Feeding the dead, sustaining the living: an archaeobotanical study of Mycenaean Eleon in Boeotia, Greece
Symeon Gkinoudis, Trevor Van Damme, Brendan Burke, Bryan Burns, Evi Margaritis Journal of Archaeological Science, Reports 70, 2026: 105507
Eleon is located in east Boeotia, on mainland Greece. Research conducted by the Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project has revealed a long-lasting occupational sequence at the site. At the beginning of the Late Bronze Age, a monumental burial enclosure, the Blue Stone Structure, was constructed on the east side of the plateau. Settlement remains from both the Palatial and Post-Palatial periods have been documented, with the latter being more extensively explored and better understood. This study presents new archaeobotanical macroremains recovered from MH III-LH I burial and LH IIIA-C settlement contexts. In the Blue Stone Structure, the plant remains retrieved—mainly cereal crops, but also pulses, and tree fruit/nuts—indicate deliberate destructions by fire, as part of mortuary customs and feasting events. A diverse, but very fragmented, plant assemblage was retrieved from Palatial period contexts (Structure A and the Northwest Complex). This fact does not allow us to determine in detail the nature of agricultural practices or to identify shifts in production that occurred during the Post-Palatial times. A more significant and better preserved archaeobotanical assemblage was recovered from the Post-Palatial period contexts (Northwest Building, Structures B and C). During this period, diversification in production is implied, with an emphasis on cereals and, to a lesser extent, pulses.