After a whirlwind first two weeks in Greece, we got to relax in Athens and enjoy a trip-less week. During class on Tuesday, we were joined by Michael J. Boyd, an archaeologist, who presented on his research in the Cyclades. Boyd directed excavations on the island of Keros and came to some really neat conclusions. I enjoyed learning about current archaeological fieldwork and was riveted as he outlined the process through which they constructed meaning from their findings.
Unfortunately, Keros (as well as many islands in the Cyclades) had been looted before archaeologists started excavations. This meant that the state of the island and any archaeological remains had been tampered with by the time Boyd got there. I didn’t realize how much of an issue looting was/is in Greece and definitely had not considered its impact on archaeology. Looting disturbs the state of the site and makes it difficult for archaeologists to decipher what is intact from ancient times vs. what has been affected by looters. It also means that there are tons of ancient figurines and artifacts floating around in private collections that archaeologists don’t have access to and can’t determine their origin.
Boyd discovered tons of figurine fragments on Keros, including some in an area where looters had not interfered. Strangely, none of the fragments fit together, so they tried to figure out where the rest of the figurines had gone. They were nowhere to be found on the island or in the surrounding waters. Boyd determined that Keros was the site of an outdoor sanctuary where people would bring fragments of figurines they had broken in some sort of ritual. Over the course of further excavations, they found that another part of the island (which is now separated by water) was used for advanced metallurgy. Boyd coined the term “distributed mode of habitation” to explain the activity on Keros. People would travel to different islands or areas to complete different tasks and activities rather than staying in one place for everything. As I mentioned last week, I think it’s very cool to see how archaeologists put together different pieces of the puzzle to find meaning in archaeological sites. Below, you can see some of the remnants found on Keros that are displayed in the Museum of Cycladic Art. The curator explained that mostly legs remain because looters were more likely to steal the clearly recognizable upper body.
On Thursday, we visited the Museum of Cycladic Art and went on a tour with the curator. She emphasized how advanced and humanistic the ancient Cycladic people were. They represented the human figure rather than the gods or animals because humans were the center of their culture and lives. She claimed that they were a peaceful group. I wondered how she could be sure of their human-centric nature since there could be evidence that says otherwise that was destroyed or has not been found yet. Regardless, I think it is a cool idea and made me appreciate Cycladic culture. Based on their exhibition, they were technically advanced, representing three-dimensional humans in action and working with incredibly thin marble.
I enjoyed seeing evidence of blue dye and am still baffled that it has survived for this long. They would typically paint the features of figurines that were not in relief. Here’s a crazy fun fact: The stone where paint had been added to show human features has preserved differently than the rest of the figurine, allowing us to see where the paint would have been (on some figurines). I think that’s so cool.
We got to see a huge Cycladic figurine, likely used for ritual purposes. The only figurine larger is in the National Archaeological Museum! The figurine displays features of the typical canonical style–bent knees, arms crossed below the chest, pointed feet.
Archaeologists believe that the figurines were meant to be reclined because their feet are angled. The image below demonstrates how they think the figurines were displayed.
After exploring the museum, we learned about the Cycladic Identity Initiative, a program run by the museum that works to support and preserve Cycladic culture. I enjoyed hearing about the different projects they are funding and appreciate the work they’re doing to preserve the distinct culture of the Cyclades. One project is focused on documenting the method for building dry stone walls, a dying art that is unique to the Cyclades. All the talk (and pictures) of the Cyclades made me want to go to a Greek island!
Charlotte and I visited Agistri, a Saronic Island, on Friday, and it was epic. We hiked, swam, and explored the small, relatively empty island and met lots of cute kitties.
