The Early Μycenaeans of Pylos: The Evidence from the Chamber Tomb Cemetery at Volimidia. Veröffentlichung der Mykenischen Kommission|(Social) Place and Space in Early Mycenaean Greece Mykenische Studien 35|

Résumé 0

When Spyridon Marinatos excavated the LH I–II chamber tomb cemetery at Volimidia, among other sites inthe region of Pylos (1955–1965), Messenia started to emerge as a prosperous and dynamic region of the early Mycenaeanworld that contributed essentially to the formation of the elite sites of the Mycenaean Peloponnese.The cemetery of Volimidia was founded in the transitional MH III/LH I period, and its rock-cut chambers stand amongthe earliest examples of this type of tomb, probably as a result of successful local experimentation at the time of thefoundation of the first tholos tombs in the region.Despite the fact that the considerable quantity of LH I–II vases from Volimidia were not found in association with theburials they accompanied due to the continuous use of the cemetery until LH IIIC Early, these ceramics constitute thebest-preserved assemblage of early Mycenaean pottery from the Pylos region. Their preliminary study points to a localproduction, consistent with the LH I–II repertoire of northern Triphylia (Elis), but also combining Argive, Lakonian,Kytheran and Cretan elements, which echo the cultural blend thanks to which the hegemonic ‘estates’ of Pylos thrived.