Part I. Preliminary Report on the Excavations of 1952

Abstract

The British excavations at Mycenae in 1952 were conducted with a research grant from the American Philosophical Society assisted by contributions from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford, the British Academy, the Leverhulme Trustees, and the British School at Athens under whose aegis the work was carried out.The excavations began on June 30th, and all active digging ceased on August 18th, though several days were needed to clear up everything and transport the finds to the National Museum in Athens and the Nauplia Museum. Of the finds the bronzes, the ivories, the inscribed tablets, and some pottery wanted for special study were taken to Athens and everything else taken to Nauplia and placed in a separate room. Of the pottery the archaic and classical pottery and the terracotta figurines from the sanctuary by the Causeway, from the excavations of 1950 and 1952, and most of the classical and Hellenistic fragments from the Perseia Fountain House are now in Athens. All the prehistoric pottery except for a few select pieces is in the Nauplia Museum.

STOPPERS, TRANSPORT STIRRUP JARS AND WINE TRANSPORT, 1450–1150bc

“…In the case of plugs, however, the clay was still wet when it was positioned in the mouth of the vessel. This is apparent from the shape of the plug, as well as the presence of string impressions on the underside of the plug (Wace 1953, 13; personal observation at Mycenae), which were intended to prevent the wet clay mass from slipping into the body of the vessel and spoiling the contents within. Such strings would also have aided in the removal of the plug (Tournavitou 1995, 80) and, once more, prevented contamination of the contents within.…”

“…Although this may seem more challenging to execute, the same system of closure is also documented in Late Bronze Age Egypt (e.g., Hope 1978), suggesting that it may even have been preferred for sealing certain types of commodities. This method of sealing is documented on mainland Greece at both the House of the Oil Merchant and House of the Columns at Mycenae, where both plugs and sealings were preserved by the intense heat of a destruction by fire (Wace 1949, 94; 1953, esp. 13 pl.…”

“…10–11). It should be noted that the plug method, as defined here, is equivalent with the ‘champagne cork’ method described by Alan Wace (1953, 13) in his publication of the sealed transport stirrup jars from the House of the Oil Merchant.…”

The Date of the Tomb of Clytemnestra

“…At the south end of the trench, the stones forming the foundation project slightly beyond the face of the wall. The foundation itself rests either on bedrock or on earth (Wace 1953a, 6, pl. 10 d ; Taylour 1955, 211, 213; X049, 47, 51, 54–5) (Fig.…”

“…2 and 4). A modern aqueduct, which separated the trenches of Taylour and Hood, runs along the north face of the wall (Wace 1953a, 6; Hood 1953a, 25; Taylour 1955, 204, 211 n. 11).…”