Τούμπα Θεσσαλονίκης : προσεγγίσεις στη μελέτη των πίθων και στο θέμα της αποθήκευσης κατά την ύστερη εποχή του χαλκού

Part of : Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στη Μακεδονία και στη Θράκη ; Vol.19, No.1, 2005, pages 157-171

Issue:
Pages:
157-171
Parallel Title:
The Thessaloniki Tell : an approach to the study of the pithoi and the question of storage in the late bronze age
Author:
Abstract:
One subject of archaeological research in prehistoric Maceonia, especially owing to the rich finds from the Assyros tell, is the role and the importance of storage for the Late Bronze Age communities in central Macedonia. This paper presents the research to date into the storage spaces on the Thessaloniki tell, specifically the study of the pithoi found in the complexes at the top of the tell. The pithoi -especially those of the Late Bronze Age (phase 4), since most of the examples date to this phase- are classified by shape. An analysis of the morphological and technological differences between the pithoi of phases 6-1 (from which we have jars from the top of the tell) and a comparison with the corresponding material from the Kastanas tell show that variations that can be attributed to different choices by the manufacturers or to different workshops lie in the mode of manufacture and in the shape of the rim, in the decoration, the choice of ceramic material, and the shaping of the pithoi. An attempt has also been made to classify the jars by size, since ethnological studies show that manufacturers and users classify these vessels by size, not by the shape of their various parts. The analysis included entire jars from the Thessaloniki tell and from Kastanas, but the findings presented here with regard to size must be considered merely indicative, owing to the small number of entire pithoi found on the two sites. The analysis made it possible to estimate the amount of space occupied by ajar on the site. Thus, together with the picture we have put together so far of the distribution of immovable and portable finds in Complex A in the settlement in phase 4, we classified the spaces in the building according to whether or not pithoi were present and examined the activities with which jar storage appears in Complex A. The findings of the analysis show that the building contained primarily storage spaces, in which were probably kept not only foodstuffs but also other (valuable?) items. At the same time, there is evidence of storage in jars in other rooms in the building, together with other activities. The findings make it possible to present a number of proposals relating to the internal organisation of the group that lived in Complex A and the sociopolitical relations of the members of the group and of the inhabitants of the settlement.
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Subject (LC):
Keywords:
Θεσσαλονίκη
Notes:
Περιέχει εικόνες και πίνακες