The Early Bronze Age Village on Tsoungiza Hill

Daniel J. Pullen

City: Princeton

Year: 2011

Publisher: The American School of Classical Studies at Athens

Series: Nemea Valley Archaeological Project, I

Description: Hardback, xl & 1047 p., 429 figures, 176 tables, 31x23,5 cm

With contributions by Susan E. Allen, Paul Halstead, Julie M. Hansen, Anna Karabatsoli, Maria Kayafa, Kathleen Krattenmaker, Noel Gale & Zofia Stos-Gale

Abstract

While “corridor houses” such as the House of the Tiles at Lerna have provoked widespread discussion about the origins of social stratification in Greece, few settlements of the Early Bronze Age (ca. 3100 to 2000 B.C.) have been thoroughly excavated. This important study integrates the presentation and analysis of the archaeological evidence from a single settlement that flourished on Tsoungiza Hill in the Nemea Valley from the Final Neolithic until the end of the Early Helladic period. The first section details the stratigraphy, architecture, deposits, and ceramics of each of the five major periods represented. The second section contains specialist reports on all aspects of material culture including figurines and ornaments, textiles and crafts, metal analyses, chipped and ground stone, and faunal and palaeobotanical remains.

Contents

List of Illustrations [xv]
List of Tables [xxv]
Bibliography and abbreviations [xxix]
Conventions and abbreviations [xl]

1. INTRODUCTION
The Environmental Setting of Tsoungiza Hill [1]
History of Excavations of the Early Bronze Age on Tsoungiza [3]
Procedures and Methodology Employed by the Nemea Valley Archaeological Project [10]
Presentation of Results [12]
Terminology and conventions [13]
Chronology of Tsoungiza [14]

2. THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD
The EN, MN, and LN Periods [17]
The FN Period [18]
Deposits of the FN Period [20]
The FN Pottery [25]
Catalogue of Pottery of the the LN and FN Periods [29]
Introduction to The Early Bronze Age At Tsoungiza [37]

3. THE EARLY HELLADIC I PERIOD
Deposits [41]
Pottery [56]
Nonceramic Material Culture [92]
Conclusions [93]
Catalogue of Pottery [97]

4. THE EARLY HELLADIC II INITIAL PERIOD
Deposits [142]
Pottery [160]
Conclusions [197]
Catalogue of Pottery [201]

5. THE EARLY HELLADIC II DEVELOPED PERIOD
Architecture, Deposits, and Stratigraphy [244]
Pottery [337]
Conclusions [376]
Catalogue of Pottery [379]

6. THE EARLY HELLADIC III PERIOD
Deposits and Features [442]
Pottery [473]
Conclusions [541]
Catalogue of pottery   545

7. FIGURINES AND ORNAMENTS
Figurines [579]
Ornaments [582]
Catalogue [585]

8. TEXTILES
Spindle Whorls [591]
Loomweights and Other Objects for Textile Production [603]
Textile and Mat Impressions [605]
Textile Production [609]
Catalogue of Textile Impressions [611]
Catalogue of Objects Associated with Textile Production [617]

9. CRAFTS AND PRODUCTS
Metal Objects [631]
Stone Objects [638]
Bone Tools [640]
Crafts at Tsoungiza [642]
Catalogue of Materials Associated with Crafts and Products [644]

10. CHEMICAL AND LEAD ISOTOPE ANALYSES
by Maria Kayafa, Zofia Stos-Gale & Noel Gale
Chemical Analyses [653]
Lead Isotope Analyses [655]
Conclusions [658]

11. THE CHIPPED STONE INDUSTRY           
by Anna Karabatsoli
Questions and Methods of Study [661]
Technological Study [662]
Typological Study  [675]
Diachronic Study, EH I–III [679]
Spatial Distribution [683]
Discussion and Conclusions [686]
Catalogue [692]

12. THE GROUND STONE TOOLS     
by Kathleen Krattenmaker
Catalogue [731]

13. THE FAUNAL REMAINS
by Paul Halstead
Methods [741]
Size and Overall Composition of the Assemblage [750]
Formation of the Assemblage: Excavation and Retrieval [758]
Formation of the Assemblage: Discard and Attrition [762]
Carcass Processing [771]
Formation of the Assemblage: Contextual Variation [779]
Season(s) of Consumption and Occupation [791]
Mortality Patterns and Management Strategies [792]
Diachronic and Inter-site Analysis [794]
Butchery Marks as Evidence for the Use of Stone and Metal Tools [797]
Discussion and Conclusions [800]

14. PALAEOETHNOBOTANY
by Julie M. Hansen and Susan E. Allen
Plant Remains [805]
FN Plant Remains [808]
EH I Plant Remains [810]
EH I–II Plant Remains [821]
EH II Plant Remains [823]
EH III Plant Remains [871]
Mixed Deposits [877]
Agriculture and Subsistence at EH Tsoungiza [877]
Conclusions [886]
Appendix. Species of Plant Remains from FN–EH III Tsoungiza [887]

15. CONCLUSIONS: TSOUNGIZA AND THE AEGEAN IN THE EARLY BRONZE AGE
The FN Period [893]
The EH I Period [895]
The EH II Initial Period [899]
The EH II Developed Period  902
The Later Phases of the EH II Period (EH IIB) [905]
The EH III Period [907]

APPENDIXES
Appendix 1: The cist grave [913]
Appendix 2: Pottery Summary for Deposits [919]
Appendix 3.1: NVAP Deposit Summaries [963]
Appendix 3.2: Summary of Contents of Pits Excavated by J. P. Harland [975]
Concordances, excavation unit and Deposit Name [980]
Excavation unit, Stratigraphic Unit, and coordinates [998]
NVAP Inventory Number and Catalogue Number [1016]
Nemea museum Inventory Number and NVAP Inventory and catalogue numbers [1025]

GENERAL INDEX [1029]
INDEX OF OBJECTS [1037]
INDEX OF DEPOSITS AND FEATURES [1045]