponym e-re-o-ni (Eleona) is found on two Linear B tablets from Thebes, Ft 140 and X 155.5 Aravantinos has dated the context of the more complete text (Ft 140) to the LH IIIB2 by pottery associated with its destruction level; it was thus among the last tablets written by the scribes working within the palace of Thebes and reflects the political landscape of that time.

2 Funding for our project has been provided by the Institute for Aegean Prehistory, the Loeb Classical Library Foundation, and private donors. Co-directors for the EBAP survey were V. Aravantinos, B. Burke, B. Burns, S.Lupack. The current work at ancient Eleon is co-directed by A. Charami, B. Burke, and B. Burns. We continue to be grateful for financial support from the Institute for Aegean Prehistory, private donors, and, recently, for an Insight Grant from the Social Sciences, Humanities Research Council of Canada (#435-2012-0185). 3 Bintliff et al. 2002; Bintliff, Howard, and Snodgrass, 1999; 2007; Bintliff and Slapzac 2007; Bintliff and Snodgrass 1985; Fossey 1988; Fossey and Morin, 1989; Hope Simpson and Dickinson 1979; Hope Simpson and Hagel 2006; Van Effenterre 1989. 4 Fossey 1988: 89-95. 5 Aravantinos, Godart, Sacconi 2001; Aravantinos, Godart, Sacconi 2002; Aravantinos, Del Freo, Godart 2005; Aravantinos 2008; Del Freo 2009.

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BRENDAN BURKE, BRYAN BURNS & ALEXANDRA CHARAMI

The earliest reference to Eleon in historical texts is the Iliad's Catalogue of Ships (2.500), one of the 29 cities of the Boeotian force headed to Troy.6 A second passage of the Iliad remembers Eleon as the origin of Odysseus' boar's tusk helmet, which comes to him through a series of exchanges, the first one not a gift: “Autolykos, breaking into the close-built house, had stolen it from Amyntor, the son of Ormenos, out of Eleon.”7 The only 5th-century reference to the site is found in Herodotus, who describes Antichares (“a man of Eleon”) as an advisor on where to locate the Spartan colony of Heraclea on Sicily (5.43). Herodotus also relates several oracular prophecies of Bakis (whom scholiasts link to Eleon). Herodotus endorses his abilities based on the foretelling of Greek victory after the Persian sack of Athens (8.77), though other prophecies were ignored by the Euboeans (8.20) and misinterpreted by the Persians (9.43). Pausanias relates similar episodes about Bakis, but nothing about the site.

The most significant topographical reference to Eleon comes much later, in the Roman geographer Strabo's description of Tanagra and the region it controlled, which encompassed the Tetrakomia, or the four settlements of Eleon, Harma, Mykalessos and Pharai.8 Two cities of the Tetrakomia, Harma and Mykalessos, have fairly certain identifications with the sites found at Lykovouni-Kastri and Rhitsona, respectively. Since Eleon is mentioned first in Strabo’s list, locating it at our site, near modern Arma, would give a geographical logic to the list, with the sites running from the southwest to the northeast, in a clock-wise direction. Strabo also mentions that the site is named for its marshes: καὶ ὁ Ἑλεὼν δ᾽ ἐστὶ κώμη Ταναγρική, ἀπὸ τῶν ἑλῶν ὠνομασμένη (9.2.12).

The massive wall, built in the so-called Lesbian polygonal style, is undoubtedly the most impressive visible feature from antiquity in the area of Arma (formerly Dhrítsa), a village located approximately 9 km west of Schimatari. The visible extent of this wall follows a curved path at least 80 meters between two poorly preserved towers along the east side of the acropolis, and is

6 Hope Simpson and Lazenby 1970. 7 Iliad 10.266-7, Lattimore trans. 8 See Wallace 1979.

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preserved up to a height of 5 meters. The exterior face consists of irregularly cut stones of local dark limestone, most measuring more than one square-meter, with many exceeding two meters in length (Fig. 2). This massive, curving form, constitutes a highly sophisticated version of polygonal masonry, and the wall thus provides ample material for the consideration of stone architecture as an expressive medium.

The Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project of the Canadian Institute in Greece and the 9th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities puts a special focus on the site's prehistoric occupation, in particular the material dating from the LH I through LH IIIC periods. The prominence of the polygonal wall is, however, equally compelling.9 In the preface to Greek Fortifications, Frederick Winter opined on the lack of excavated evidence for the dating of ancient walls due to the “neglect of fortifications in the normal programme of excavation.”10 We hope to redress this long-standing issue with a comprehensive analysis of the polygonal wall at Eleon. One of our primary research goals for the historical phases of the excavation is to contextualize the construction of this wall. Although we have not yet discovered evidence for a conclusive dating of the wall’s construction, we here present the current state of this on-going investigation. What follows is a limited report on the state of our investigations at the midpoint of our first full season of excavation at Eleon in 2012. We expect continued excavation to both clarify some elements of the wall’s architecture as well as enrich our appreciation for the site’s presence in the landscape of Classical Boeotia.

The Polygonal Wall at Eleon

The wall is the most prominent archaeological feature of ancient Eleon. The Lesbian masonry style is named for its many examples on the island of Lesbos and Aristotle’s description of the

9 See preliminary reports in Burke, Burns, Lupack and Aravantinos 2007; Burke 2009. 10 Winter 1971: ix. For recent work on early Greek fortifications, see Frederiksen 2011.

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builders' technique of bending a lead strip to measure the curvature of one stone, creating a model for how to cut its adjacent block: For when the thing is indefinite the rule also is indefinite, like the leaden rule used in making the Lesbian moulding; the rule adapts itself to the shape of the stone and is not rigid, and so too the decree is adapted to the facts.11 Peter Wilhelm Forchhammer, in the mid-19th century, was the first scholar to use the term ‘Lesbian’ to refer to this style of ancient Greek wall, recognized easily by its irregular, curvilinear blocks.12 Robert Scranton, in 1941, described the ‘Lesbian style’ of polygonal masonry as “so curiously intricate, so highly sophisticated, that no other time or place has equaled it in elaboration of technical perfection.”13 Frederick Winter followed this emphasis on the style’s visual statement, arguing that its origin developed out of more aesthetic than structural priorities.14

The Eleon wall includes stones with the characteristic ‘Lesbian’ feature of curved joints, but many do have rectilinear joins, uniquely fitting each adjacent block. The increased surface contact of each block with the surrounding blocks created a very stable circuit wall.15 The well-cut polygonal blocks sit on rusticated foundation blocks divided by an ashlar leveling course. The continuous saw-tooth facing across the joining stones indicate that the blocks received this dressing after they were fitted into the wall. The result combines the ancient Greek love of beauty with utility, making the architecture of Eleon an ornament that would impress any visitor.

Well-dated examples of the curvilinear blocks of Lesbian style masonry are almost exclusively limited to the archaic period, and

11 Arist. Eth. Nic V.10, 1137b30. Trans. W.D. Ross. 12 Forchhammer 1847: 5. 13 Scranton 1941: 25-27, fig. 3 (illustrating the wall at Eleon) and Cat. 160, Type A2 no. 11. See also Winter 1971: 171 n. 59. Lawrence 1979: 349 suggests a Hellenistic date. Spencer 1995a: 33, states that “the securely dated examples of Lesbian masonry are all Archaic in date, except for one archaizing use in a grave monument in the Kerameikos.” See also des Courtils 1998 for additions to the catalog of Scranton. 14 Winter 1971: 80-86. 15 On polygonal masonry and stability see Cooper 2000.

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mostly to the Island of Lesbos.16 The continuation of the style is demonstrated by the Stoa of the Athenians at Delphi, dated to 480-470 B.C.17 Countering the assumption that all polygonal masonry is Archaic, however, Cooper noted constructions using multilateral blocks with straight sides that were built throughout the fifth century – and in Boeotia, especially during the fourth century.18 The nearest comparable example to the Eleon wall is found in the fortification walls of Classical Tanagra, approximately 9 km to the southeast, dated by Duane Roller to early in the 4th c. B.C., most likely after 386 B.C. when the Peace of Antalkidas terminated all federal alliances and granted autonomy to nearly all Greek cities.19 The role of Tanagra as an episodic rival to Thebes throughout the 5th and early 4th centuries B.C. may provide a political context for new activity in eastern Beotia and the construction of the Eleon wall.20 The Wall

Today, however, the site is known for its wall. In our 2007 surface collection survey, we mapped the visible portions of the wall using a total station and ArcView drafting software in combination with satellite imagery (Fig. 3).21 The resulting image demonstrates the pronounced curvature of the wall – which is unparalleled to our knowledge. None of the examples of Lesbian polygonal masonry set their walls on a curved, concave path as at Eleon. At its southern end is preserved a projecting square tower, where at least two courses of rough foundation stones are capped

16 Frederiksen 2011: 65-68; for specific examples on Lesbos, see Spencer 1995b: 61-64. 17 Coulton 1976: 234. 18 Cooper 2000: 171 emphasizes the significance of this fact contra the scholarly tendency to emphasize polygonal masonry as characteristic of the archaic or early classical periods. 19 Xenophon, Hellenika, V, 1, 31; Diodorus Siculus, XIV, 110, 3. Cf. Roller 1974: 262-3. 20 See Buck 1979: 141-60; Hansen and Nielsen 2004: 434. 21 This work was done by a team from the Danish Institute at Athens led by Sigrid Eliassen.

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by an ashlar leveling course and three courses of polygonal blocks. The preserved height is five meters, but of course, here, as elsewhere, much of the wall has been robbed away.

In 2011 we conducted limited trial excavations, including one 5 by 5 m trench located above a well-preserved stretch the wall. We aimed to determine the state of preservation of the wall's interior face and to assess the feasibility of large-scale excavation in the zone adjacent to the wall. Cleaning away the surface level fully revealed the rubble fill between the faces of cut stone, which consists mostly of large boulders, between 0.80-1.2 m in size. We also exposed the upper course of the wall's interior face, confirming the substantial width of the wall at 3.66 meters. The wall, therefore, required a huge amount of stones simply for its filling material, and we suspect these large boulders may be repurposed from earlier constructions on the site, and their shape is indicative of Cyclopean masonry.

In 2012 we exposed much more of the wall's interior rubble fill, and exposed the remains of a second tower. The leveling course is all that is preserved as the curving section of the wall transitions into a more rectilinear bastion (Fig. 4). The foundations of this second tower indicate that the form and dimensions of this bastion are comparable to that of the south tower, with an eastern face measuring 6.9 meters. Only a few of the polygonal blocks are preserved in situ on the north face, which possibly forms an entry gate through the circuit wall. That the wall continues further north has not yet been investigated through excavation, although this is probable based on surface observations.

We can now appreciate the complex design of just one part of Eleon's circuit wall. This curving portion with symmetrically positioned towers no doubt created an impressive facade at the site's most accessible entry. A steep drop-off determines the site's southern and western edges; along the north side numerous surface stones indicate a continuation of the wall along this sloping boundary that will be explored in future seasons.

Our attempt to expose more of the wall has yet to produce material from the specific period of its construction – whether in the Archaic or Classical periods. Rather, the vast majority of the pottery from this area is of the Mycenaean period. This

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corresponds with our survey results, where the densities of identifiable Mycenaean ceramics were found across the acropolis and the total number of prehistoric finds was consistently higher than combined finds of all historic periods. We do see, however, a concentration of the pottery from the Archaic-Classical-Hellenistic periods clustered around the area of the polygonal wall. Among the surface finds are cup fragments with zones of floral decoration, which were found in conjunction with fragments of four miniature vessels. Also from this part of the site is a black-figure fragment preserving the image of a human figure walking to the right on a ground-line with some hanging drapery to the right of the figure. Similar to other Boeotian black-figure imagery, this most likely represents a cult scene (Fig. 5). This and other evidence suggests that ritual activity was located within and above the polygonal wall. This theory has been strengthened by some finds from the new excavations conducted in the first two weeks of June 2012. An unstratified deposit of Classical cult material includes more miniature vessels and black-figure ceramics, plus figurines, including a tortoise and at least four fragmentary female figurines (Fig. 6). This material most likely dates to the fifth century B.C., but cannot be fixed with greater specificity because of the type of material, as well as its depositional character. And of course, it cannot be tied to the actual construction of the wall. It may, however, indicate one aspect of life at Eleon during the period of the wall's existence.

Our excavation along the wall will be expanded, and we hope that further exploration of the foundations will produce material to date the construction of the polygonal wall. Our initial test trench has already produced surprising and suggestive results. Rather than finding the foundations positioned directly on bedrock, we have uncovered an earlier wall directly beneath the north tower. At this point we only have material from the levels directly above this earlier wall, and it is clearly Mycenaean in character (Fig. 7). In fact, the identifiable types (including Mainland polychrome, Yellow and Gray Minyan Ware, and Brown Burnished ware) all suggest activity of the Early Mycenaean period. No distinctive Archaic or Classical pottery was found in this trench along and below the polygonal wall's foundation.

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Concluding Thoughts

The presence of an earlier, Mycenaean construction directly beneath the Polygonal tower suggests that the Classical inhabitants (or builders) at Eleon were well aware of the site's earlier occupation. This underscores our own earlier observation that the scale and overall effect of the polygonal wall is perhaps similar to the well-dressed form of cyclopean masonry seen at some Mycenaean citadel sites. Today, the site nearest to Eleon with well-preserved Cyclopean masonry is Gla, but stretches of the fortifications at Mycenae come closer to a polygonal form. We are not suggesting a direct emulation of such Bronze Age walls, but rather an aggrandizing statement of the site's importance – and perhaps its heritage.

While we cannot know if the shape of polygonal blocks was an intentional invocation of the site's own Mycenaean history, the complexity of the wall's construction suggests the builders did intend to make a dramatic aesthetic statement. Spencer describes the use of the masonry style on Lesbos as “an unnecessarily complicated method of wall construction undertaken by a skilled workforce.” The construction of the Eleon wall on its precise leveling course and curving path further underscores its complex design and fully embodies Spencer's characterization of Lesbian masonry as “an expensive, prestige style designed to impress.”22 This effort to monumentalize the site’s eastern façade seems out of proportion with other evidence for the status of classical Eleon. The significance of the site as suggested by the elaborate wall invoking Eleon’s impressive past, however, will likely be validated with further excavation. Bibliography Aravantinos, V., L. Godart, A. Sacconi, 2001. Thèbes: Fouilles de la Cadmée I:

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22 Spencer 1995a: 33.

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Figure 1. View from the south of ancient Eleon wall and the excavation area (photo B. Burke)

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Figure 2. Polygonal wall of ancient Eleon, southern tower and east façade (photo B. Burke)

Figure 3. Topographic map of ancient Eleon, showing location of above surface remains and location of northern tower exposed by 2012 excavation

(drawing D. Bhatia, N. Edwards, and T. Ross)

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Figure 4. Schematic plan of polygonal wall's northern tower and Mycenaean wall revealed at lower level (drawing G. Bianco)

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Figure 5. Miniature cult vessels and black figure fragments from ancient Eleon (photo B. Burke)

Figure 6. Terracotta figurine from ancient Eleon, ca. 5th century B.C. (photo B. Burke)

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Figure 7. Early Mycenaean sherds from Mycenaean wall below northern bastion (photo B. Burke)

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The Polygonal Wall at Ancient Eleon with Reference to the Mycenaean Past

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