New Excavations at Ancient Eleon in Eastern Boeotia (15 min)

Presenters

Trevor Van Damme, University of Victoria; Brendan Burke, American School of Classical Studies at Athens; Bryan Burns, Wellesley College; Alexandra Charami, Ephorate of Antiquities of Boeotia; and Nicholas Herrmann, Texas State University

Abstract

Ancient Eleon is located near the modern village of Arma, 14 km east of Thebes. In 2023, the Greek-Canadian Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project (EBAP) initiated a five-year campaign of excavation and study to finalize work on the Blue Stone Structure, an early Mycenaean mortuary complex, and to explore previously untested areas of the site. Our work continues the synergasia of the Canadian Institute in Greece and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Boeotia that began as a surface survey conducted in 2007–2009, followed by excavations in 2011–2018, and geophysical survey in 2021 and 2022. Informed by the results of geophysical survey, our goal over the next five years is to study the urban development of the settlement and to explore human-environmental interactions from the 12th–4th centuries B.C.E.

Fieldwork in 2023 concentrated on the elevated acropolis. We opened five trenches focused on geophysical anomalies identified in our recent survey work and a sixth trench to complete the excavation of a tomb adjacent to the Blue Stone Structure. Contrary to our expectations, the geophysical anomalies excavated all dated to the Late Bronze Age. This paper presents the primary results of the 2023 excavations including: a partially disturbed cist tomb dating to Late Helladic (LH) I and preserving the comingled remains of at least three individuals; a significant deposit of LH IIIA1 pottery, a ceramic phase otherwise poorly attested at Eleon; the discovery of a Mycenaean fortification along the northern edge of the acropolis, constructed prior to LH IIIB; and a Mycenaean household destroyed or abandoned at the start of LH IIIC Early. The results of our fieldwork underscore the importance of ancient Eleon throughout the Late Bronze Age and encourage exploration in the lower town to facilitate our diachronic research aims.