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June 30, 2006
Friday Pot Blogging
I was reading an account of Florida State University Professor of Classics Lynette Thompson's recent work at the Cetamura del Chianti Etruscan site when I was struck by these words,
In all, the pit contained approximately 10 vessels, some miniature and thus clearly intended only as gifts for the gods.
"The pit," in the above quotation, was filled with the remains of burnt offerings as well as the vessels that are mentioned.
But what struck me is the thought the gods would find miniature pots acceptable while no living human would. It reminded me of a phenomenon that one sometimes sees in ancient pottery that comes from graves. The ancients, on occasion, put a hole in the side of the grave "offering" before they put it in the grave. Of course, this made the pot useless to the living, but somehow it must have been thought of value to the dead.
This Early Bronze Age flat bottomed "vase" was broken in modern times (c. 1970) but the upper part of the hole near the bottom was made in antiquity. The phenomenon was very long lived. Below is a Late Bronze Age juglet with an ancient hole in its side.
I remember that Ruth Amiran speculated at a seminar she gave the Gezer staff that such holes were made to discourage grave robbers.
Whatever the reason for the hole, it appears that dead people or perhaps their gods could use pots with holes in them even if living people couldn't.
Posted by DuaneSmith at June 30, 2006 02:08 PM | Read more on Archaeology |
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Comments
This happens in the American southwest too.
Posted by: afarensis at July 1, 2006 07:21 AM
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