Papers by Trevor Van Damme
Antiquity 98, pp. 1271–1289, 2024
Classical archaeological chronologies are steeped in relative dating, but the application of abso... more Classical archaeological chronologies are steeped in relative dating, but the application of absolute methods does not always support such clear-cut seriation. Here, the authors consider the significance of a Macedonian vase in reconciling the conventional and absolute chronologies of Early Iron Age Greece. Decorated with compass-drawn concentric circles and found in a Late Bronze Age context at ancient Eleon, Boeotia, the authors argue that this vessel establishes a chronological anchor and supports a twelfth-century BC emergence of the Protogeometric style in central Macedonia. A model for the indigenous development and dispersal of the Macedonian Protogeometric style is presented for future elaboration.
Archaeometry 65, 2023
In this article, we present the results of application of petrographic and neutron activation ana... more In this article, we present the results of application of petrographic and neutron activation analyses to a group of pottery fragments dating to the 12th century BCE deriving from ancient Eleon (Boeotia, Greece) as a means of investigating regional and interregional networks in which the site participated. Production centres in Boeotia and central Euboea provided, as could be expected, the majority of sampled pottery across various shapes. A number of more distant areas, however, such as eastern Attica, the Cyclades, Macedonia, and western Crete, are also documented in the present study, suggesting their products were available to local consumers at ancient Eleon. These results are discussed with reference to consumer preferences and exchange networks operating at that time. Finally, some of the identified petrographic and chemical groups can be securely identified at the macroscopic level, allowing us to arrive at conclusions pertinent to a substantial part of the entire pottery assemblage.
Hesperia 92.1, pp. 111-190., 2023
This article reconstructs the stratigraphy of the Mycenaean Fountain on the North Slope of the At... more This article reconstructs the stratigraphy of the Mycenaean Fountain on the North Slope of the Athenian Acropolis, excavated in 1937 and 1938 under the direction of Oscar Broneer. Although Broneer published a detailed report in 1939, his publication was not exhaustive, and the significance of the Early Iron Age finds was overlooked. Drawing on the original excavation notebooks and a complete restudy of all retained ceramic material from the Mycenaean Fountain, I argue for two major filling events: the first early in Late Helladic IIIC (ca. 1200-1170 B.C.) and the second in the Early Archaic period (ca. 700-675 B.C.). The latter provides new evidence for the date of the first temple of Athena on the Acropolis.
Mouseion 18.1, pp. 86–133, 2021
Mouseion 18.1, pp. 48–85, 2021
Encyclopedia of Ancient History , 2021
Athens has been continuously occupied since the Neolithic period. During the Late Bronze Age, the... more Athens has been continuously occupied since the Neolithic period. During the Late Bronze Age, the Acropolis featured a Cyclopean fortification and numerous wealthy chamber tombs. Shortly after 1200 BCE, the community suffered a major decline in population and for around a century the population declined. During the Protogeometric and Geometric periods, Athens experienced a sustained period of growth that saw a series of small settlement nuclei around the Acropolis grow and merge into a single large urban center. The same periods saw the emergence of the first public cults as well as the introduction of alphabetic script.
Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 33.2, pp. 185–210, 2020
Hesperia 89.4, pp. 659–723, 2020
American Journal of Archaeology 124.3, pp. 441–476, 2020
Annual of the British School at Athens 114, pp. 93–117, 2019
This paper examines Late Bronze Age chipped ceramic and stone discs known most commonly as stoppe... more This paper examines Late Bronze Age chipped ceramic and stone discs known most commonly as stoppers. Stoppers are distinguished from other classes of archaeological finds, including pierced discs and lids. Although it has long been known that stoppers could play a role in sealing ceramic vessels, recent scholarship has preferred to see them as multifunctional. For this article, 158 stoppers and 100 spout apertures from transport stirrup jar spouts found in secure Late Bronze Age III contexts have been studied. The results demonstrate a strong correlation in the apertures of transport stirrup jar spouts and the maximum diameter of stoppers that points to a meaningful relationship between the two. As the primary transport container of the Late Bronze Age, transport stirrup jars required careful sealing in order to allow their contents to transit without spilling or spoiling. There were many possible sealing configurations, however, and indeed this paper demonstrates some support for independent Mycenaean and Minoan traditions. A comparison with sealing traditions throughout the eastern Mediterranean reveals that the stopper method of sealing endured or reoccurred for thousands of years for the storage and transport of a specific commodity-wine. I conclude with the case study of stopper distributions at ancient Eleon, Boeotia, in order to show that a contextualised study of stoppers and stoppering activities in domestic structures has much to contribute to the study of social processes and domestic consumption practices.
An Island between Two Worlds: The Archaeology of Euboea from Prehistoric to Byzantine Times, edited by Z. Tankosic, M. Kosma, and F. Mavridis, pp. 171–182. Athens: Norwegian Institute of Archaeology in Athens, 2017
KOSMOS: Jewellery, Adornment and Textiles in the Aegean Bronze Age, 13th International Aegean Conference, University of Copenhagen, April 19–22, 2010. Aegaeum 33, edited by R. Laffineur and L. Nosch, pp. 163–170. University of Liège: Liège, 2012
Book Reviews by Trevor Van Damme
Bryn Mawr Classical Review Online, 2024
Mouseion 17.1, pp. 75–78, 2020
Bryn Mawr Classical Review Online , 2018
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Papers by Trevor Van Damme
Book Reviews by Trevor Van Damme