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The Destruction of the Palace at Pylos ReconsideredAuthor(s): P. A. MountjoySource: The Annual of the British School at Athens, Vol. 92 (1997), pp. 109-137Published by: British School at AthensStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30103480Accessed: 21-08-2014 09:46 UTC

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2/30

THE

DESTRUCTION

OF

THE PALACE AT PYLOS

RECONSIDERED'

INTRODUCTION

THERE

as been much discussion

concerning

the date of the destruction

of

the

palace

at

Pylos,

since,

apart

from the

question

of where

it

belongs

in

the series of destructionswhich occurred

in LH

III

B,

this event is

particularly

mportant

for the

dating

of the Linear

B tablets found in

the destruction

deposits.

The

excavator,

Carl

Blegen,

dated

the

destruction to transitional

LH III

B-C,

as

he

thought

the best

parallels

to the decorated

pottery

were

late

LH III

B,

but

that some vases

had

LH

III

C

characteristics.2

Other

scholars, however,

have

put

forward

dates

ranging

from 'mid-LH

III B

or a little

later'3

to 'towards

the end of LH III

B',4

'at

or

near the end of

LH III

B',5

and

LH

III

C,6

while,

most

recently,

M.

Popham

has

suggested

early LH III B.7The reason for the dissent on the date of the destructionlies in the nature of

the

pottery

from the

palace.

Painted

vessels,

which

are

easier to date than

unpainted

ones,

are

few and

anomalous:

some

match standard

LH III B

wares,

some seem

to

be closer to

LH III

A2

pottery,

one

or two would

fit into

LH III

C

Early,

while

many

are

seemingly

idiosyncratic

local

products.

Indeed,

in an

attempt

to accommodate one of the

latter,

a

darkground deep

bowl,

Popham

has even

suggested

there was another

occupation

level

in

later

LH

III

C or the

early

Iron

Age.8

The recent re-examination of the site

by

the

Minnesota

Pylos Project

has shown that there was

indeed Iron

Age postpalatial occupation.9

The

aim

of

1

Acknowledgements:this study is part of a larger work

(RMDP,

n

press)

financed

by

the

Alexander von Humboldt-

Stiftung,

the British

Academy,

and the Institute for

Aegean

Prehistory.

thank

H. W

Catling

for

allowing

me to include

unpublished

vases from his

excavations at the

Menelaion,

G.

Steinhauer for material from his

excavations at

Sykea,

the

American School of Classical

Studies for

permission

to draw

the

Pylos

material,

the Corinth

Excavations for the Korakou

material,

and the

Agora

Excavations for the North

Slope

vases.

I am

very grateful

to

Dr

H.

Catling

for

reading

and

commenting

on

the

manuscript.

Abbreviations:

AS

=

Ayios Stephanos

BSA

supp.

vol.,

ed.

R.

Janko;

in

preparation)

Ay.

Kosmas G.

Mylonas, Ay.

Kosmas

Princeton, 1959)

Eutresis

=

H.

Goldman,

Excavations t Eutresis n Boeotia

(Harvard, '93')

FS

=

Furumark

Shape

Kadmeia

I

=

S.

Symeonoglou,

Kadmeia

I

(SIMA

35;

G6teborg,

'973)

Kanta

=

A.

Kanta,

The

LM

III

Period n Crete

SIMA

58;

Giteborg,

1980)

LH III

C

Pottery J.

B.

Rutter,

LH

III C

Pottery

and some

historical

implications',

in

E.

N.

Davis

(ed.), Symposium

on theDark

Ages

n Greece

New

York,

1977),

1-20

MDP

=

P

A.

Mountjoy,

Mycenaean

ecorated

Pottery:

Guide

to

Identification

SIMA 73;

G6teborg,

1986)

MP

=

A.

Furumark, MycenaeanPottery: Analysis

and

ClassificationStockholm, 194')

RMDP

=

P A.

Mountjoy, Regional

Mycenaean

Decorated

Pottery

in

press)

Rutter

=

J.

B.

Rutter,

The LH

III

B and

III

C Periodsat

KorakoundGonia

Ann

Arbor,

i981)

ThebesTablets

I

=

T.

Spyropoulos

and

J.

Chadwick,

The

ThebesTablets

I

(Minos

Suppl.

4;

Salamanca,

1975)

Tiryns

VI

=

H.

Dohl,

'Iria:Die

Ergebnisse

der

Ausgrabung

1939', Tiryns

VI

(Mainz, 1973)

2

Pylos

,

42I1.

3

P.

Warren,

The

Aegean

Civilizations

Oxford,

1975),134.

4

S.

Hood,

TheArts n Prehistoric

reece

London,

1978), 25-

5 R.

Hope Simpson

and 0.

Dickinson,

A

Gazetteer

fAegean

Civilisation,

i: The Mainland and the Islands

(SIMA 52;

Gioteborg,

1979),

127.

6

S.

Hiller,

'Pylos

and the end of

the

Mycenaean period',

First International

Mycenaeological

ongress Premycenaean

nd

Mycenaean ylos'

Athens

8-11

December

i98o.

Proceedings

never

published.

S

OJA

Io

(1991),315-24.

8

Ibid.

316-17,

322.

He

suggests

the

darkground deep

bowl is

early

Iron

Age

(ibid. 316

fig.

i),

but then refers to the

vases found with it

in

Room

46

as

advanced

LH III

C

(ibid.

322)

and then wonders

whether,

if

there was a

reoccupation

level,

it

was

advanced

LH III

C or

early

Iron

Age.

9

AR

(1992-3), 31-4, especially 33

Phase

7.

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3/30

HIO

P.A.

MOUNTJOY

this

study

is to show

that the

destruction

of the

palace

at

Pylos belongs

to

a Transitional

LH

III

B2/LH

III

C

Early phase,

which can be isolated

in

most

regions

of

southern

and

central

Greece,

and

that the

vases

of 'advanced

LH III

C

character'10

belong

to this

destruction.

TRANSITIONAL

LH III

B2/LH

III

C EARLY POTTERY

The

pottery

of the Transitional

LH

III

B2/LH

III

C

Early phase

contains

features of

LH III

B2

and of

LH

III

C

Early

as well as other

features

unique

to

itself.

This

pottery

has

long

caused

problems

in

the

assignation

of

assemblages.

For

example,

in

the recent

publication

of the

excavations at

Nichoria

it is

assigned

to LH III

B2

with

reservations,

as some LH III C

Early

features are

present

and

not

others;

at Korakou

the material

is

dated

by

Rutter first to

Transitional

LH III

B2-III

C'2

and

then

to the

first

phase

of

LH

III

C

Early;'3

at

Iria

it is

assigned

to

earliest

LH III

C;14

at

Thebes the material from the

Archive Room

is

placed

in

late

LH

III

B

and then

in

the

transition

rom

LH III

B

to

LH III

C

by

Spyropoulos,'5

but these

dates

are contested

by Symeonoglou,

who

dates it to

LH III B

116

together

with the

destruction

level

in the

Jewellery Workshop

at

Oidipodos

i4;1

at

Ay.

Kosmas

abandonment

in

LH III B

is

suggested

but a

'surely

LH III

C

deep

bowl' is cited

as evidence for some later use of the

site;'8

the

material from the

North

Slope

Houses

at Athens

has been

assigned by myself

to

LH III

C

Early,'9

as also the

assemblage

from House V at

Eutresis;

n

the case of the latter

I

followed

Furumark,

but

Alin

has

dated this

assemblage

to

LH

III

B.20

The

confusion

as to the date of

all

these

assemblages

has arisen

from

the

presence

of

decorated

deep

bowls

with a

rim

band

not

quite

wide

enough

for

the

LH III

B2

Group

B

deep

bowl,

but too wide for

the

Group

A

deep

bowl,

as well as

deep

bowls

and

cups

of the

LH III C

Early

medium band

type,

but

again

with too

deep

a

rim

band;

with

these are other features

which

would

normally

be

assigned

to

LH III

B2

or

to

LH III

C

Early.

This horizon

postdates

the pottery in the destruction levels in the citadels at Tiryns and Mycenae at the end of

LH III

B2.

Since this

phase

is not

represented

so

far

in

the

pottery

published

as

LH III

C

Early

from

Mycenae,21

t has seemed best to

call it Transitional

LH

III

B2/

LH

III C

Early.

Indeed,

it has

already

been so named at

Tiryns

to

describe

temporary buildings

erected after

the

destruction,22

hus

excluding

the

alternative name of

LH III

B3,

which

might

also have

been

viable,

since elsewhere this

phase

actually

represents

destruction

evels,

as for

instance

at

Midea,

the

Menelaion, Thebes,

and,

possibly,

at

Teichos

Dymaion.

The existence

of this

horizon

supports

the

hypothesis

of

a

series of destructions

at the

end

of

LH

III

B2

and the

beginning

of

LH III C

Early

which did not occur

simultaneously

even at sites

lying

close

together,

such as

Iria,

Midea,

Mycenae,

and

Tiryns

in

the

Argolid.

The sites where this

horizon

can be

isolated are:

10

OJA

Io

(1991),

321-2.

Nichoria

I

5o8-17.

12

Rutter,

08

fig.

10,

544

Trench

P

Phase

4.

13

LH

III

C

Pottery,

-2

Phase

I.

14

Tiryns

VI,

192.

15

AAA

3 (1970),326,

Thebes

Tablets

I,

55.

16

S.

Symeonoglou,

The

Topography

f

Thebes

Princeton,

1985),

291

Site

196.

17

Kadmeia

9-22.

18

Hope Simpson

and Dickinson

(n.

5),

206.

9

P. A.

Mountjoy, Mycenaean

thens

SIMA

Pocket Book

127;Jonsered,1995),

45-6.

20

See Orchomenos

,

81

for discussion.

21

MDP

I34-54-

22

AA

1981,

204-5.



4/30

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE PALACE AT

PYLOS

III

ARGOLID

Iria:

settlement,

Oberer Schnitt

(Tiryns

VI,

127-94)

Tiryns:

Citadel,

Complex

Rioa

(AA1981, 204-5)

Midea:

settlement,

unpublished

KORINTHIA

Korakou:

settlement,

Phase

4

(Rutter, 134-316,

LH

III

C

Pottery,

-2

Phase

i)

ATTICA

Athens:

Acropolis,

North

Slope

Houses

floor

deposits

(Hesp.

(1933),

330-417,

especially

351-6)

Thorikos: Mine

No.

3

domestic

(BSA

90

(1995),

195-227)

Ay.

Kosmas: settlement

(Ay.

Kosmas,

4

and

fig. 139.

61,

9)

BOEOTIA

Eutresis:

settlement,

House

V

floor

deposit

(Eutresis,

68,

189-90

and

fig.

263)

Thebes:

settlement,

Archive Room on

Epaminondas

and Metaxas Sts.

(AAA (1970),322-7,

ThebesTablets

II);

Jewellery

Workshop Oidipodos

14

destruction

level

(Kadmeia

,

19-22)

ACHAEA

?Teichos

Dymaion:

settlement

(PAE

1965, 121-36)

LACONIA

Menelaion:

settlement,

unpublished

Ay.

Stephanos:

settlement,

Area

Epsilon

wash

layer,

unpublished

Sykea:

ChT

(AD

29B

(i973-4),

294-5)

MESSENIA

Pylos:

palace (Pylos

,

passim);

Tholos

T.

III

final

use

(Pylos

III,

73-95),

ChT Ki

last burial

(Pylos

III,

208-15)

Nichoria:

settlement,

Area

II

Tr

K25

Ibc

level

12,

Area IV SW Tr

L23

Top

level

6

(Nichoria

I,

508-17)

As

LH

III

B2

pottery

is

distinguished by

the

presence

of

the

Group

B

deep

bowl and the

rosette

deep

bowl,23

o

Transitional

LH

III

B2/LH

III

C

Early

pottery

is

also

distinguished

by

the

presence

of

particular ypes

of

deep

bowl. There

are four

types:

Type

i

(FIG.7.

32-44)

is

the

Group

A

deep

bowl found

in LH III

B2

and

LH III

C

Early24

ut with the

bell

shape

and

flaring

rim

of

the

LH

III C

Early type;

it

may

also have

the

monochrome

interior

of

this

type.

Some

examples may

be

large.

Instead

of

the usual

band over the

rim

32-3

these bowls

may

have

the

rim

banding

of the stemmed bowl

consisting

of a

second broad band

below the

rim

on the

exterior

and, often,

on

the interior

-3;

alternatively

they may

have a

second narrow

band below the

exterior

rim

34,

a

LH

III C

Early

feature,25

r

they

may

have a

single

broader

rim

band

I-2

cm

deep

39-4o.

Type

2

(FIGS.

8-IO.

45-64)

is

a

large

bowl with a

knobbed or

short everted

rim

instead of

the

usual

lipless

rim

and, sometimes,

a

slightly

incurving

upper body.

The rim

banding

may

be that of the

stemmed bowl

56,

but most often

there

is a

single

broad rim

band

1-2

cm

deep 45-7,

49-53,

55,

57;

one vessel

54

has the

3

cm

rim

band of

the

Group

B

deep

bowl,

while

others

58-9

have

a

similar rim

band combined with a

darkground

exterior;

the

interior of

all

these

vases

is

often

monochrome. There

are also

monochrome

6o-i

and

unpainted 63-4

versions.

Type 3 (FIG.

I.

65-72) is a carinated type with a straight upper body giving rise to a

slight

carination on the

belly.

It

may

have

the

usual

band

over the

rim

65-6

or

the

rim

banding

of the

stemmed bowl

71

or a

deeper

band on the

rim

up

to

I

cm

in

width

67-9;

the

interior

may

be

monochrome.

Type

4

(FIG.

12.

73-7)

is a

variation of

Type

3.26

It has a

straight

upper body

but no

23

MDPGroup

deep

bowl

ig.

161,

osette

eep

bowl

ig.

162.

24

Ibid.LH III

B2

fig.16o,

LH III C

Early ig.

189.

25

Ibid.

fig.

189.

I,

2,

I1.

26

74-5

have

been

assigned

o

Type

2

and

76

to

Type 3

RMDP

Laconianos.

161,

I6o,

Messeniano.

Iio,

since

I

had

not

isolated

Type

4

at the timeof

writing

RMDP.



5/30

112

P.A.

MOUNTJOY

carination on

the

belly;

the

rim

is

generally lipless

but there

may

be

a

slight

lip

75;

the

interior

may

be

monochrome.

Types

2-4

are the criteria of

this

phase.

All four

types

are

very

often

decorated with a

broad

wavy

band similar

to that

of

LH III

A2

stemmed bowls

42, 44,

46-8,

67-9,

74-5.27

This

motif does not

seem to

have been used

in LH III B in

southern

Greece,

but is

popular

in

northern Greece in

Macedonia.28

Spirals

and

panelled patterns

were also used.

Other

vessels characteristicof this

phase

include the

deep

band

deep

bowl

82-3

and

cup

24-5

as

opposed

to the

LH

III

C

Early

medium band

deep

bowl

and

cup;29

hese vessels have

a

deeper

band

on the rim than

the

I-2

cm

rim band of the medium band

vessels, but,

like the

latter,

have no other external

decoration

apart

from handle

splashes

and have

a

monochrome

or linear interior.

Another

criterion of this

phase

is the

presence

of

stemmed

bowls

with

a

monochrome

interior

9I-3.

They

are

the

same

large

size as

LH III B

vessels

and

may

also have

panelled pattern

with

wide

triglyphs,

as

in

that

phase,

but the

wavy

band

is

used

as well

91x.

Featureswhich

would

normally

be

assigned

to

LH III

B2

or

LH

III

C

Early

as well as those

characteristic

of the

transitional

phase

are listed below.

However,

many

vessel

shapes

are not

listed here, since they are in use in LH III B2 and in LH III C Earlyand are not diagnosticof

one

phase

or the

other;

this

particularly

applies

to

unpainted

vessels.30

Indeed,

it

will be

difficult to

assign

small

deposits

to

the

transitional

phase

unless

one or more of the

characteristicfeatures

are

present.

The

full

publication

of the material

from the

Menelaion,

Midea,

Mycenae, Tiryns,

and Thebes should

enlarge

the definition

of this

phase.

LH

III

B2features

FS

35

piriform

ar

with

down-sloping

im

nstead

of the

lipless

LH III B rim:

Pylos

.

FS

94 straight-sided

alabastron

with

down-sloping

rim

instead of

the

lipless

LH III

B-C rim: Athens

9g.

FS

94

straight-sided

alabastron

with

lipless

LH III B-C rim:

Iria,

Pylos

8,

Nichoria.

FS

Iio

jug, patterned:

Iria,

Thorikos.

FS 164stirrup ar, octopus:Midea (withLinearB), Thebes, Pylos.

FS

17I

globular

stirrup ar:

Thorikos.

FS

17331

lobular

tirrupar,

generally

with flower

on shoulderand

zonal decoration

on

belly:

Iria,

Athens

x6,

Thorikos,

Ay.

Kosmas,

Eutresis

15,

Pylos

x4

(probable

Argive mport);

with dot

rosette

on shoulder:Thebes.

FS

I8o

squat

stirrup ar:

Thorikos.

FS

182

conical

stirrup ar:

Pylos

17.

FS

9

stemmed

krater:

Thorikos,

Eutresis

g,

Pylos

x8,

Nichoria.

FS

284

Group

B

deep

bowl: Iria

30,

Midea,

Thebes

31.

FS

284

rosette

deep

bowl:

Midea,

Korakou

79.

FS

301

spouted

conical

bowl:

Athens,

Eutresis.

FS

305

stemmed

bowl with

wide

triglyph:

Iria.

Small bowl with

interior

patterns

in

added white

paint:

Midea.

27

MDP

fig.

112.

1.Care must be

taken with sherds out

of

context decorated

with

wavy

line which have

the

knobbed

rim

of the stemmed

bowl,

since

they

could

belong

to

LH III

A2

stemmed

bowls or

Transitional

LH III

B2/

LH III

C

Early

deep

bowls. The

same

applies

to

the

truncated stemmed

bowl;

the

example

ibid.

fig.

113

should

be

LH III

A2

since its

wide and

shallow

body

is

completely

dissimilarto

the

deep

body

of the

transitional

vases.

28

I thank K. Wardle

and B.

Hansel for information

on

the Assiros and Kastanas

pottery.

29

Ibid.

cup fig.

183.

2,

deep

bowl

fig.

193.

2;

the vases

figs.

183.

I

and

193.

1

from

Eutresisand Thorikos

respectively

can

now be

assigned

to the

transitional

phase.

30

A

large

selection

of

unpainted

vases is

published

from

the

palace

at

Pylos

Pylos

I,

passim

and from Thorikos

Mine

No.

3,

BSA

90

(995),

195-227.

31

Since Furumarkdated

the

Athens and Eutresis vessels

to

LH

III

C

Early,

he

automatically assigned

them to FS

I74

(MP 612-13

FS

174. 5,

II)-



6/30

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE PALACE AT PYLOS

113

-

Scale 1:6

-

Pylos

1

2

Pylos

Pylos

4

3

Epidauros

Limera

Pylos

5

6

Scale 1:6

Pylos

FIG.

I.

I-2

piriform ar

FS

35,

3-5 piriform

ar

FS

48,

6

belly-handled

amphora

FS

58.



7/30

14

P.A.

MOUNTJOY

8

Pylos

Pylos

7

9

Athens

11

Eut

resis

V10

Athens

FIG.

2.

7

collar-necked

ar

FS

63,

8-9 straight-sided

alabastron

FS

94,

'o-'x

straight-sided

alabastronFS

98.



8/30

THE

DESTRUCTION

OF

THE PALACE

AT

PYLOS

115

12

Pylos

13

Pylos

14

Pylos

16

Athens

15

Eutresis

17

Pylos

FIG.

3.

12

jug

FS

iii,

13

jug

FS

114, 14-16

stirrup ar

FS

173, 17

stirrup ar

FS

182.



9/30

116

P.A.

MOUNTJOY

LH III

C

Early

eatures

FS

58

belly-handled amphora:Pylos

6.

FS

63

collar-necked

jar:

Iria,

deposits

at

Thebes,

Pylos

7.

FS

98

straight-sided

alabastron:Athens

Io,

Eutresis

II.

FS

III

jug:

Iria,

Pylos

12.

FS 215 cup, medium band, monochromeinterior:Thorikos 23, Eutresis22.

FS

215

cup, unpainted

exterior and

monochrome interior:

Iria

26,

Thorikos

27.

FS

240

carinated

cup,

monochrome:

Midea,

Teichos

Dymaion (called

LH

III C PAE

(1965),

132-3

but

LH III

B-C

ibid.

pl. 171

y

left).

FS

284

Group

A

deep

bowl,

monochrome/linear interior:

Iria, Midea,

Korakou

32, 35-6,

Thorikos,

Thebes,

Ay. Stephanos 37, Pylos

33,

Nichoria

=

Transitional

Type

i.

FS

284

Group

A

deep

bowl,

second narrow band below exterior rim:

Midea,

Korakou

34

Transitional

Type

I.

FS

284

rosette

deep

bowl with three handle

splashes:

Iria

78.

FS

284

rosette

deep

bowl,

linear

with

large

rosette,


Iria.

FS

284

deep

bowl, linear,

monochrome

interior:Korakou

84,

Athens

85,

Nichoria.

FS

284 deep

bowl,

medium

band,

monochrome interior:Athens

81, Thorikos,

Iria 8o.

FS

284

deep

bowl,

monochrome:

Tiryns,

Korakou

86,

Thorikos

87,

Thebes,

Teichos

Dymaion,

Nichoria.

FS

289

deep

bowl with vertical

handles, rosette,

monochrome interior:Thorikos

88.

Transitionalfeatures

FS

48

piriform

ar

with conical lower

body (possibly

a

south

Peloponnesian type):

Epidauros

Limera

3,

Pylos

4-5,

Nichoria.

FS

215 cup Type

4:

Thorikos

21.

FS

215

cup, deep

band,


Iria

24,

Korakou

25,

Thorikos.

FS

215 cup,

monochrome:

Iria

28,

Teichos

Dymaion.

FS

284 deep

bowl

Type

i

(GroupA):monochrome/linear interior:see

above,

LH III C

Early.

second

narrow band below exterior rim: see

above,

LH III

C

Early.

medium/deeper

rim

band,

monochrome/linear interior:

Iria

40o,

Thorikos

39,

Nichoria.

stemmed bowl

rim

banding:

Iria

42

(small size),

Thorikos

41

(large

size).

stemmed bowl

rim

banding

on

exterior,

monochrome/linear

interior:

Ay. Stephanos

44,

Pylos

43.

FS

284

deep

bowl

Type

2

(evertedrim):

stemmed bowl

rim

banding

on interior and exterior:

Iria,

Menelaion.

stemmed bowl

rim

banding,


Ay.

Stephanos

56,

Nichoria.

broad

rim

band

1-2

cm

deep,


Iria

45-6,

Korakou

57,

Thebes,

Ay. Stephanos

49-50,

52-3, 55,

Nichoria.

broad

rim

band

1-2

cm

deep,

linear interior:Menelaion

47,

Pylos

51.

darkground:Ay.Kosmas59, Pylos 58.

linear,


Ay. Stephanos

62.

monochrome: Thorikos

6o,

Ay.

Kosmas,

Pylos

6I,

Nichoria.

unpainted:

Iria

63,

Thorikos

64.

FS

284 deep

bowl

Type 3 (carinated):

ria

72,

Thorikos

66,

Thebes

67,

Menelaion

68,

Sykea 69-7o,

Pellana

65, Pylos 71.

FS

284

deep

bowl

Type

4

(straightupper body): Pylos 73, 76-7,

Menelaion

74, Sykea

75.

FS

284

deep

bowl,

deep

band,


Iria

82,

Thorikos

83.

deep

band,

linear interior:Nichoria.

FS

289

deep

bowl with vertical

handles,

darkground:

Thorikos

89.

FS

305

stemmed

bowl,

monochrome interior:Iria

92,

Thorikos

g9I,93-



10/30

THE

DESTRUCTION OF

THE

PALACE

AT PYLOS

17

THE DISTRIBUTION OF

LH III

B2/LH

III

C

EARLY

POTTERY

Pottery

of this

phase

is

surprisingly widely spread.

It can be identified at sites

all

over the

Peloponnese,

except

in

Elis where settlement

deposits

are

lacking,

and

also

in

Central Greece

as far north as Boeotia.

The

type

site for

this

horizon

is Iria.

A

building

complex consisting

of two

rooms,

the

Annexe and the

Megaron,

has been excavated

together

with a

nearby

cistern,

the Bothros.

The Bothros contained

complete

and

restorable

vases

from the destruction of the

complex.

The Annexe was abandoned after

the

destruction;

the restorable vases found

here are

stylistically

no different

from

those

of the

Bothros,

suggesting

that,

if

reoccupation

occurred

after

the

destruction,

it

must

have been of short

duration. The

pottery

from both

deposits

is

considered here

as a unit.

At

Iria LH III C

Early

innovations,

such

as the carinated

cup

FS

240

found in Lefkandi Phase

Ia32

and the

linear shallow

angular

bowl FS

295 (found

at

Mycenae

in LH III

C

Early33)

re absent. There are no

linear

or

decorated conical

kylikes

and

no

monochrome

deep

bowls

(but

monochrome

cups

are

present).

LH

III

B2

features

at

Iria

include the

stirrup

jar

FS

173

with

flower

or the

curved version

of

multiple

stem on the

shoulder and zonal decoration on the belly,34he Group B deep bowl 30, the stemmed bowl

with

wide

triglyph,35

he

straight-sided

alabastron

FS

94,36

and the

jug

FS

Io

with

patterned

decoration instead of the usual linear

decoration.37

LH

III

C

Early

features

are the

rosette

deep

bowl with three

handle

splashes

78

instead of the

multiple splashes

of

LH III

B2

and the

rosette

deep

bowl

with

monochrome

interior,38

the

medium

band

deep

bowl

with

monochrome interior

80o,

a small

cup

FS

215

with

unpainted

exterior

and

monochrome

interior

26,

the small

jug

FS

III,

and the

large

collar-necked

jar

FS

63.39Transitional

eatures

are the

deep

bowls

Types

1-3

40, 42,

45-6, 63,

72,

the

stemmed bowl with wide

triglyph

but

with monochrome interior

92,

deep

band

deep

bowls

82

and

cups

24,

and the

monochrome

cup

28.

At

Tiryns

in

the

published

transitional

deposit

from

Complex

Rioa

there are

monochrome deep bowls.40A monochrome rim assignedto a goblet may belong to a Type 2

deep

bowl.41

One sherd

from the

LH

III

B2

Tiryns

West Wall

deposit

assigned

to the

stemmed bowl is

decorated with

wavy

band and has a

deep

rim

band;42

t

may

belong

to

a

Type

2

deep

bowl,

although

none

of the

other

definitive features of

the transitional

phase

are

published

from this

deposit.

At Midea in

the

destruction

deposit

there are

Group

B

deep

bowls,

rosette

deep

bowls,

Group

A

deep

bowls

with

a

monochrome

interior,

and

deep

bowls with stemmed bowl

rim

banding,

with

a

medium

or

deeper

rim

band,

and

with a

second

narrow band

on

the exterior

rim.43

The

LH

III

C

Early

monochrome FS

240

is

present together

with the

LH III

B2

bowl with

decoration

in

added

white

paint

on

the

interior.

A

coarse ware

stirrup jar

FS

164

decorated

with

octopus

has also

been

found;

it

carries

a

Linear

B

inscription.44

32

BSA 66

(I971),338.

33

MDPfig. 197.

34

Tiryns

VI,

pl.

65. 5.

35

Ibid.

pl.

68.

1-2.

36

Ibid.

pl.

73-

5-

37

Ibid.

pl.

73.

6.

38

Ibid.

HI8

pl.

68. 6.

39

Ibid.

pl.

62.

I.

40 AA

(1981),

201

fig.

54.

IO-II.

41

Ibid.

202 and

fig.

54.

9.

Goblets are not

found after

LH III

Al;

moreover,

he

rim

of

this sherd s not

long enough

for

the

goblet,

as a

comparison

with

a

LH III Al

goblet

illustrated

ibid.

fig.

54- 3

shows.See

MDPfig.

75

for

LH III Al

goblets.

42

AD

2oA

(1965),

144

fig.

4.

2.

43

Assignation

to

Types

1-4

must await the full

publication

of this

material.

44

I

thank Dr

K.

Demakopoulou

for

showing

me

photographs

of the material from

her recent

excavations.



11/30

118

P.A.

MOUNTJOY

18

Pylos

FIG.

4.

x8

krater

FS

9.

In the

Korinthia

Rutter

has

assigned

material at Korakou from below

the

lowest of a

series

of stratified

LH III C

floors

in

Trench

P

to his earliest

phase

of

LH III

C.45

It matches that

from the

Iria

deposit

and can be

equated

with the transitional

phase.

There are

monochrome

deep

bowls

86,

linear

deep

bowls with

monochrome interior

84,

Group

A

deep

bowls with

linear

32,

36

or monochrome

35

interior,

deep

bowls with two narrowexternalrim bands

34,

deep

bowl

Type

2

57,

a

possible

rosette

deep

bowl

79,

and

deep

band

cups

with monochrome

interior

25.

In

Attica

floor

deposits

from

the

North

Slope

Houses

on

the

Acropolis

at

Athens

and

a

domestic

deposit

from

Thorikos

Mine No.

3

belong

to

this

phase.46

These are not closed

45

Rutter,

34-316

Phase

4,

LHIII

C

Pottery,

hase

I

1-2.

46

The

material

assigned

to Perati

Phase I

belongs

to this

phase

and

to LH

III C

Early.



12/30

THE

DESTRUCTION OF THE PALACE

AT

PYLOS

IIq

19

Eutresis

20

Pylos

FIG.

5.

xg

krater

FS

9,

20

kantharos.



13/30

120

P.A.

MOUNTJOY

deposits.

The material

from

the North

Slope

Houses,

which is

only partly published,

was

found abandoned on differenthouse

floors;47

he Thorikos

assemblage,

which derives from the

possible

working

of Mine No.

3,

has a little

LH III

C Middle

pottery

with it.

LH III

B2

features include the

stirrup ar

FS

173

with

flower on the shoulder

and

belly

decoration,

which

is found at both sites

16,

as well as the

stirrup ars

FS

171,

18048

(the

latter with dot rosette on

the shoulder)49at Thorikos and the spouted conical bowl FS 301 at Athens.50 A large

alabastronFS

94

from Athens

9

has the

down-sloping

rim

of

LH III

A2-B

vases instead of the

lipless

rim

of

LH

III

B-C

vessels. It is decorated with vertical bands of net. The

jug

FS

Io,

generally

a

linear

shape,

is found

in

a

patterned

version at

Thorikos.51

LH III

C

Early

features

include

medium band

deep

bowls with monochrome interior from both sites

81,

similar

medium band

cups,

and

a linear

deep

bowl

with monchrome interior from Athens

85.

The

Group

A

deep

bowl with monochrome interior is

present

at

Thorikos,52

as well as

the

small

cup

with

unpainted

exterior and monochrome interior

27

and the

monochrome

deep

bowl

87.

One

Group

A

vessel

39

has

a

reserved circle

in

the centre of the interior

base,

a

feature

first found at

Lefkandi

in

Phase

Ib.53

The

deep

bowl with vertical handles

FS

289

is

also

present

at

Thorikos;

one

example

is

decorated with

rosette and has

a

monochrome

interior

88. The

straight-sided

alabastronwith handles

reaching

to the lower

belly

FS

98

is found in

Athens

io. Transitional features

at Thorikos are a medium band

cup Type

3 23,

deep

bowls

Type

I

41,

Type

2

60o,

64,

and

Type

3

66,

deep

band

deep

bowls

83

and

cups,54

a

darkground

deep

bowl with

vertical handles FS

289

89,

a

cup

with

wavy

band

Type

4

21,

and stemmed

bowls with monochrome

interior

g9,

93

and at Athens the

spouted

krater

FS

298

with

wavy

band

go.

Both

6o and a bowl from Korakou 86 have

a reserved

base,

whereas other

deep

bowls

may

be

completely

monochrome

87.55 Unpainted

dippers

from Thorikos and Athens

may

have a

deep semi-globular

body

with

straight

sides,56

nstead

of the

LH

III B

shallow

semi-globularshape

with

flaring

rim;57

here

are

similar

vessels from

Iria and

Pylos.58

At

Ay.

Kosmas a

globular stirrup

ar

FS

I7359

decorated

with flower and

zonal

decoration

on the belly and a Type 2 darkgrounddeep bowl 59 were found by the entranceto a possible

fortification

wall;

a monochrome

Type

2

deep

bowl

and an

unpainted dipper

with carination

at the

belly60

rom

a trench over House

S

are

assigned

to its

final

occupation.

They

are the

latest

diagnostic

vases from the

site,

suggesting

t was abandoned

in

this

phase.

In

Boeotia

an

assemblage

which

fits well into this transitional

phase

is the

deposit

on and

just

above the floor of Eutresis House

V It contains the

LH III

C

Early

medium

band

cup

22

and

straight-sided

alabastron

FS

98 II together

with the

LH III B

stemmed

krater FS

9

decorated

with whorl-shell

19,

the

globular stirrup ar

FS

173

with flower on the shoulder

and

zonal decoration

on the

belly 15,

and

an

unpainted spouted

conical

bowl FS

301.61

There

is

also a

tripod

cooking pot.62

The destruction

deposit

in

the Archive Room

at Thebes

has

the

47

See

Rutter,

06-7

for the

suggestion

that the

deposit

is

not closed.

48

BSA

90

(1995),

FS

17I

202

fig. 3.

28,

32,

FS

i80 203

fig.

4. 47.

49

For

this LH III

B2

feature see

MDP

fig. 154.

6-7.

50

Hesp.

2

(1933),

370 fig. 43

c.

51

BSA

90 (1995),

202

fig.

3. 23.

The neck is

missing;

it

could be

that the vase is

FS

120,

but the

joint

of the neck to

the

shoulder,

which is

present,

seems

rather wide for that

shape

and the

body

of the vessel not

large enough.

52

Ibid.

207

fig.

6.

63-4.

53

On

the

kylix

BSA 66

(I971),

336.

54

BSA

go (1995),

205

fig.

5-

52-3.

55

e.g.

ibid.

210

fig.

8. 81.

56

Ibid.

2I9

fig.

14. 145,

146, Hesp.

2

(I933),

371

fig.

44

c.

57 MDP

fig.

138.

58

Tiryns

VI,

pl.

64.

6,

Pylos

,

fig.

363

Type

20.

59

Ay.

Kosmas,

ig. 139.

61.

60

Ibid.

deep

bowl

fig. 139.

9,

dipper fig.

139.

7.

61

Orchomenos

,

fig.

39.

I65-

62

Ibid.

fig.

39

I148.



14/30

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE

PALACE AT PYLOS

121

21

Thorikos

22

Eutresis

23

Thorikos

24

Iria

Korakou

25

26

Iria

Thorikos

27

28

Irio

29

Py

Ilos

Iria

30

Thebes

31

FIG.

6.

21-8

cup

FS

215:

21

cup

Type

4,

22-3

medium

band

cup,

24-5 deep

band

cup,

26-7 cup

with

unpainted

exterior

and monochrome

interior,

28

monochrome

cup; 29

chalice FS

278,

3o-I

deep

bowl

Group

B FS

284.



15/30

122

P.A.

MOUNTJOY

Korakou

32

33

Pylos

Ko akou

134

c.16

37

Ay

Stephanos

F

36

Korakou

35

Korakou

39

Thorikos

Scimat

ari

38

F4

O

Iria

Thorikos

41

42

Iria

16.6

44

Ay

Stephanos

43

Pylos

FIG.

7. Deep

bowl FS

284

Type

I.



16/30

THE

DESTRUCTION

OF THE

PALACE AT PYLOS

123

carinated

deep

bowl

Type

3

with

wavy

line

67,

as

well

as monochrome

deep

bowls63

and

the

globular stirrupjar

FS

173,

including

one with

decoration of dot rosette

on

the

shoulder,64

suggesting

a

date

in

this

phase

for this

deposit

and for the

Linear

B

tablets found with it.

The

jewellery

workshop

at

Oidipodos

14

may

also have

been

destroyed

now;

a

Group

B

deep

bowl

3x

is illustrated

amongst

the

fragments

from the destruction

level,

as well as

a

deep

bowl

of

transitional type with a deeper rim band, narrow zonal decoration, and a monochrome

interior65

and a

Group

A

deep

bowl with narrow

zonal decoration and a

monochrome

interior.66

Group

B

deep bowls

are also

mentioned

from

other

find spots

at

Thebes,

as is

the

large

collar-necked

ar

FS

63

which was

thought

to

first

appear

in

LH III C

Early,67

ut which

is

present

in

the

Iria

deposit;

it

is

possible

that these

deposits may

also

belong

to

this

transitional

phase.68

In

Achaea the earlier of two

destructions

by

fire

in

the

settlement at Teichos

Dymaion

may

have occurred

in

this

phase,

since

LH III

B2

Group

B

deep

bowls

are

associated

with

transitional

material and

LH

III

C

Early

material. One

LH III

B2

Group

B

deep

bowl

is

illustrated,69

ut most of

the

deep

bowl sherds

depicted

do not have

the

c.

3

cm

deep

rim

band

of

this

type,

but rather

the

1-2

cm

rim

band of the

transitional

type.

The

transitionalmaterial

is

represented

by

these latter

deep

bowls with

a

deep

rim

band7o

and

the

LH

III

C

Early

material

by

monochrome

cups,

a

monochrome

carinated

cup

FS

240,

and

many

monochrome

deep bowls.71

In

Laconia material from a

deep

wash level

in

Area

Epsilon

at

Ay.

Stephanos

can be

separated

stylistically

rom

LH

III C

Early

material and

assigned

to this

phase,72

as

also vases

from tombs at

Pellana,73

Epidauros

Limera,74

and

Sykea,

but

pottery

from

the

Menelaion

belongs

to

a

destruction horizon

of this

date.75

Deep

bowls of

Types

2-4

47,

68,

74

are

found

at

the

Menelaion decorated

with

wavy

band,

as well

as

monochrome

deep

bowls

and linear

deep

bowls with

monochrome interior. There

are

many examples

of

Type

2

deep

bowls from

Ay.

Stephanos 48-50,

52-6.

Types

3

and

4

decorated with

wavy

line or

panelled

pattern

come from Sykea 69-70, 75. To these can be added a Type 3 deep bowl from Pellana 65

decorated

with

hybrid

flower with

Minoan

components

which is similar

to that on a

Type

4

deep

bowl from

Pylos

73.

Furthermore,

a

piriform ar

from

Epidauros

Limera

3

has

the same

unusual conical

lower

body

as vessels

from

Pylos 4-5

and

Nichoria.76

ts decoration

of vertical

bands

of

net

is

paralleled by

the Athens

alabastron

9,

but

the

net

is

framed

in

the Minoan

fashion;7

similar net is

found

on a

deep

bowl

43,

large

jar,78

and

chalice

29

from

Pylos

and

on

a

deep

bowl from

Ay.

Stephanos 37.

63

Thebes

Tablets

I,

Phs.

83, 90.

64

Ibid. Phs. 60o, 9.

65

Kadmeia

,

pl.

22

fig.

33.

6.

66

Ibid.

pl.

22

fig. 33. 7-

67

MP594-5.

68

Pelopidou-Antigonis

AD

3oB

(I975),

133,

Pelopidou 38

AAA 7

(1974), 165-6,

Pindarou

29

AD

29B

(1973-4),

430-31

and

pl.

284

Y,

Oidipodos

AD

36B

1981),

191

pl.

120

6, e,

or.

69

PAE

1965),

pl.

169

a centre

row,

centre sherd.

70

bid.

pl.

164

P3

op

row

right

and

below,

centre

row

left

and bottom row

left,

pl. 165

ca

op

row

left,

pl.

169

a

top

row

left,

right

and second

from

right,

centre row left and

right.

71

Ibid.

cups 132

P787,

carinated

cup pl.

171 y

left,

deep

bowls

131.

72

It

may

be

that much more of

the material

assigned

to

LH III C Early belongs to this phase, but without good

stratigraphy

t is

impossible

to be certain.

7

AD

io

(1926),

nlcpdapTltC

41-4-

74 AD

23A

(1968), 145-96.

I

thank

H.

W.

Catling

for this information.

76

Jichoria

I,

fig. 9.

66

P3842.

7

The motif

was

in

use on Crete

from

LM

III

Al.

See

R.

Bosanquet

and

R.

Dawkins,

The

Unpublished

bjects

rom

the

Palaikastro

Excavations

1902-6

(BSA

supp.

vol.

I;

London,

1923),

fig. 63.

2 for a

LM

III

AI

example

and

M. R.

Popham,

TheLast

Days

of

thePalace t

Knossos

SIMA

5;

Lund,

1964),

pls.

6

a-d,

7a

for late LM III

B

vessels.

78

Pylos

I,

fig. 331

bottom

right

and

fig.

379.

612.



17/30

124

P.A.

MOUNTJOY

In

Messenia the material

from

a

horizon at Nichoria

assigned

to

LH III

B2

may

also

belong

here.

At

this site the

Group

B

deep

bowls

typical

of

LH III

B2

are

absent,

apart

from

a

possible

body

sherd with semicircles above two

broad

belly

bands and

a

monochrome

interior, 79

ut

there are

Group

A

deep

bowls with monochrome interior80

and with medium

rim

band,81

linear

deep

bowls with

monochrome

interior,82

many

monochrome

deep

bowls,83

and

possible

Type 2 deep bowls with everted rim, wavy line, and monochrome interior assigned in the

publication

to the stemmed

bowl,84

as well as

Type

2

monochrome

deep

bowls.85

A

piriform

jar86

has the

conical lower

body

found on vessels from

Pylos

4-5

and

Epidauros

Limera

3,

while

a

straight-sided

alabastron decorated with net

pattern

is

compared

with

a

very

similar

vessel

from

Pylos 8.87 Unpainted

vessels include a miniature

kylix

for which the

only

parallels

come

from Volimidia and

the

palace

at

Pylos.88

A

coarse

ware

spouted

krater FS

29889

s

compared

to similarkraters rom

Pylos

and from the Archive Room

at Thebes.90The

LH

III

C

Early

carinated

cup

FS

240

and linear shallow

angular

bowl

FS

295

are

lacking.

TRANSITIONAL LH III

B2/III

C

EARLY

POTTERY

AT PYLOS

The material from the destruction of the

palace

at

Pylos

fits into this

phase.

To it can be

added the

final use of

Tholos Tomb

III

and the last burial

in

Chamber Tomb

KI.

The

characteristic

deep

bowls

Types

2-4

are

not

present

in

these

tombs,

but the

chalice

29

from

Tholos T.

III

has the framed net

triglyph

found on

the

deep

bowls

Pylos

43

and

Ay.

Stephanos

37

and

on the

large

jar

from

Pylos,91

while

the

piriform

ar

2

has the stacked

zigzag

present

on

the

deep

bowls

Pylos

76

and

Ay.

Kosmas

59.

Of the four

pots

with the last burial

in

T.

KI

two

are coarse

ware and not

closely

datable,

the third is

a

globular

stirrup ar

FS

173

with flower

on the

shoulder and

a

decorated

belly

zone,

and the fourth is the

piriform

ar

4

with

conical

lower

body

similar

to that

of

3,

5

and

panelled

decoration

flanked

by

tails,

which seem to be

an invertedversion of

the

'tails' of the

hybrid

flower on

the krater

I8.

Most of the material from the palace at Pylos is unpainted and, therefore,not particularly

diagnostic.

The

majority

of

the few

painted

vessels

carry only

linear

decoration;

those which

are

patterned

have local

characteristics,

but the

deep

bowls

undoubtedly

fit into the

corpus

of

the

transitional

phase.

Types

1-3

are

present

together

with

Type

4

otherwise

found

only

in

Laconia,

which

might suggest

it is

a

south

Peloponnesian

phenomenon,

but there

is a

cup

of

this

type

from Thorikos.

Type

i

deep

bowls

from the

palace

are decorated with

panelled patterns

33,

43.

43

with

stemmed

bowl

banding

on the exterior

rim

has

an unusual

triglyph

composed

of framed net

pattern

also found on

a

deep

bowl from

Ay. Stephanos

37,

a chalice

from Tholos

III

29,

a

jar

from the

palace

Room

43,92

and

a

piriform jar

from

Epidauros

Limera

3.

As mentioned

79

Nichoria

1509

and

pl.

9- 74 P3812.

8o Ibid.

fig.

9.

61

P3814.

81

Ibid.

fig.

9.

61

P38II.

82 Ibid.

fig.

9.

62

P38I3.

83

Ibid.

fig.

9.

62

P38i6.

84

Ibid.

fig.

9.

62

P3819

with stemmed bowl

rim

banding,

fig. 9. 63 P3821

with

deeper

rim

band.

85

Ibid.

fig.

9.

62

P3815.

See

ibid.

513

for discussion. The

stemmed

bowls referred o

ibid.

512

'a

return to

popularity

of

coated

stemmedbowls'

may

in

fact be

Type

2

deep

bowls,

since

this

type

has the everted

rim of the stemmedbowl and

would be

difficult o

separate

rom that

shape

in sherdmaterial.

86

Ibid.

fig.

9.

66

P3842.

87

Ibid.

546

and

pl.

9.

75 P3843.

88

Ibid.

515

and

fig. 9.

67

P3853-

89

Ibid.

516

fn.

9

and

fig.

6.

69

P3866.

90

Pylos

I,

figs.

351

no.

548, 352

no.

507,

ThebesTablets

I,

Ph.

54.

91

Pylos

,

fig.

331

bottom

right.

92

Ibid.

fig.

331

bottom

right.



18/30

THE

DESTRUCTION

OF

THE

PALACE

AT PYLOS

125

45

Iria

46

Iria

47

Menelaion

F48

Ay

Stephanos

49

Ay

Steph

anos

50

AySteph

anos

FIG.8.

Deep

bowl FS

284

Type

2.



19/30

126

P.A.

MOUNTJOY

17

25

52

53

Ay.

Stephanos

Ay

Stephanos

51

Pylos

Ay

Stephanos

54

55

25

4

Ay

Stephanos

18

57

56

Korakou

AyStephanos

58 Pylos

60

Thorikos

/59

Ay.

Kosmas

61

Pylos

FIG.

9.

Deep

bowl

FS

284

Type

2.



20/30

THE DESTRUCTION

OF

THE PALACE

AT PYLOS

127

63

Iria

2

Ay. Stephanos

F

64

Thorikos

FIG. o.

Deep

bowl FS

284

Type

2.

above,

this is

a

Minoan motif

not

a

Mycenaean

one.

The

carinated

Type 3

is

represented by

71 with panelled pattern

and the

straight-sided

Type

4

by

73, 76-7. 73

has barredsemicircles

linked

by fringed

chevrons.

The motif

is of Minoan

derivation,

particularly

he

fringing,

which

comes

from

the dissolution

of the

flower motif

in LM III

B.93

The

fringing

on the

chalice

29

is

also

of this

type.

A

similar motif

to that

on

73

is found on the

Type

3

deep

bowl

from

Pellana

65,

which has a

barred

semicircle

linked

by

chevrons

forming

the

upper body

of

its

hybrid

flower

motif.

The

stacked

zigzag

on

76

is also found

on

a

large

piriform

ar

2

from Tholos

III

and the

Type

2

deep

bowl from

Ay.

Kosmas

59.

It has evolved

from

a Minoan

III A

motif,

the

stacked

V

pattern.94

The

darkgrounddeep

bowl

58

from Room

46,

which

Popham assigns

to later

LH III

C or

early

Iron

Age,95belongs

to

Type

2.

A

comparison

of the

shape

of

58

with Menelaion

47

and

Ay.

Kosmas

59

shows this

very clearly.

The

Ay.

Kosmas vase has the same

darkground

decoration

as

58.

Its context

cannot be later

than

LH III

C

Early

at

the

latest. The

darkgrounddeep

bowl

89

from

Thorikos also has

a

narrow

decorative

zone. The decoration

of

58

consisting

of barred

semicircles

is an

untidy

version of that on

73

from

Pylos

Lower

Town.

On

58

a

single

loop

is

all that remains

of the chevrons

depicted

on

73,

while the

fringe

to the chevrons is

rendered as

a line of blobs.

A

close

parallel

in

shape

to

58

is

6x

from

Room

93

BSA

65

(1970),

200

fig.

3-

31-3.

94

For

example

PoDIA

i (i995),

24

fig.

4

c-d.

95

OJA

10

1991),

316-I7.



21/30

128

P.A. MOUNTJOY

43.

Indeed,

the

shape

is so

similar,

particularly

he

foot,

as to

suggest

the same

workshop

for

these vases. With

61

in

Room

43

was

51,

also

Type

2,

decorated

with

a

motif

adapted

from the

LM III B

repertoire;

the

spirals

are Minoan double

spirals,96

while the

fringe

on the

panel97

arises from the

LM III

B

flower

motif,

as mentioned above.

There

is a

good

late

LM III B

parallel

to

the

fringed panel

on

a

deep

bowl from

Knossos.98

The few other open shapes which carry decoration include stemmed kraters,which are

decorated as

in LH III B

with whorl-shell and

hybrid

flower

18,

but

ineptly,

as well as

one

with double

wavy

line,99

dippers

with the usual dotted

rim,'00

and linear

mugs.'0'

Decorated closed

shapes

include

large jars

FS

105

and

amphorae

FS

69102

as well as the

belly-handled amphora

FS

58

6;

this is a

popular

LH

III

C

shape

in

the north-west

Peloponnese,

but at

Pylos

it seems to have been

produced

earlier,

since there are several linear

versions from

the

palace.

Indeed,

the

shape

has

already

appeared

n LH I in

Messenia,

where it

seems to be

a

local

development.'03

The

small

LH III

C

Early ug

FS

IIi

is

present

12,

as also

at

Iria,1'04

uggesting

t

appears

in

this

phase

rather than

in LH

III

C,

as was

thought.105

here

are

a

few decorated

piriform ars.

Small

piriform ars

FS

48,

such

as

4-5, may

have a conical

lower

body

and

overlarge

vertical handles

in

imitation

of a

Minoan

type;'06

a similar vessel

from

Epidauros

Limera

3

suggests

this

may

be

a

local south

Peloponnesian

type;

indeed,

the

shape

is

already

found

in LH III

A2

in

Messenia.107

A

group

of

five

large

decorated

piriform

jars

FS

35,108

he

only

ones

from the

palace,

was found

in

Room

32.

The

sparse

body banding

(only

at

belly

and base on

all

except one) suggests

a

local

provenance,

as also the

simple stripe

down the centre of

the

handle

of two of the vessels

I

instead

of

the usual monochrome

handle.

Two of these

piriform

jars

are decorated with

octopus

and

argonaut'09

n

what

might

be

a

continuation

of the

LH III

A2

tradition

in

the case of

the

argonaut,

but not of

the

octopus,

which is not

normally

used on this

shape.

These motifs are not found on

LH III B

piriform ars,

but

were, however,

used on Cretan larnakes

n LM III

A-III

B; 11

ince there

is much Minoan

influence on Messenia

and,

to

a

lesser

extent,

on

Elis and

Achaea1 '

hroughout

the

LBA,

it is

not impossible that the choice of motifs on the Pylos piriformjars was influenced by their

appearance

on

contemporary

Minoan artefacts.

Moreover,

the

Pylos octopus

has

fringed

tentacles;

fringing

is not

a

feature of

LH III

A2-B

octopuses,

but

very

similar

fringing

is found

on creatures on

Minoan

larnakes,

such

as on the birds on a

LM III A-B

larnax from

Armenoi 12

and,

more

particularly,

on

octopuses

on

larnakes

from Tourtouloi and Praisos

dated to

LM III

B-C, 3

which look forward to the

fringed

octopus

so common on

LM

III

C

stirrup ars.

Two other of these

piriform ars

are decorated

with

scale

pattern,114

motif

found

in

LH

III

A

and

LH III

B,

but the linear decoration

consisting

of

a broad band flanked

by

a

96

BSA

65

(1970),

198

fig.

2.

18-19.

97

Added to

the

drawing

from the

back

of the vase.

98

Popham

(n.

77),

pl.

8

c-d.

99

Pylos

,

fig.

387.

100For

example

ibid.

fig. 357.

257,

86.

101

Ibid.

fig. 365. 336, 234.

102

Ibid.

FS

105

fig.

367. 676,

FS

69

fig.

371.

1175, 1138,

8o6.

103

Ibid.

fig.

196.

I,

O.

Dickinson,

The

Origins

f Mycenaean

Civilisation

(SIMA 49;

G6teborg,

1977),23.

104

Tiryns

VI,

BI6 pl.

65.

4.

105

MP

6o2.

106

Kanta,

figs.

75- 5,

76.

i,

3-4-

107

Pylos II,

fig.

273.

9.

108

Pylos

,

figs.

377-8.

109Ibid.

fig.

378.

403, 409-

110

Kanta,

ig. 73-

9

octopus,

P.

Betancourt,

The

History

of

Minoan

PotteryPrinceton, 1985),

pl.

27

A

stylized argonauts.

.'

Most

recently

a larnax of bath

type

decorated with

octopus

on the exterior and

large

fish on the interior has

been found

in a tomb in

Achaea.

112

Betancourt

(n.

IIo),

pl.

27

B.

113

Kanta,

292

and

figs. 65. 3, 73-

9-

114

Pylos

I,

fig.

377-

406-7.



22/30

THE

DESTRUCTION

OF

THE PALACE AT PYLOS

129

65

Pellana

66

Thorikos

68

Menelaion

67

Thebes

69

Sykea

70

Sykea

V72

Iria

Pylos

71

FIG.

I.

Deep

bowl

FS

284

Type

3.



23/30

i30

P.A.

MOUNTJOY

73

Pylos

Menelaion

74

75

Sykea

Pylos

76

1

77

Pylos

FIG.

12.

Deep

bowl FS

284

Type

4.

narrow one is

a

LH III

Al-III

A2

early

feature,

suggesting

that

LH III A

vases

may

have been

copied. 5

he rows of

running spiral

on the last

piriform ar

x can be found

in LH III

A2

and

LH III

C. These

piriformjars

have

down-sloping

rims,

as also a

piriformjar

2

from Tholos

Tomb III; this is an earlier feature but it is present on the alabastronfrom Athens 9 and on

Elian

LH III

C

Earlybelly-handledamphorae

and alabastra.116

Similarly

to

piriform

jars, stirrup ars

tend to have

simple banding

17

rather than the fine

line

groups normally

found;

the

only stirrup ars

with the latter

type

of

banding

are

probably

Argive imports

14.117

All

the

stirrup ars

from the

palace

are variations of FS

182,

the

conical

type,

and

FS

164,

the

large storage type, apart

from the

probable Argive import

x4,

which is

115

MDPfigs.

58-61,

80. I.

116

RMDPElis

nos.

64,

67.

117

Pylos

I,

fig. 391.

412

FS

182.



24/30

THE

DESTRUCTION

OF THE PALACE

AT

PYLOS

131

FS

173.

It

is most

odd

that

the

globular

FS

173

is not found

in

the

palace,

as

elsewhere it

is

the

most

popular stirrup jar shape

and the

only

one which continues

through

LH III

C. The

stirrup jar

FS

182

17

has

narrow

zonal decoration of foliate band

on the shoulder

which

recalls the

LH III C

Early

decoration

of Achaean

stirrup ars

and other

vases. 8

An

octopus

stirrup jar

FS

164119

s

not

out

of

place

in

this transitional context.

One

has

recently

been

found in the destructionlevel at Midea with a Linear B inscription.There is also an octopus

stirrup ar

from the Archive Room at Thebes.'20

Shapes peculiar

to the

palace

include

pithoil21

decorated with horizontal

wavy

line and

pithoid

hydriae,122

ith

two

small horizontal

belly

handles and a

vertical

handle from

neck to

shoulder,

also decorated with horizontal

wavy

lines,

as well as

vases which imitate

palatial

LH

II

A

jars

in

shape,

but not

necessarily

in

decoration.'23

One

of these

vessels,

no.

612,

has

squares

of

framed

net similar to that on the

Type

I

deep

bowl

from

Pylos

43;

another,

no.

418,

has

zones of rock

pattern,

a

motif

in

vogue

on alabastra until

LH III C

Early

and on

the

spouted

bowl FS

253

until

LH III

B;

other

vessels,

nos.

6oo,

604,

6o6,

are decorated with

vertical

wavy

lines

or

spirals

which

may

be

in

added white

paint;

several

vessels

have

rock

pattern

round

the

neck

in

the

Cretan

LM

II

tradition. Other local

shapes

include

a

version

of

the

stirrup ug

FS

151

with a double-beaked

spoutl24

and

of

FS

118

with a

pedestal

base.'25

A

large

collar-necked

ar

7,

unusually

et

on

tripod

feet,

has

a

pair

of

protuberant

ugs

each side

on

the shoulder.

This

large

size

FS

63

is

found on the Mainland

from

LH III

C,126

ut

it is

present

in

the transitional

deposits

at

Iria127

nd

at

Thebes.'28

There are

reasonablygood parallels

o the

shape

of the

Pylos

vase from

Crete dated

to

LM III

B

by

Kanta and

LM III

B-C

by

La

Rosa.'29

It is

decoratedwith

huge

semicircles inked

by

chevrons,

a

motif which

seems to be common

in

LH III

B2

and

possibly

n

LH

III

C

Early.

It is

present

in

the West Wall

deposit

at

Tiryns

on a

Group

B

deep

bowl,'30

at

Teichos

Dymaion

on a

Group

A

deep

bowl,131

nd is a

common motif

on vases

assigned

to

LH III

C

Early

n

Phocis,'32

which

may,

however,

belong

to this transitional

phase.

It

is also found

in

Boeotia: the

deep

bowl

from

Scimatari

38

is

assignedstylistically

o the

transitionalphase.A kratersherd from thisphaseat Nichoria'33with a monochrome nteriorhas

a variant

of

this

motif;

the semicirclesare

reduced to

curving

tails

Mountjoy - Deconstr Palace

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