Theodore Spyropoulos

Theodore Spyropoulos

Theodore Spyropoulos ( _el. Θεόδωρος Σπυρόπουλος) is a Greek archeologist who is also a regional official of Greece's Central Archaeological Council.

Excavations at Tanagra

At Tanagra, Spyropoulos began excavating a large Mycenean cemetery in 1968. Every year up until Spyropoulos moved to the ephorate at Sparta, the excavation site yielded larnakes, pottery, and terracottas. The chamber tombs uncovered were apparently in use from LH IIIA up until the end of LH IIIB and perhaps beyond. [Burr and Morris, p. 109 (Sarah Immerwahr, "Death and the Tanagra Larnakes"). "Emily Vermeule in a brilliant article in the "Journal of Hellenic Studies" for 1965 called the attention of the scholarly world to an important new class of objects appearing on the art market. Although dealing with little more than a dozen examples, some of them fragmentary, and provided with a certain amount of rumor, she anticipated in a remarkably prescient way what was to be discovered at Tanagra when Theodore Spyropoulos opened his excavations of a Mycenaean cemetery there in 1968. Continuing these excavations annually until he moved to the ephorate at Sparta, he tantalized Aegean archaeologists with his reports, and generously illustrated a number of the larnakes and some of the pottery and terracottas that were being unearthed in the chamber tombs of a vast cemetery that seems to have been in use from LH IIIA to the end of LH IIIB, and probably beyond."]

Excavations near Thebes

Near Thebes, Spyropoulos excavated the supposed tomb of Amphion and Zethus between 1971 and 1973. He identified the structure of the tomb as a step-pyramid or ziggurat built during the 3rd millennium BC. [Fagan, p. 186 (Mary Lefkowitz, "Archaeology and the politics of origins, The search for pyramids in Greece"). "The other structure cited by Bernal as evidence of an Egyptian invasion also turns out not to be a real pyramid. This is the so-called tomb of Amphion and Zethus near Thebes, a prehistoric structure that was identified in historic times with the mythological twin sons of Zeus who were said to have built the walls of Thebes. Greek archaeologist Theodore Spyropoulos excavated this tomb in 1971-3 and identified the structure as a step-pyramid or ziggurat built in the third millennium BC."]

Excavations at Pellana

Spyropoulos discovered an alternative site for the palace of Menelaus at Pellana located 25 kilometers north of Sparta. The site itself is near a series of large Mycenean chamber tombs. This has led Spyropoulos to believe that his excavations uncovered the lost Homeric capital of Laconia. The palace itself is 32 meters by 14 meters and is dated to around 1200 BC. Cyclopean walls surround the palace and a wide road leads up to the entrance. During Antiquity, the tombs were all plundered. However, the palace was unscathed since it yielded jewelry, wall paintings, pottery, and a plethora of Linear B tablets. Currently, there exists a major clash of interpretation between Spyropoulos and members of the British School at Athens. The former believes that Pellana was the Mycenean capital of Laconia and the latter believe that the Menelaion was the capital. [Castleden, pp. 16-17. "An alternative site for the Palace of Menelaus has recently been uncovered by Theodore Spyropoulos at Pellana, 25km north of Sparta. The alleged palace site is close to a series of large Mycenaean chamber tombs and Professor Spyropoulos believes that what he has found is ancient Lakedaimon, the lost Homeric capital. The principal building is 32m by 14m, apparently a palatial building on the same scale as the 'palace' at Mycenae. Associated finds date it to 1200 BC. Cyclopean walling protects it and a wide road leads up to the entrance. The nearby tombs were plundered in antiquity, but not the 'palace', which has yielded pottery, jewelery, wall paintings and many Linear B tablets. There is a major clash of interpretation between Spyropoulos, who is convinced that Pellana was the Mycenaean capital of Laconia, and the British School at Athens, who believe that the Menelaion was the capital. The archive tablets at Pellana may help to resolve the issue."]

References

ources

*Carter, Jane Burr and Morris, Sarah P. "The Ages of Homer: A Tribute to Emily Townsend Vermeule". University of Texas Press, 1995. ISBN 0292712081
*Castleden, Rodney. "Mycenaeans". Routledge, 2005. ISBN 0415249236
*Fagan, Garrett G. "Archaeological Fantasies: How pseudoarchaeology misrepresents the past and misleads the public". Routledge, 2006. ISBN 0415305934


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Orchomenus (Boeotia) — For other uses of Orchomenus or Orchomenos, see Orchomenus (disambiguation). Orchomenos Ορχομενός Loca …   Wikipedia

  • Pellana — or Pellene or Pellane (Greek: ἡ Πέλλανα, Paus. iii. 20. § 2; τὰ Πέλλανα, Strabo viii. p. 386; Πελλήνη, Xen. Hell. vii. 5. § 9; Polyb. iv. 81, xvi. 37; Plut. Agis , 8), was a city of Laconia, on the Eurotas river, and on the road from Sparta to… …   Wikipedia

  • Orchomène (Béotie) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Orchomène. 38° 29′ 36″ N 22° 58′ 29″ E …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Orchomène de Béotie — Orchomène (Béotie) Pour les articles homonymes, voir Orchomène. 38° 29′ 36″ N 22° 58′ 29″ E …   Wikipédia en Français

  • 10. Oktober — Der 10. Oktober ist der 283. Tag des Gregorianischen Kalenders (der 284. in Schaltjahren), somit bleiben 82 Tage bis zum Jahresende. Historische Jahrestage September · Oktober · November 1 2 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ida Craddock — Ida Craddock, Profilbild Ida C. Craddock (* …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • List of doping cases in sport — Part of a series on Doping in sport …   Wikipedia

  • Casos de dopaje en el deporte — Anexo:Casos de dopaje en el deporte Saltar a navegación, búsqueda La lista de casos de dopaje en el deporte es una lista incompleta de deportistas que han estado implicados en acusaciones por dopaje. Esta contiene a aquellos que han sido… …   Wikipedia Español

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”