Papers by Tina Boloti
In: Gunkel-Maschek et al. (eds.), Gesture, Stance and Movement.Communicating Bodies in the Aegean Bronze Age (Heidelberg 2024), 307-313., 2024
One of the most important practices (apart from libations and communal feasting, animal sacrifice... more One of the most important practices (apart from libations and communal feasting, animal sacrifice included) of the official cult in the Aegean during the 2 nd millennium BC is ritual processions. Since the rulers expressed their authority not through political or warrior imagery, but through the manipulation and control of ritual, Aegean Late Bronze Age two-dimensional iconography, especially wall paintings, provides rich documentation while additional evidence is offered by related representations on other media such as on golden signet-rings, seal-stones and clay sealings, painted sarcophagi, and stone and clay vessels. Due to space limitations, this paper focuses on the participants in ritual processions and the pictorial formula that enables the viewers to identify them. Prompted by selected examples, two of which I have recently reexamined , I discuss the messages conveyed on the one hand by the bodies of the worshippers in line (female, male, or even supernatural creatures, as the so-called Minoan 'genii') carrying cult equipment and offerings in their outstretched hands (i.e. do-ra pe-re in Mycenaean Greek, transcribed as δῶρα φέρει in ancient Greek) for a supposed deity (or her impersonator), and on the other hand by the clothing they wear.
Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia. Anthology of COST Action “CA 19131 – EuroWeb”. Kerstin Droß-Krüpe, Louise Quillien, & Kalliope Sarri (eds.). Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, 2024
Since ancient times, garments served a wide range of purposes: Either functional, providing prot... more Since ancient times, garments served a wide range of purposes: Either functional, providing protection by covering the body, or symbolic, as an element of non-verbal communication and marker of identity.
In particular, this stimulates the development of specific characteristics in shape, decoration, or material composition, which generate distinctions among garments, as acknowledged by Roman jurists too.
These distinctions are determined by various factors. One important factor is the social meaning of clothing: There are garments for public life, garments expressing rank, garments suited for special professions, or garments intended for sacred/priestly rites reflecting particular religious symbols. And, of course, clothes that differ between men and women or stages of life. Social meaning subdivides clothing
within a society, with legal implications. Another factor is “fashion”; tastes that change over time, and that clothing adapts to. New norms, socioeconomic conditions, innovative techniques, and foreign influences introduce changes in fashion and transitions in clothing. Fashion subdivides clothing on a chronological or regional level.
Looking backwards in history, changes to clothing are difficult to detect and to date. It is even more challenging to trace the factors causing these changes. This article will present four case studies of clothing in
transition: From Prehistory, the Roman Age, the Early Christian Era, and the Early Byzantine Period. Across these four periods, it can be observed that both similar and dissimilar factors shaped clothing transitions. The sources analyzed are written evidence, Roman legal
sources, iconographic sources, and material finds.
Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques en Grèce en 1996 et 1997
Bulletin De Correspondance Hellenique, 1998
Revue de l’ Archéologie du Vêtement et du Costume, Tome II, 2021
This paper investigates the way women were involved in the ancient Greek textile manufacture, esp... more This paper investigates the way women were involved in the ancient Greek textile manufacture, especially during the Mycenaean period. Using as a starting point the myth of Arachne, referred to Metamorphoses, the magnum poem of the Roman poet Ovid, I discuss mainly the written sources from the late 2nd and early 1st millenium BCE, and more precisely the evidence provided by the Linear B tablets in conjuction with the Homeric epics. Without being a thorough study, since a variety of contemporary documents related to this issue are omitted (e.g. textile tools, glyptic, frescoes and relief iconography, or scanty remains of archaeological textiles), it offers a glimpse in the everyday life of women in antiquity. Despite the changes in Mycenaean society after the collapse of the mycenaean palatial system, the importance of textile production for the economy of oikos (household), to which contributed from high-ranking women (e.g. Helen, Andromache, Penelope, Arete) to servants or slaves, remained unaltered during the Greek antiquity and, in some cases, until the early modern era and the Industrial Revolution.
"Το ιερό ένδυμα στο προϊστορικό Αιγαίο", ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ & ΤΕΧΝΕΣ 130 (2019), 62-67.
ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ & ΤΕΧΝΕΣ 130, 2019
Ποιο ένδυμα χαρακτηρίζεται ως «ιερό» ή «ιερατικό»; Διακρίνουμε «ιερατική» ένδυση στον αιγαιακό χώ... more Ποιο ένδυμα χαρακτηρίζεται ως «ιερό» ή «ιερατικό»; Διακρίνουμε «ιερατική» ένδυση στον αιγαιακό χώρο της 2ης χιλιετίας π.Χ. και ποιες είναι οι πηγές πληροφόρησης; Στο παρόν άρθρο συζητούνται ακροθιγώς τα ανωτέρω ζητήματα σε μια απόπειρα να προσεγγίσουμε πτυχές των ενδυματολογικών πρακτικών της αιγαιακής 2ης χιλιετίας π.Χ.
Arachne 5, 2018
Αντικείμενο του παρόντος άρθρου αποτελούν οι καταγραφές υφασμάτων/ενδυμάτων (αλλά και μαλλιού) σε... more Αντικείμενο του παρόντος άρθρου αποτελούν οι καταγραφές υφασμάτων/ενδυμάτων (αλλά και μαλλιού) σε πινακίδες της Γραμμικής Β (αρχεία Κνωσού και Πύλου) σε άμεση ή έμμεση συσχέτιση με γυναικείες όσο και αντρικές θεότητες. Επιβεβαιώνοντας την τεκμηριωμένη πληθωρικά, από την αιγαιακή Υστεροχαλκή εικονογραφία και πηγές των ιστορικών χρόνων, τελετουργική ανάθεση των εν λόγω αγαθών (κυμαινόμενων αριθμητικά κατά περίπτωση), συζητούνται ζητήματα διαχείρισης των σχετικών προσφορών που θα συσσωρεύονταν στα ιερά χάρη στην περιοδική επανάληψη της διαδικασίας βάσει του καθιερωμένου εορταστικού ημερολογίου. Εκτός από την προφανή λατρευτική τους λειτουργία (ως «προσωπικά» αντικείμενα των θεοτήτων), υποθέτουμε εύλογα ότι τα υπό εξέταση αναθήματα δεν θα αποτελούσαν ένα ιερό “νεκρό” κεφάλαιο αλλά θα αξιοποιούνταν είτε για εμπορική εκμετάλλευση είτε για την κάλυψη αναγκών του ιερατικού προσωπικού. Ιδιαίτερη αναφορά γίνεται εδώ στην πυλιακή σειρά πινακίδων Un με μικτούς καταλόγους προσφορών, οι οποίες έχουν σχετιστεί με τη θέσπιση θυσιαστήριων τελετών και συναφών συμποσίων προς τιμήν θεοτήτων, καθώς μεταξύ των προσφερόμενων αγαθών περιλαμβάνονται ενίοτε υφάσματα, μαλλί και αρωματικό λάδι – το τελευταίο θα μπορούσε εν προκειμένω να χρησιμοποιηθεί στην επεξεργασία των υφασμάτων, μια πρακτική καλά μαρτυρημένη στους ελληνικούς ιστορικούς χρόνους αλλά και σε πολιτισμούς της Ανατολικής Μεσογείου κατά τη 2η και 1η χιλιετία π.Χ.
Πεπραγμένα ΙΑ΄ Διεθνούς Κρητολογικού Συνεδρίου (Ρέθυμνο 21-27 Οκτωβρίου 2011), Ρέθυμνο 2018
Λίγα είναι τα γνωστά παραδείγματα εσθήτων και ζωνών στην αιγαιακή τέχνη της ύστερης Χαλκοκρατίας ... more Λίγα είναι τα γνωστά παραδείγματα εσθήτων και ζωνών στην αιγαιακή τέχνη της ύστερης Χαλκοκρατίας που, υπερβαίνοντας τη συνήθη γραμμική διακόσμηση, απλή ή σύνθετη, κοσμούνται με εικονιστικά μοτίβα εμπνευσμένα από το φυτικό και ζωικό βασίλειο. Αρχής γενομένης με τα περίφημα ΜΜ ΙΙΙ ομοιώματα από φαγεντιανή που βρέθηκαν στα κνωσιακά Temple Repositories και κοσμούνται με άνθη κρόκων, όλα τα υπόλοιπα συναντώνται σε τοιχογραφίες προερχόμενες από την Κρήτη και τις Κυκλάδες. Αυτό που χαρακτηρίζει τα πρώιμα αυτά παραδείγματα (ΜΜ ΙΙΙΒ – ΥΜ ΙΑ /ΥΚ ΙΑ) είναι η φυσιοκρατική απόδοση και η στενή συνάρτησή τους με αφηγηματικά τοιχογραφικά θέματα. Ανάλογα διακοσμημένα ενδύματα είναι γνωστά και από τις τοιχογραφίες της μυκηναϊκής εποχής, όπου όμως τα μοτίβα χάνουν την αφηγηματική τους δροσιά και παίρνουν ένα στεγνά διακοσμητικό χαρακτήρα, ενώ περιορίζονται συνήθως στις παρυφές εσθήτων και περικορμίων.
Πλάι στο θεματολόγιο και την εικονογραφία των πλουμιστών αυτών ενδυμάτων ιδιαίτερη έμφαση θα δοθεί στο κατά πόσον αυτά παρέχουν ενδείξεις συσχετισμού με συγκεκριμένα τελετουργικά δρώμενα στα οποία συμμετέχουν γυναίκες. Επιπλέον, κατά πόσον προσδίδουν συγκεκριμένες ιδιότητες στις γυναικείες μορφές που τα φορούν, πέραν της προφανούς εκλέπτυνσης και πολυτέλειας που αποπνέουν, με όρους σημειολογικούς και ανθρωπολογικούς.
Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στα Νησιά του Αιγαίου, 2017
Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στα Νησιά του Αιγαίου, 2017
The Minoan and the Mycenaean Greek contribution to “that product of fusion which is the historica... more The Minoan and the Mycenaean Greek contribution to “that product of fusion which is the historical Greek religion” , emphasized already in 1927 by Martin Nilsson (in the first edition of his reference work The Minoan-Mycenaean Religion and its Survival in Greek religion) still remains a crucial problem for the scholars.
Ritual offering of cloth and/ or clothing to the gods, encountered in many parts of the ancient Greek world should be included among the cults which “may have blended to a large extent” in the Aegean, since it is attested already in the 2nd millennium BCE. Thanks to several representations focused on the “sacred dress” in various artistic media (seals, frescoes etc.), and despite their uneven distribution, this religious practice can be detected unceasingly from the late Middle until the end of the Late Bronze Age, with the earliest certain attestation coming from MM III Knossos palace (the famous pair of miniature faience robes from the Temple Repositories). Following the Minoans, the Mycenaeans adopted, and in all probability adapted, the aforementioned ritual; Linear B tablets from Knossos and Pylos provide evidence for textile offering to both male (Enosidaon, Poseidon) and female deities (da-pu2-ri-to-jo po-ti-ni-ja, po-ti-ni-ja, pe-re-*82).
The lack of pertinent evidence for about four centuries, after the collapse of the Mycenaean world until the late 8th century BCE, could be spanned by the well-known Homeric passage (Iliad, 6.288-304), referring to Hecuba’s offering of an elaborated peplos to the goddess Athena? And if so, are we entitled to support the continuity of this particular ritual from the 2nd to the 1st millennium BCE?
The fresco fragment 40 H ne from Pylos, ascribed by M. Lang to “a woman standing left” , it was s... more The fresco fragment 40 H ne from Pylos, ascribed by M. Lang to “a woman standing left” , it was soon after its publication attributed by M. Gill to a “Minoan Genius” . Despite their disagreement, they argued unanimously that the figure carries a piece of cloth/clothing, a “yellow skirt” according to Lang and a “knot- or cuirass” according to Gill; both interpretations were adopted by S. Immerwahr, who referred to it as “a sacral knot, or a flounced skirt” . The motif of a “knot or skirt”-bearing Genius, although not inconsistent with the latter’s nature, as a divine attendant carrying animals, ewers or poles, it has so far no iconographic parallel. In this paper, we focus anew on the fresco fragment of the Genius from Pylos, by proposing, for the first time, a reconstruction of it, as it actually amplifies the iconographic range of scenes related to the ritual offering of cloth/clothing in the Aegean Late Bronze Age. In conjunction with this ritual practice, attested both by Linear B and iconographical evidence, we aim at discussing the ambiguity connected with the “knot” and “skirt” depictions in the Aegean art and the relevant problems of interpretation.
Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques en Grèce en 1995
Bulletin De Correspondance Hellenique, 1996
Αελλόπος. Τιμητικός τόμος για την Ίριδα Τζαχίλη, 2023
The so-called ‘hide-skirt’ is considered a typical Minoan garment, of generally accepted ritual c... more The so-called ‘hide-skirt’ is considered a typical Minoan garment, of generally accepted ritual character. Its presence in Crete is iconographically attested possibly from MM II to LM IIIA, with the vast majority of evidence dating to LM I. Being unattested in the Cyclades, it is documented, so far, in two cases from the Greek mainland: in a golden signet ring, of knossian origin, from the Mycenaean necropolis in Elateia-Alonaki (CMS V. Suppl. 2, no. 106) and in a lentoid sealstone from Mycenae (CMS I, no. 132). Bearing all the aforementioned evidence in mind, we aim at discussing the possibility of its adoption in the Mycenaean Mainland during a period of intensive cultural interaction between the two regions of the Aegean, in the early Late Bronze Age.
Prehistoric, Ancient Near Eastern and Aegean Textiles and Dress. An interdisciplinary Anthology, 2014
Mycenaean pottery from Koukonisi. Preliminary remarks
Conference Presentations by Tina Boloti
13th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF CRETAN STUDIES (Agios Nikolaos, 5-9 October 2022)
«Λίγο μετά τον 1450 π.Χ. μια αχαϊκή δυναστεία έχει εγκατασταθεί στην Κνωσό», σημείωνε πριν από μι... more «Λίγο μετά τον 1450 π.Χ. μια αχαϊκή δυναστεία έχει εγκατασταθεί στην Κνωσό», σημείωνε πριν από μισό περίπου αιώνα ο Γιάννης Σακελλαράκης. Η καταστροφή που έπληξε την Κρήτη κατά το β΄ μισό του 15ου αι. π.Χ. και είχε ως αποτέλεσμα την ερείπωση των ανακτορικών κέντρων του νησιού έδωσε, καθώς φαίνεται, την ευκαιρία στους Μυκηναίους να εγκατασταθούν στην Κνωσό, η οποία ξανακτίζεται για να αποτελέσει, πρώτη φορά τώρα, το μοναδικό κέντρο εξουσίας. Η παρουσία των Μυκηναίων στην Κρήτη, τεκμηριωμένη αναμφισβήτητα χάρη στις πινακίδες Γραμμικής Β, η αποκρυπτογράφηση της οποίας το 1952 αποκάλυψε μια προδρομική μορφή της ελληνικής -, συνιστά σαφή ρήξη με την προγενέστερη μινωική εξουσία. Ωστόσο, μπορούμε απλώς να εικάσουμε ότι επήλθε ανατροπή (και σε ποιο βαθμό;) στη ζωή της μινωικής κοινωνίας, καθώς απομένει «ακέραιο το πρόβλημα της μυκηναϊκής προωθήσεως στη μεγαλόνησο» . Έτσι, «δε θα γνωρίσουμε […] ποτέ αν η εγκατάσταση αυτή ήταν αποτέλεσμα κατακτήσεως, ενός δυναστικού γάμου ή ενός πραξικοπήματος κάποιου Μυκηναίου στρατηγού, που υπηρετούσε στον μινωικό στόλο», για να αναφέρουμε ορισμένες από τις προταθείσες υποθέσεις. Στην πραγματικότητα, με εξαίρεση τα ανακτορικά αρχεία, οι πηγές της περιόδου αυτής, της ΥΜ ΙΙ δηλαδή, είναι κυρίως αρχαιολογικές (η αίθουσα του θρόνου της Κνωσού, οι τοιχογραφίες, η κεραμική του λεγόμενου ανακτορικού ρυθμού, μεγάλοι αμφορείς και εφυραϊκές κύλικες), ήτοι αμφίβολες μάλλον για έναν ιστορικό, και μόνο συνεκτιμώντας τες είμαστε σε θέση να προσεγγίσουμε σφαιρικότερα το γεγονός.
Στόχος της παρούσας ανακοίνωσης είναι η εξέταση της σχετικής εικονογραφίας, και πιο συγκεκριμένα των ενδυματικών τύπων που συναντώνται σε παραστάσεις της υπό εξέταση περιόδου, τόσο μνημειακές όσο και μικρογραφικές. Με δεδομένη τη μακροχρόνια ώσμωση των Μυκηναίων με τον μινωικό πολιτισμό από τον 17ο αι. π.Χ. και εξής, πώς μπορούν τα ενδύματα, ως κατεξοχήν πολιτισμικά σήματα, να τεκμηριώσουν την παρουσία των Μυκηναίων στην Κρήτη; Ποια η συνεισφορά τους στη διερεύνηση της ανατροπής (ή του βαθμού αυτής) στις σχέσεις μεταξύ των γηγενών και των επήλυδων Μυκηναίων μετά τον 15ο αι. π.Χ.;
International EuroWeb Workshop: Making, Wearing, Displaying. Textiles and the Body in Pre-Modern Societies Lisbon, 3-5 May, 2023
Aegean 2nd millennium BC iconography offers a variety of figures dressed in a wide range of garme... more Aegean 2nd millennium BC iconography offers a variety of figures dressed in a wide range of garment types: the typical male (formed by loin-cloths, kilts, robes of different lengths) and female costume (formed by bodices, skirts and long robes), as well as some rare types of cloaks, loose robes and hides, which refer to the identity of the wearer (age, social rank or activity). Nevertheless, next to the elaborately attired figures of the Aegean Bronze Age societies, depicted in a variety of artistic media (mainly on frescoes), appear some nude or semi-nude figures. What their complete nudity or semi-nudity means? What message conveys the absence of garments to the viewers of these pictures? In this presentation I aim at discussing the nudity as social and ritual attitude in the Aegean civilizations of the 2nd millennium BC and the dialogue between this and its antithetical, and at the same time supplementary, practice of dressing which condition and signify the human thought and behavior in different cultures in history.
Clothing Identities Conference, May 4th-6th, Online, 2022
The wearing of an item of clothing is fundamentally an act of meaning that goes beyond modesty, o... more The wearing of an item of clothing is fundamentally an act of meaning that goes beyond modesty, ornamentation and protection. It is an act of signification and therefore a profoundly social act right at the very heart of the dialectic of society. (Roland Barthes, The Language of Fashion, Berg 2004, 97)
Although the ritual exaltation of women constitutes a long-standing tradition in the Aegean Bronze Age archaeology (from the late 19th/early 20th century onwards), it was only after the 1980s that scholars started to refocus attention on the religious roles of men as well, since the latter had been assumed as the prime motivating forces and agents of cultural process -whether in politics or production- during that era.
Considering Barthes’ statement, this paper examines two unisex types of
clothing, intimately connected with cult activities in the Aegean 2nd millennium BC: the so called “hide skirt” and the long robe with vertical band. The “hide skirt”, a garment with deliberately primitive appearance (as indicates the characteristic “pointed tail” on the bottom of its lateral side) has long tradition in Minoan Crete from Middle Bronze Age onwards and doubtful presence in the Greek Mainland; on the other hand, the long robe with vertical band, has a Mycenaean origin in all probability, and it seems to be widespread in Crete from the 15th century BC onwards, during the Mycenaean occupation of the island.
Aiming at “reweaving the fabric of ancient societies”, I will attempt to challengethe misconceptions caused by a long tradition of androcentric paradigms, as well as to re-appreciate the varied manifestations of ancient gender, beyond modern stereotypes of “femininity” and “masculinity,” and the roles of both sexes in the prehistoric Aegean.
One of the most important practices (apart from libations and communal feasting, animal sacrifice... more One of the most important practices (apart from libations and communal feasting, animal sacrifice included) of the official cult in the Aegean during the 2nd millennium B.C. is ritual processions. Since the rulers expressed their authority not through political or warrior imagery, but through the manipulation and control of ritual, Aegean Late Bronze Age two-dimensional iconography, especially wall paintings, provides rich documentation while additional evidence is offered by related representations on other media such as on golden signet rings, sealstones and clay sealings, painted sarcophagi, stone and clay vessels.
My oral presentation will aim at focusing on the bodies and the gestures of participants in ritual processions and the pictorial formula that enables the viewers to identify them. What messages convey the bodies of the worshippers in line (female, male, or even fantastic creatures, as the so-called Minoan Genii) carrying on their stretched out hands cult equipment and objects of various kinds intended as gifts for a deity or her impersonator? What is the role of clothing which covers their bodies? Are there formalities (or informalities) in the Aegean 2nd millennium B.C. ritual processions or they just comply with a universal norm of ritual processions?
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Papers by Tina Boloti
In particular, this stimulates the development of specific characteristics in shape, decoration, or material composition, which generate distinctions among garments, as acknowledged by Roman jurists too.
These distinctions are determined by various factors. One important factor is the social meaning of clothing: There are garments for public life, garments expressing rank, garments suited for special professions, or garments intended for sacred/priestly rites reflecting particular religious symbols. And, of course, clothes that differ between men and women or stages of life. Social meaning subdivides clothing
within a society, with legal implications. Another factor is “fashion”; tastes that change over time, and that clothing adapts to. New norms, socioeconomic conditions, innovative techniques, and foreign influences introduce changes in fashion and transitions in clothing. Fashion subdivides clothing on a chronological or regional level.
Looking backwards in history, changes to clothing are difficult to detect and to date. It is even more challenging to trace the factors causing these changes. This article will present four case studies of clothing in
transition: From Prehistory, the Roman Age, the Early Christian Era, and the Early Byzantine Period. Across these four periods, it can be observed that both similar and dissimilar factors shaped clothing transitions. The sources analyzed are written evidence, Roman legal
sources, iconographic sources, and material finds.
Πλάι στο θεματολόγιο και την εικονογραφία των πλουμιστών αυτών ενδυμάτων ιδιαίτερη έμφαση θα δοθεί στο κατά πόσον αυτά παρέχουν ενδείξεις συσχετισμού με συγκεκριμένα τελετουργικά δρώμενα στα οποία συμμετέχουν γυναίκες. Επιπλέον, κατά πόσον προσδίδουν συγκεκριμένες ιδιότητες στις γυναικείες μορφές που τα φορούν, πέραν της προφανούς εκλέπτυνσης και πολυτέλειας που αποπνέουν, με όρους σημειολογικούς και ανθρωπολογικούς.
Ritual offering of cloth and/ or clothing to the gods, encountered in many parts of the ancient Greek world should be included among the cults which “may have blended to a large extent” in the Aegean, since it is attested already in the 2nd millennium BCE. Thanks to several representations focused on the “sacred dress” in various artistic media (seals, frescoes etc.), and despite their uneven distribution, this religious practice can be detected unceasingly from the late Middle until the end of the Late Bronze Age, with the earliest certain attestation coming from MM III Knossos palace (the famous pair of miniature faience robes from the Temple Repositories). Following the Minoans, the Mycenaeans adopted, and in all probability adapted, the aforementioned ritual; Linear B tablets from Knossos and Pylos provide evidence for textile offering to both male (Enosidaon, Poseidon) and female deities (da-pu2-ri-to-jo po-ti-ni-ja, po-ti-ni-ja, pe-re-*82).
The lack of pertinent evidence for about four centuries, after the collapse of the Mycenaean world until the late 8th century BCE, could be spanned by the well-known Homeric passage (Iliad, 6.288-304), referring to Hecuba’s offering of an elaborated peplos to the goddess Athena? And if so, are we entitled to support the continuity of this particular ritual from the 2nd to the 1st millennium BCE?
Conference Presentations by Tina Boloti
Στόχος της παρούσας ανακοίνωσης είναι η εξέταση της σχετικής εικονογραφίας, και πιο συγκεκριμένα των ενδυματικών τύπων που συναντώνται σε παραστάσεις της υπό εξέταση περιόδου, τόσο μνημειακές όσο και μικρογραφικές. Με δεδομένη τη μακροχρόνια ώσμωση των Μυκηναίων με τον μινωικό πολιτισμό από τον 17ο αι. π.Χ. και εξής, πώς μπορούν τα ενδύματα, ως κατεξοχήν πολιτισμικά σήματα, να τεκμηριώσουν την παρουσία των Μυκηναίων στην Κρήτη; Ποια η συνεισφορά τους στη διερεύνηση της ανατροπής (ή του βαθμού αυτής) στις σχέσεις μεταξύ των γηγενών και των επήλυδων Μυκηναίων μετά τον 15ο αι. π.Χ.;
Although the ritual exaltation of women constitutes a long-standing tradition in the Aegean Bronze Age archaeology (from the late 19th/early 20th century onwards), it was only after the 1980s that scholars started to refocus attention on the religious roles of men as well, since the latter had been assumed as the prime motivating forces and agents of cultural process -whether in politics or production- during that era.
Considering Barthes’ statement, this paper examines two unisex types of
clothing, intimately connected with cult activities in the Aegean 2nd millennium BC: the so called “hide skirt” and the long robe with vertical band. The “hide skirt”, a garment with deliberately primitive appearance (as indicates the characteristic “pointed tail” on the bottom of its lateral side) has long tradition in Minoan Crete from Middle Bronze Age onwards and doubtful presence in the Greek Mainland; on the other hand, the long robe with vertical band, has a Mycenaean origin in all probability, and it seems to be widespread in Crete from the 15th century BC onwards, during the Mycenaean occupation of the island.
Aiming at “reweaving the fabric of ancient societies”, I will attempt to challengethe misconceptions caused by a long tradition of androcentric paradigms, as well as to re-appreciate the varied manifestations of ancient gender, beyond modern stereotypes of “femininity” and “masculinity,” and the roles of both sexes in the prehistoric Aegean.
My oral presentation will aim at focusing on the bodies and the gestures of participants in ritual processions and the pictorial formula that enables the viewers to identify them. What messages convey the bodies of the worshippers in line (female, male, or even fantastic creatures, as the so-called Minoan Genii) carrying on their stretched out hands cult equipment and objects of various kinds intended as gifts for a deity or her impersonator? What is the role of clothing which covers their bodies? Are there formalities (or informalities) in the Aegean 2nd millennium B.C. ritual processions or they just comply with a universal norm of ritual processions?