New Perspectives on Rhyta from the Mycenaean Mainland (20 min)

Presenters

Elizabeth Keyser, University of California, Berkeley

Abstract

Rhyta, vessels commonly accepted as ritual paraphernalia in the Aegean Bronze Age, first appeared on Crete in the Early Minoan II period but have also been found in the Cyclades and the mainland, as well as Egypt, western Asia, and Cyprus. Previous assessments of the function and meaning of rhyta have been conducted on an Aegean-wide scale, however the greatest number of extant rhyta originate from Crete. Thus, by applying disproportionate value to Minoan use-patterns, previous studies have obscured any differences in use and symbolism that rhyta held in other regions. This paper therefore uses a data forward approach to reassess the usage of Mycenaean rhyta through a diachronic analysis of their development on the mainland from Late Helladic I to Late Helladic IIIC (ca. 1600–1100 B.C.E.). Rhyta were adopted on the Greek mainland by the early Mycenaean elites as symbols of prestige, wealth, and power. These Minoan objects were quickly incorporated into the traditional religious practices of the mainland and remained prominent ritual objects throughout the Mycenaean period. Analyses of the distribution across context types, quality and standardization in production, and regionality of these ritual objects reveal that patterns of practice on the mainland were different from those on Crete and changed subtly over time. The identified trends of production and distribution of mainland rhyta correlate with distinct phases of the Mycenaean state formation process, therefore suggesting that religion played a crucial role in the structuring of the Bronze Age palatial state.