The Possibility of a Temple and Theater at Ancient Eleon
“The site of Ancient Eleon is located in Eastern Boeotia right outside of the town of Arma in Greece. The site itself was first mentioned on Linear B tablets found in the Linear B archives of Thebes. It was later mentioned in Homeric writings, such as the Catalogue of Ships, in which it was mentioned that Eleon was part of the Boeotian fleet traveling to Troy (Burke and Burns). The site shows occupations from during the Early and Late Mycenaean Period, the Archaic Period, the Classical period, and it does contain a Medieval tower (Burke et al.).
In 2011, the first phase of Greek-Canadian excavations began and continued until 2015. During this time there was a heavy focus on the Blue Stone Structure (an Early Mycenaean Funerary structure) (Burke et al., 11), the ramped entranceway to the site, a section of the Polygonal Wall, and the Northwest Quadrant of the site, as well as the Southwest Quadrant of the site (Burke et al., 10). The Northwest Quadrant contained evidence of palatial occupation, as well as a deposit of pottery below post-palatial flooring (Burke et al., 14). Similarly, the Southwest Quadrant contained structures that signify three distinct phases including the LH IIIC, LH IIIB, and restored walls from an unknown time period (Burke et al., 15).”
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If I am being completely honest, this was one of the assignments that I was least proud of at Skidmore. Ancient Eleon is a sanctuary site in Eastern Boeotia, Greece and it is a site that my professor has worked at for many years, and it was a site that I had the opportunity to dig at. I wrote this project proposal prior to traveling to the site as my final for Greek Art and Archaeology. I remember having quite a busy semester and not dedicating the time to the project that I should have. However, at the time of submission, I was happy with the work I did. I found sources and read up quite a bit on the site. I also synthesized the knowledge I found about other sites similar to Eleon with my prior knowledge of Eleon. I think that once I had the chance to observe the site in person, I felt like the suggestions I put in the proposal were completely wrong. That in and of itself, is not horrible, especially as I was completely unfamiliar with the site prior to writing the proposal. Knowing what I do know now about the site and my regret for not giving this project the proper time it deserved, I am not happy with the work I did. Nonetheless, I am grateful that it provided me an opportunity to learn about project proposals and their general organization.
This paper exemplifies the following learning goals of the Skidmore College Classics Department:
- identify and assess selected artifacts and monuments within their cultural contexts
- conduct research by traditional and digital methods
- read critically and analyze closely literary texts and modern scholarship
It also reflects the following literacies:
- Information
- Technology
