EARLY IRON AGE/”DARK AGES” c. 1100–700 BCE

Terracotta Goddess Votives

from Agia Irini, Kea

• Dating to late Cycladic 1 period (1700–1500 BCE)

  • So technically LBA

• They were found in “House A”, identified as a Bronze age shrine

• One figurine was reused in an 8th c. context in the shrine, suggesting veneration of the past during the EIA

Subminoan Goddess figurines

from Late Minoan Sanctuary at Karphi, Crete 

• 11th c. BCE

• Subminoan=Submycenean but on Crete

• Continuity of production of small-scale votive statuary on Crete, from refugee settlements and Minoan sanctuaries 

  • Refugee settlements–lot of sites moved inland post collapse to offer more defense 

    • Ex: Karphi, def a hike 

  • Despite the movement, we do see some cultural continuity 

• Upraised arms 

• Wheel used for flat skirts 

Lefkandi Centaur

one of earliest figural representations after the collapse of Mycenaean civilization, dates c. 950 BCE from tomb

• Broken in antiquity

  • Signs of repair, head and body associated with different graves at Toumba cemetery 

• Wheel–thrown body, limbs, torso

• Head modeled separately and attached (see: Phylakopi goddess)

• Minimal features and modeling 

• H: 36 cm, L:26 cm

• NOTE: Centaur is very GREEK, sphinxes are near eastern, centaur is very much a greek culture sort of thing 

• Possibly iliad and odyssey being formulated around this time 

• Sporadic evidence 

Lefkandi (Euboea)

• Euboea–large island off the coast (E) of Attica/Athens, very important in early iron age and geometric period

  • Important for trade and colonization starting in the 8th c. BCE

• Key piece of info about continuing trade linked between Greece and the Near East in the 11th–10th BCE

  • Point of contention–have objects from near east does not mean that they were the ones doing the trade–perhaps the phoenicians were the result of trade

• had a Heroon