Greece: Kerameikos
Jun. 7th, 2009 10:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
riontelIf you not reading yet Lena's account of our adventures in Greece you absolutely should. Firstly, because what I am about to write won't make much sense otherwise and, secondly, because she writes well. I'll even make it easy for you:
Athens, Part One
Athens, Part Two
Mykonos
Delos
Our first full day in Greece, spent in Athens, was fully devoted to ancient ruins. After the usual suspects such as Acropolis, Ancient Agora and Roman Agora we had a choice of either visiting Temple of Olympian Zeus or an ancient cemetery. I, of course, picked the latter because there are just so many fragments of pillars one can absorb in a day and I already filled my quota. Thus we ended up on our way to Kerameikos.
Kerameikos according to conflicting sources, one of which is Pausanias, was either named after Keramos, the son of Dionysios and Ariadne (the one of the Labyrinth and thread fame), or, more likely, after a bunch of potters that used to populate the neighborhood. Our ceramics and Kerameikos share a close linguistic relationship. Cemetery itself dates back to about 12th century BC and was used for burials for at least a millennium, until all sorts of invaders passing by on their merry rampaging way mostly destroyed the area. It was not discovered again until XIX century. A portion of it has been excavated, ancient monuments uncovered and taken to various museums, including the one on site. Now it's a peacefully quiet spot in the busy city, with grass and wild flowers picturesquely and indiscriminatingly growing equally around scattered remnants of ancient masonry and newish replicas and inhabited by some unexpected creatures.
We stopped by the on-site museum to look at the original stelae and tombstones. The ones erected prior to the decree of 317 BC which forbade the construction of private funeral monuments in Athens are rather elaborate, with the pride of place belonging to the well-endowed marble bull from the grave of Dionysious from Kolytos.
Romans later permitted the opulent displays but none of those survive.
Museum also contains a collection of various pottery recovered from the grave offerings. These folks, for instance, are either mourning or doing a Macarena, depending on your outlook on life (or death):
Athens, Part One
Athens, Part Two
Mykonos
Delos
Our first full day in Greece, spent in Athens, was fully devoted to ancient ruins. After the usual suspects such as Acropolis, Ancient Agora and Roman Agora we had a choice of either visiting Temple of Olympian Zeus or an ancient cemetery. I, of course, picked the latter because there are just so many fragments of pillars one can absorb in a day and I already filled my quota. Thus we ended up on our way to Kerameikos.
 |
Kerameikos according to conflicting sources, one of which is Pausanias, was either named after Keramos, the son of Dionysios and Ariadne (the one of the Labyrinth and thread fame), or, more likely, after a bunch of potters that used to populate the neighborhood. Our ceramics and Kerameikos share a close linguistic relationship. Cemetery itself dates back to about 12th century BC and was used for burials for at least a millennium, until all sorts of invaders passing by on their merry rampaging way mostly destroyed the area. It was not discovered again until XIX century. A portion of it has been excavated, ancient monuments uncovered and taken to various museums, including the one on site. Now it's a peacefully quiet spot in the busy city, with grass and wild flowers picturesquely and indiscriminatingly growing equally around scattered remnants of ancient masonry and newish replicas and inhabited by some unexpected creatures.
 |
We stopped by the on-site museum to look at the original stelae and tombstones. The ones erected prior to the decree of 317 BC which forbade the construction of private funeral monuments in Athens are rather elaborate, with the pride of place belonging to the well-endowed marble bull from the grave of Dionysious from Kolytos.
 |  |
Romans later permitted the opulent displays but none of those survive.
Museum also contains a collection of various pottery recovered from the grave offerings. These folks, for instance, are either mourning or doing a Macarena, depending on your outlook on life (or death):
 |
