Mycenaean Burnt Animal Sacrifice atEleusis

Abstract

6PY Ea 102+107; e-ka-ra occurs also twice on PY Ta 709.2. The join between PY Ea 102 and Ea 107 has confirmed the association of the term with the genitive singular di-wu-no-so-jo ('of Dionysus'). Melena 2000-1;Palaima 2008, 349. Cf. also Chadwick 1986

“Well” off in animals: A taphonomic history of faunal resources and refuse from a well feature at Petsas House, Mycenae (Greece)

“…Also, at Ayios Konstantinos at Methena, burned bones of mostly young pigs and other animals from the hearth area of a sanctuary complex were interpreted as remains of burnt animal sacrifices and possible feasting activities [ 28 ]. Similarly, burned young pig bones recovered from a drain of Megaron B at Eleusis were interpreted as a burned animal sacrifice [ 65 ]. The outlier of the comparative sample is from Tsoungiza, where the animal remains associated with feasts did not evidence overtly special selection or treatment, even though the wider ceremonial context and paraphernalia appeared to support the interpretation of the faunal remains as a component of the feasting refuse [ 3 ].…”

“…This confirms the recent finding that pigs played a larger, more integral role in the diets of Mycenaeans, and other Bronze Age Mediterranean cultures than previously suggested by the ancient texts [ 74 , 75 ]. Still, pigs were likely used in more symbolic practices evidenced by the sacrificial burning of pig carcass parts at Methena and possibly Eleusis [ 28 , 65 ]. We stress that only through more context-based studies of the taphonomic signatures of mundane animal use and disposal will we be able to reliably determine which types of carcass treatments evidence the special treatment of animals in ritual practice during the Late Helladic period.…”

“…Significantly higher proportions of pig remains were detected for many level groups, except for samples from the lowest part of the well (adjusted residual values � 3.2 in level groups 15,35,[75][76][77][78][79][80]Fig 4a). By contrast, there were higher proportions of caprine remains in level groups from the middle (45) and lower parts of the deposit (65)(66)(67)(68)(69)(70)80;Fig 4b). Interestingly, one block of level groups in the mid-toupper part of the deposit contained a significantly higher proportion of cattle remains Fig 4c).…”

Cult, Continuity, and Social Memory: Mycenaean Eleusis and the Transition to the Early Iron Age

“…88 See Cosmopoulos and Ruscillo (2014) for a detailed discussion on the subject. 89 Bergquist 1988, 32. about 6.50 to 7.00 m 2 , and its floor is elevated about 1.30-1.40 m above the paved courtyard that opens up in front of it, allowing for the actions taking place on its floor to be easily viewed by the people standing in the courtyard.…”

Animal Remains from Ritual Sites: A Cautionary Tale from the Eastern Adriatic

“…Extant studies of the ritual status, manipulation and/or consumption of animals in archaeological contexts have employed one or more (usually several) of these criteria to determine a ritual ‘pattern’ in the formation and composition of specific assemblages (see, for example, Aranda Jiménez & Montón‐Subías, ; Barroso et al ., ; Belarte & Valenzuela‐Lamas, ; Broderick et al ., ; Colominas et al ., ; Cosmopoulos & Ruscillo, ; Gardeisen, ; Horwitz, ; Kansa & Campbell, ; Machause & Sanchis, ; Mackinnon, , MacKinnon, ; Mylona, ; Vretemark, ). These ‘criteria of the unusual’ have proven invaluable tools for the determination and nature of ritual patterning when examining faunal deposits.…”