Ε. Κουντούρη - Α. Γκαδόλου (επιμ.), Ι. ΝΕΚΡΟΤΑΦΕΙΑ. Χωροταξική Οργάνωση, Ταφικά Έθιμα, Τελετουργίες, Τόμος 3, Αθήνα, σ. 385-394. ISBN 978-960-386-409-7 ΤΟΜΟΣ 3 978-960-386-412-7, 2019
During the last decades, new sites of ancient cemeteries on islands in the NE Aegean have been di... more During the last decades, new sites of ancient cemeteries on islands in the NE Aegean have been discovered in the course of rescue excavations, providing interesting data on burial practices in this region of the Greek world. Payment of Charon appears to have been the main reason justifying the presence of coins in burials. Apart from the above practice, a small number of coin hoards were deposited in tombs as grave gifts to accompany the dead to the Underworld. Parts of both the western and northern necropolis have been brought to light in the city of Mytilini. Most of the burials date to Hellenistic and Roman times, and included bronze coins. A gold stater with types of Alexander the Great, which was found in a cist grave along with a gold wreath of olive leaves, was a rare find. From the place it was found it may be concluded with certainty that it was intended as “Charon’s obol”, and it testifies to the prominent position of the deceased in local society. The commonest numismatic type we encounter in burials
is an issue of Mytilini with the head of Zeus Ammon depicted on the obverse and a xoanon of Dionysus on the reverse. This type dates to the 2nd-1st c. BC and we can discern various symbols of the mint on the obverse which allow us to distinguish the different coin issues of the city of Mytilini during Hellenistic times. The burials uncovered during rescue excavations in the city of Chios date from the Late Classical period to Roman times. The coins are normally found in the mouth of the deceased. They are mostly bronze issues of the city of Chios with a depiction of a Sphinx on the obverse and a representation of an amphora on the reverse, where the name of the city’s archon responsible for the particular issue is given. The discovery of “intruder” (i.e. non-Chian) coins in burials revealed during a rescue excavation on a privately-owned property is especially interesting. Indicatively we may mention bronze coins of Chalkida, Rhodes, Erythrai (Ionia) and of Prusias, king of Bithynia, which probably indicates the ethnic origin of the dead; alternatively, they may have been placed in burials since they could not be used in everyday transactions on the island.
At Myrina on Lemnos, part of a cemetery dating to Late Hellenistic and Roman times has been uncovered. In contrast to the cemeteries at Mytilini and Chios, at Lemnos coins were found only in a limited number of burials. In a group of eight tombs dating from the second half of the 2nd to the 1st c. BC, three gold danakes with a representation of an owl were found. The gold danakes from Myrina recall the representation on the reverse of the Athenian Hellenistic “new style” tetradrachms, pointing to the island’s close relations with Athens.
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Papers by Efterpi Ralli
Catalogue of the exhibition which was held at the Shanghai Library (June 2010).
Exhibition catalogue which was held in Centre for Fine Arts (Bozar), Brussels (January - April 2014).
Trois jetons en plomb du Musée numismatique d’Athènes, appartenant à la collection Adonis Kyrou, portent un portrait masculin avec un diadème et une corne de bélier. Les analogies les plus proches se trouvent dans une collection privée de jetons en plomb dont la provenance présumée est Ephèse. L’objectif de cet article est double : a) faire valoir que le portrait sur les jetons peut être identifié avec celui d’Alexandre III, b) proposer Ephèse comme lieu d’origine possible et explorer leurs utilisations éventuelles dans le cadre du culte et des fêtes d’Artémis d’Ephèse ainsi qu’en relation avec le culte des souverains hellénistiques.
is an issue of Mytilini with the head of Zeus Ammon depicted on the obverse and a xoanon of Dionysus on the reverse. This type dates to the 2nd-1st c. BC and we can discern various symbols of the mint on the obverse which allow us to distinguish the different coin issues of the city of Mytilini during Hellenistic times. The burials uncovered during rescue excavations in the city of Chios date from the Late Classical period to Roman times. The coins are normally found in the mouth of the deceased. They are mostly bronze issues of the city of Chios with a depiction of a Sphinx on the obverse and a representation of an amphora on the reverse, where the name of the city’s archon responsible for the particular issue is given. The discovery of “intruder” (i.e. non-Chian) coins in burials revealed during a rescue excavation on a privately-owned property is especially interesting. Indicatively we may mention bronze coins of Chalkida, Rhodes, Erythrai (Ionia) and of Prusias, king of Bithynia, which probably indicates the ethnic origin of the dead; alternatively, they may have been placed in burials since they could not be used in everyday transactions on the island.
At Myrina on Lemnos, part of a cemetery dating to Late Hellenistic and Roman times has been uncovered. In contrast to the cemeteries at Mytilini and Chios, at Lemnos coins were found only in a limited number of burials. In a group of eight tombs dating from the second half of the 2nd to the 1st c. BC, three gold danakes with a representation of an owl were found. The gold danakes from Myrina recall the representation on the reverse of the Athenian Hellenistic “new style” tetradrachms, pointing to the island’s close relations with Athens.
τον κύκλο ζωής του ήρωα, από την παιδική του ηλικία, αλλά και από τη ζωή του ως ενήλικα, η οποία σηματοδοτείται από τους άθλους που πραγματοποίησε. Στα μολύβδινα σύμβολα απεικονίζονται ολόσωμες παραστάσεις του ήρωα, η κεφαλή ή η προτομή του, αλλά και το ρόπαλο, το χαρακτηριστικό του όπλο.
inscriptions, linear and floral decorative patterns, paraphernalia, items of everyday use, etc. A total of thirty-eight (38) tokens from the rich collection of the Numismatic Museum are included in the catalogue of the exhibition Fruit and Symbols, bearing images of fruits and plants. Depicted on them are the cornucopia, which epitomizes the symbolism of fruitfulness, olive and palm trees, plants such as grain, poppy-head, silphium and fruits such as apple, acorn, grape, grain ear, barleycorn and olive.
The hoard consists of 1225 bronze coins (1219 of Mytilene, one of Antissa, one of Eressos, two of Nessos, one of Pergamum and one of Messene). The Mytilene coins belong to three different series (i. female head / lyre; ii. Bearded head of Ammon Zeus / xoanon of Dionysus; iii. Beardless head of Ammon Zeus / xoanon of Dionysus) dated to the 2nd – 1st c. BC. Their vast majority is very or entirely worn especially on the reverse; it also bears one and occasionally two countermarks of the lyre and mainly the head of Dionysus type. Especially, the countermark with the head of Dionysus conforms to the coin iconography of Mytilene and testifies to a local cult, given that it depicts the xoanon of the god. Both the extensive wear and the application of countermarks indicate the long and recurrent circulation of the coins.
The concealment of the hoard on Krene Street occurred in the 1st c. BC, possibly during the turbulent times of the Mithridatic Wars, by probably a wealthy individual in an attempt to secure his/her money.
Pamphlet, published by the Numismatic Museum, on the occasion of a photographic exhibition and the artistic installation of Marianne Strapatsakis, concerning Lavrion, the ancient mines and the coinage of Athens.
pure lead symbols constitutes a true originality.
It consists of ninghty three (93) lead symbols and includes two iconographic types. The first type contains eighty
two (82) symbols carrying a depiction of an owl turning its head to the front while standing on a corn stalk
with one leaf. The second iconographic type contains the eleven (11) remaining symbols of the Treasure. It
depicts either a monograph (ºπ§;) or the schema of a plant composed by a round flower and a tall stalk with
two leaves.
The owl, an Athenian symbol par excellence and the most representative feature of the Athenian coinage, indicates
that the symbols of the first type are either Athenian or Attic. This is also verified by the existence of the
letter A on the right wing of the owl. In many cases, the depictions on the symbols are related to their use.
For example, the existence of the corn stalk on which the owl stands, probably indicates that both coining and
use of the Treasure ' s symbols are connected to the procedure of the corn distribution. In order to determine
the age of the Treasure ' s symbols and accepting also the fact that symbols and coins were strongly related in
the well organized city-state of Athens, we compared their technique to that of the owls, which had been sufficiently
dated and compared to more recent specimens.
In conclusion, wishing to express our respect and admiration for Ioannis Svoronos, who first detected the great
significance of the Treasure, we are now able to deduce that the date of its concealment can be set somewhere
between the latter quarter of the 3rd century BC and the first half of the 2nd century BC and that it was used
by the Athenian state for corn distribution.
Books by Efterpi Ralli
Catalogue of the exhibition which was held in New York (December 2006 - May 2007).
Exhibition catalogue which was held at the Point-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex (December 2014 - April 2015), the Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau (June - October 2015), at The Field Museum, Chicago (November 2015 - April 2016) and the National Geographic Museum, Washington DC (May 2015 - October 2016).
Exhibition catalogue in the Archaeological Museum of Ioannina (April - December 2013).
Catalogue of the exhibition which was held at the Shanghai Library (June 2010).
Exhibition catalogue which was held in Centre for Fine Arts (Bozar), Brussels (January - April 2014).
Trois jetons en plomb du Musée numismatique d’Athènes, appartenant à la collection Adonis Kyrou, portent un portrait masculin avec un diadème et une corne de bélier. Les analogies les plus proches se trouvent dans une collection privée de jetons en plomb dont la provenance présumée est Ephèse. L’objectif de cet article est double : a) faire valoir que le portrait sur les jetons peut être identifié avec celui d’Alexandre III, b) proposer Ephèse comme lieu d’origine possible et explorer leurs utilisations éventuelles dans le cadre du culte et des fêtes d’Artémis d’Ephèse ainsi qu’en relation avec le culte des souverains hellénistiques.
is an issue of Mytilini with the head of Zeus Ammon depicted on the obverse and a xoanon of Dionysus on the reverse. This type dates to the 2nd-1st c. BC and we can discern various symbols of the mint on the obverse which allow us to distinguish the different coin issues of the city of Mytilini during Hellenistic times. The burials uncovered during rescue excavations in the city of Chios date from the Late Classical period to Roman times. The coins are normally found in the mouth of the deceased. They are mostly bronze issues of the city of Chios with a depiction of a Sphinx on the obverse and a representation of an amphora on the reverse, where the name of the city’s archon responsible for the particular issue is given. The discovery of “intruder” (i.e. non-Chian) coins in burials revealed during a rescue excavation on a privately-owned property is especially interesting. Indicatively we may mention bronze coins of Chalkida, Rhodes, Erythrai (Ionia) and of Prusias, king of Bithynia, which probably indicates the ethnic origin of the dead; alternatively, they may have been placed in burials since they could not be used in everyday transactions on the island.
At Myrina on Lemnos, part of a cemetery dating to Late Hellenistic and Roman times has been uncovered. In contrast to the cemeteries at Mytilini and Chios, at Lemnos coins were found only in a limited number of burials. In a group of eight tombs dating from the second half of the 2nd to the 1st c. BC, three gold danakes with a representation of an owl were found. The gold danakes from Myrina recall the representation on the reverse of the Athenian Hellenistic “new style” tetradrachms, pointing to the island’s close relations with Athens.
τον κύκλο ζωής του ήρωα, από την παιδική του ηλικία, αλλά και από τη ζωή του ως ενήλικα, η οποία σηματοδοτείται από τους άθλους που πραγματοποίησε. Στα μολύβδινα σύμβολα απεικονίζονται ολόσωμες παραστάσεις του ήρωα, η κεφαλή ή η προτομή του, αλλά και το ρόπαλο, το χαρακτηριστικό του όπλο.
inscriptions, linear and floral decorative patterns, paraphernalia, items of everyday use, etc. A total of thirty-eight (38) tokens from the rich collection of the Numismatic Museum are included in the catalogue of the exhibition Fruit and Symbols, bearing images of fruits and plants. Depicted on them are the cornucopia, which epitomizes the symbolism of fruitfulness, olive and palm trees, plants such as grain, poppy-head, silphium and fruits such as apple, acorn, grape, grain ear, barleycorn and olive.
The hoard consists of 1225 bronze coins (1219 of Mytilene, one of Antissa, one of Eressos, two of Nessos, one of Pergamum and one of Messene). The Mytilene coins belong to three different series (i. female head / lyre; ii. Bearded head of Ammon Zeus / xoanon of Dionysus; iii. Beardless head of Ammon Zeus / xoanon of Dionysus) dated to the 2nd – 1st c. BC. Their vast majority is very or entirely worn especially on the reverse; it also bears one and occasionally two countermarks of the lyre and mainly the head of Dionysus type. Especially, the countermark with the head of Dionysus conforms to the coin iconography of Mytilene and testifies to a local cult, given that it depicts the xoanon of the god. Both the extensive wear and the application of countermarks indicate the long and recurrent circulation of the coins.
The concealment of the hoard on Krene Street occurred in the 1st c. BC, possibly during the turbulent times of the Mithridatic Wars, by probably a wealthy individual in an attempt to secure his/her money.
Pamphlet, published by the Numismatic Museum, on the occasion of a photographic exhibition and the artistic installation of Marianne Strapatsakis, concerning Lavrion, the ancient mines and the coinage of Athens.
pure lead symbols constitutes a true originality.
It consists of ninghty three (93) lead symbols and includes two iconographic types. The first type contains eighty
two (82) symbols carrying a depiction of an owl turning its head to the front while standing on a corn stalk
with one leaf. The second iconographic type contains the eleven (11) remaining symbols of the Treasure. It
depicts either a monograph (ºπ§;) or the schema of a plant composed by a round flower and a tall stalk with
two leaves.
The owl, an Athenian symbol par excellence and the most representative feature of the Athenian coinage, indicates
that the symbols of the first type are either Athenian or Attic. This is also verified by the existence of the
letter A on the right wing of the owl. In many cases, the depictions on the symbols are related to their use.
For example, the existence of the corn stalk on which the owl stands, probably indicates that both coining and
use of the Treasure ' s symbols are connected to the procedure of the corn distribution. In order to determine
the age of the Treasure ' s symbols and accepting also the fact that symbols and coins were strongly related in
the well organized city-state of Athens, we compared their technique to that of the owls, which had been sufficiently
dated and compared to more recent specimens.
In conclusion, wishing to express our respect and admiration for Ioannis Svoronos, who first detected the great
significance of the Treasure, we are now able to deduce that the date of its concealment can be set somewhere
between the latter quarter of the 3rd century BC and the first half of the 2nd century BC and that it was used
by the Athenian state for corn distribution.
Catalogue of the exhibition which was held in New York (December 2006 - May 2007).
Exhibition catalogue which was held at the Point-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex (December 2014 - April 2015), the Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau (June - October 2015), at The Field Museum, Chicago (November 2015 - April 2016) and the National Geographic Museum, Washington DC (May 2015 - October 2016).
Exhibition catalogue in the Archaeological Museum of Ioannina (April - December 2013).
Exhibition catalogue which was held in the Numismatic Museum in Athens, commemorating the 2.500 years from the naval battle at Salamis.
Exhibition catalogue, Regional Archaeological Museum - Plovdiv (May - October 2013)
Aim of this article is to promote this kind of acquisitions of the Numismatic Museum, most of which are being presented to the scientific community for the first time.
The subject of this doctoral thesis is the study of four hundred and thirty-eight (438) lead tokens of the Adonis Kyrou Collection, donated in 1998 to the Numismatic Museum of Athens, bearing representations of flora and fauna.