Lefkandi-Toumba cemetery study season 2005
Assessment and Analysis: Study season
A study season, entirely supported by the Packard Humanities Institute was undertaken at the Museum of Eretria in Spring and Summer when a number of specialists were involved in studying material from the Toumba cemetery. In particular Professor H. Matthaus (University of Erlangen-Nürnberg) and Dr G. Schumacher-Matthäus (Westfälisches Museum für Archäologie, Münster) studied the metal vases. Professor Matthäus reports: 'The finds comprise locally produced types of metalwork, for example undecorated hemispherical bowls, as well as imports from the East. The tomb contexts will help to clarify the chronological position of the imports, burial customs (male/female/children burials), and aspects of daily life (for example, the role of banquets in Euboean society of the time) as well as social behaviour.' Dr Andrew Reyes (Groton and Oxford) studied the Near Eastern seals. He reports: 'The seals from Lefkandi contribute much to our understanding of glyptic fashions current in Euboea and add significantly to our knowledge of the connections between that island and the eastern Mediterranean. With the publication and analysis of several glyptic corpora over the past decades from sites across the Mediterranean, the Levant, and Mesopotamia, we are now in a position to add more detailed information with regard to Euboean practices and foreign relations. ' Dr J. H. Musgrave (Bristol) and Mrs Musgrave examined the human remains of the cemetery, especially the cremation from T.79 while Mrs S. Crowther examined the animal remains especially the horse-burials from the cemetery. In Summer, Dr J. Ogden returned to complete his study of the gold jewellery. He also gave a seminar for the benefit of the excavation team. Professor T. Rehren took a number of samples for scientific analyses from iron, bronze, glass, and faience objects. Objects were restored after sampling, where necessary, by E. Asderaki (conservator of the Museum of Volos). During the summer, Dr I. Lemos met with Y. Spantoudaki (Hellenic Centre of Ancient Textiles) and C. Mouherat (Louvre). Both had made their first inspection of the cloth from the main burial under the Toumba building (the cloth is still kept in the National Museum). Discussions were also held with the director of the National Museum (Dr N. Kaltsas) in order to facilitate a more detailed study of the cloth. Finally Dr M. Kerschner (Vienna) visited the site to plan together with Dr Lemos an application for sampling clay for an analysis which will involve a number of sites in the Aegean. Samples will be taken from vases found both in the Toumba cemetery and the new excavations of the settlement on Xeropolis.
Active in 2005.
Lemos, Professor Irene S.