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Micromorphological contributions to the study of ritual behavior at the ash altar to Zeus on Mt. Lykaion, Greece
The ash altar to Zeus, located on a peak of Mt. Lykaion (Greece), consists of a thick, anthropogenic deposit that formed as a result of repeated deposition of burnt offerings. Excavations conducted from 2007 to 2010 uncovered evidence of a long history of use of the mountain summit as a purely ritua...
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Published in: | Archaeological and anthropological sciences 2017-09, Vol.9 (6), p.1017-1043 |
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description | The ash altar to Zeus, located on a peak of Mt. Lykaion (Greece), consists of a thick, anthropogenic deposit that formed as a result of repeated deposition of burnt offerings. Excavations conducted from 2007 to 2010 uncovered evidence of a long history of use of the mountain summit as a purely ritual locality. Micromorphological analyses of sediment from the southern area of the altar confirm that a majority of the sedimentary components are microscopic artifacts sourced from combustion activities. The basal units comprise the remnants of a thin soil which contains inclusions of charcoal, burned bone, and fat-derived char and is associated with Mycenaean (sixteenth–twelfth centuries BC) materials. Ritual burning activities in the southern area peaked in the Protogeometric through Classical periods (tenth–fourth centuries BC), with intensive burning associated with the practice of
thysia
(ritual sacrifice) yielding a deposit in which the |
doi_str_mv | 10.1007/s12520-014-0219-y |
format | article |
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thysia
(ritual sacrifice) yielding a deposit in which the <2 mm particle size fraction is composed almost entirely of burned bone, wood ashes, charcoal, and other charred materials. Both the basal and uppermost portions of the sequence were impacted by decalcification, which resulted in the dissolution of ashes and surficial weathering of rock fragments. Postdepositional bioturbation also contributed to the observed distribution of archaeological materials within the feature. The geoarchaeological analyses suggest that similar types of burning activities were conducted in Mycenaean and later times. This finding is relevant to hypothesized continuity of cult between the Bronze and Iron Ages and makes Mt. Lykaion one of the very few sites in the entire Greek world where ritual continuity can be demonstrated.</description><identifier>ISSN: 1866-9557</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 1866-9565</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.1007/s12520-014-0219-y</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg</publisher><subject>Anthropogenic factors ; Anthropology ; Archaeology ; Ash ; Bioturbation ; Body fat ; Bones ; Burning ; Charcoal ; Chemistry/Food Science ; Dissolution ; Earth and Environmental Science ; Earth Sciences ; Excavation ; Fragments ; Geoarchaeology ; Geography ; Iron Age ; Life Sciences ; Locality ; Original Paper</subject><ispartof>Archaeological and anthropological sciences, 2017-09, Vol.9 (6), p.1017-1043</ispartof><rights>Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014</rights><rights>Copyright Springer Science & Business Media 2017</rights><lds50>peer_reviewed</lds50><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed><citedby>FETCH-LOGICAL-c316t-228ff32436b83c721a29980c48ab9149ae6b60e54daf40a20b00aa7a48e7e5123</citedby><cites>FETCH-LOGICAL-c316t-228ff32436b83c721a29980c48ab9149ae6b60e54daf40a20b00aa7a48e7e5123</cites></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><link.rule.ids>314,780,784,27924,27925,33223</link.rule.ids></links><search><creatorcontrib>Mentzer, Susan M.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Romano, David Gilman</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Voyatzis, Mary E.</creatorcontrib><title>Micromorphological contributions to the study of ritual behavior at the ash altar to Zeus on Mt. Lykaion, Greece</title><title>Archaeological and anthropological sciences</title><addtitle>Archaeol Anthropol Sci</addtitle><description>The ash altar to Zeus, located on a peak of Mt. Lykaion (Greece), consists of a thick, anthropogenic deposit that formed as a result of repeated deposition of burnt offerings. Excavations conducted from 2007 to 2010 uncovered evidence of a long history of use of the mountain summit as a purely ritual locality. Micromorphological analyses of sediment from the southern area of the altar confirm that a majority of the sedimentary components are microscopic artifacts sourced from combustion activities. The basal units comprise the remnants of a thin soil which contains inclusions of charcoal, burned bone, and fat-derived char and is associated with Mycenaean (sixteenth–twelfth centuries BC) materials. Ritual burning activities in the southern area peaked in the Protogeometric through Classical periods (tenth–fourth centuries BC), with intensive burning associated with the practice of
thysia
(ritual sacrifice) yielding a deposit in which the <2 mm particle size fraction is composed almost entirely of burned bone, wood ashes, charcoal, and other charred materials. Both the basal and uppermost portions of the sequence were impacted by decalcification, which resulted in the dissolution of ashes and surficial weathering of rock fragments. Postdepositional bioturbation also contributed to the observed distribution of archaeological materials within the feature. The geoarchaeological analyses suggest that similar types of burning activities were conducted in Mycenaean and later times. This finding is relevant to hypothesized continuity of cult between the Bronze and Iron Ages and makes Mt. Lykaion one of the very few sites in the entire Greek world where ritual continuity can be demonstrated.</description><subject>Anthropogenic factors</subject><subject>Anthropology</subject><subject>Archaeology</subject><subject>Ash</subject><subject>Bioturbation</subject><subject>Body fat</subject><subject>Bones</subject><subject>Burning</subject><subject>Charcoal</subject><subject>Chemistry/Food Science</subject><subject>Dissolution</subject><subject>Earth and Environmental Science</subject><subject>Earth Sciences</subject><subject>Excavation</subject><subject>Fragments</subject><subject>Geoarchaeology</subject><subject>Geography</subject><subject>Iron Age</subject><subject>Life Sciences</subject><subject>Locality</subject><subject>Original Paper</subject><issn>1866-9557</issn><issn>1866-9565</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>2017</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><sourceid>8BJ</sourceid><recordid>eNp1kE1PwyAch4nRxPnyAbyReLUTKIVyNItOky1e9OKF_NvRtbMrFahJv73MGuPFEyQ8z4_kQeiKkjklRN56yjJGEkJ5QhhVyXiEZjQXIlGZyI5_75k8RWfe76JCIjtD_bopnd1b19e2tdumhBaXtguuKYbQ2M7jYHGoDfZh2IzYVtg1YYhQYWr4bKzDEL7fwdcY2gDuILyZwWPb4XWY49X4DnHoBi-dMaW5QCcVtN5c_pzn6PXh_mXxmKyel0-Lu1VSplSEhLG8qlLGU1HkaSkZBaZUTkqeQ6EoV2BEIYjJ-AYqToCRghAACTw30mSUpefoetrtnf0YjA96ZwfXxS81VUzljEohI0UnKkbw3plK967Zgxs1JfoQVk9hdYylD2H1GB02OT6y3da4P8v_Sl9JbnwD</recordid><startdate>20170901</startdate><enddate>20170901</enddate><creator>Mentzer, Susan M.</creator><creator>Romano, David Gilman</creator><creator>Voyatzis, Mary E.</creator><general>Springer Berlin Heidelberg</general><general>Springer Nature B.V</general><scope>AAYXX</scope><scope>CITATION</scope><scope>8BJ</scope><scope>FQK</scope><scope>JBE</scope></search><sort><creationdate>20170901</creationdate><title>Micromorphological contributions to the study of ritual behavior at the ash altar to Zeus on Mt. Lykaion, Greece</title><author>Mentzer, Susan M. ; Romano, David Gilman ; Voyatzis, Mary E.</author></sort><facets><frbrtype>5</frbrtype><frbrgroupid>cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c316t-228ff32436b83c721a29980c48ab9149ae6b60e54daf40a20b00aa7a48e7e5123</frbrgroupid><rsrctype>articles</rsrctype><prefilter>articles</prefilter><language>eng</language><creationdate>2017</creationdate><topic>Anthropogenic factors</topic><topic>Anthropology</topic><topic>Archaeology</topic><topic>Ash</topic><topic>Bioturbation</topic><topic>Body fat</topic><topic>Bones</topic><topic>Burning</topic><topic>Charcoal</topic><topic>Chemistry/Food Science</topic><topic>Dissolution</topic><topic>Earth and Environmental Science</topic><topic>Earth Sciences</topic><topic>Excavation</topic><topic>Fragments</topic><topic>Geoarchaeology</topic><topic>Geography</topic><topic>Iron Age</topic><topic>Life Sciences</topic><topic>Locality</topic><topic>Original Paper</topic><toplevel>peer_reviewed</toplevel><toplevel>online_resources</toplevel><creatorcontrib>Mentzer, Susan M.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Romano, David Gilman</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Voyatzis, Mary E.</creatorcontrib><collection>CrossRef</collection><collection>International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS)</collection><collection>International Bibliography of the Social Sciences</collection><collection>International Bibliography of the Social Sciences</collection><jtitle>Archaeological and anthropological sciences</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>Mentzer, Susan M.</au><au>Romano, David Gilman</au><au>Voyatzis, Mary E.</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>Micromorphological contributions to the study of ritual behavior at the ash altar to Zeus on Mt. Lykaion, Greece</atitle><jtitle>Archaeological and anthropological sciences</jtitle><stitle>Archaeol Anthropol Sci</stitle><date>2017-09-01</date><risdate>2017</risdate><volume>9</volume><issue>6</issue><spage>1017</spage><epage>1043</epage><pages>1017-1043</pages><issn>1866-9557</issn><eissn>1866-9565</eissn><abstract>The ash altar to Zeus, located on a peak of Mt. Lykaion (Greece), consists of a thick, anthropogenic deposit that formed as a result of repeated deposition of burnt offerings. Excavations conducted from 2007 to 2010 uncovered evidence of a long history of use of the mountain summit as a purely ritual locality. Micromorphological analyses of sediment from the southern area of the altar confirm that a majority of the sedimentary components are microscopic artifacts sourced from combustion activities. The basal units comprise the remnants of a thin soil which contains inclusions of charcoal, burned bone, and fat-derived char and is associated with Mycenaean (sixteenth–twelfth centuries BC) materials. Ritual burning activities in the southern area peaked in the Protogeometric through Classical periods (tenth–fourth centuries BC), with intensive burning associated with the practice of
thysia
(ritual sacrifice) yielding a deposit in which the <2 mm particle size fraction is composed almost entirely of burned bone, wood ashes, charcoal, and other charred materials. Both the basal and uppermost portions of the sequence were impacted by decalcification, which resulted in the dissolution of ashes and surficial weathering of rock fragments. Postdepositional bioturbation also contributed to the observed distribution of archaeological materials within the feature. The geoarchaeological analyses suggest that similar types of burning activities were conducted in Mycenaean and later times. This finding is relevant to hypothesized continuity of cult between the Bronze and Iron Ages and makes Mt. Lykaion one of the very few sites in the entire Greek world where ritual continuity can be demonstrated.</abstract><cop>Berlin/Heidelberg</cop><pub>Springer Berlin Heidelberg</pub><doi>10.1007/s12520-014-0219-y</doi><tpages>27</tpages></addata></record> |
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source | International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS); Springer Nature |
subjects | Anthropogenic factors Anthropology Archaeology Ash Bioturbation Body fat Bones Burning Charcoal Chemistry/Food Science Dissolution Earth and Environmental Science Earth Sciences Excavation Fragments Geoarchaeology Geography Iron Age Life Sciences Locality Original Paper |
title | Micromorphological contributions to the study of ritual behavior at the ash altar to Zeus on Mt. Lykaion, Greece |
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