Opuscula 16 is published by the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome. Distributed by Eddy.se AB. View volume at ERIH PLUS. All content available with open access. The humans of ancient Hermione. The necropolis in the light of bioarchaeology By Anna Tornberg Abstract Bioarchaeology has the potential to substantially inform about ancient lifeways through osteological analyses of the remains of the once-living individuals. This article provides insights of the demography and health of the people of ancient Hermione (Geometric–Roman period). A minimum number of 85 individuals from the Hermione necropolis was osteologically analysed. Although the analysis was limited by taphonomic processes and the long period of use of the necropolis, the results point towards a population affected by urban hazards, such as infections, high child mortality, and, possibly, decreased opportunity to survive into senescence. Further, stunted growth, evidence of general stress primarily in the juvenile skeletal assemblage, and a possible case of child abuse informs of the hardships experienced by children in ancient Hermione. The osteological analysis also confirms that the two individuals buried in the “Warrior Tomb” were of both sexes. The skeletal remains were unfortunately too poorly preserved for detailed analyses of trauma or other health-related patterns. The…

Opuscula 14 is published with open access. Printed edition distributed by Eddy.se AB. Also available at Amazon.com, Adlibris, and Bokus. View volume at ERIH PLUS. The key to Hermione? Notes on an inscribed monument By Jenny Wallensten (Swedish Institute at Athens, Greece) Abstract This article discusses an inscribed monument found during rescue excavations in the ancient city of Hermione. It provides an editio princeps for the one-word inscription and discusses the symbolism of its relief depiction of a temple key. The examination of the monument is followed by a discussion proposing a new perspective on how to approach the religious milieu of ancient Hermione. Bibliographical information Jenny Wallensten, ’The key to Hermione? Notes on an inscribed monument’, Opuscula. Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome (OpAthRom) 14, Stockholm 2021, 169-180. ISSN: 2000-0898. ISBN: 978-91-977799-3-7. Softcover, 478 pages. https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-14-10 Hermione. A Greek cityscape and its people The section on Hermione, published in OpAthRom 14, comprises six articles: Alcestis Papadimitriou | An ancient cityscape and its people: A study of ancient Hermione. Introductory remarks on historical sources and visible remains, archaeological research and prospects (pp. 65-76) Henrik Gerding | The topography of Hermione—A preliminary outline (pp. 77-99) Jesper Blid, with an appendix by Baukje van den…

Opuscula 14 is published with open access. Printed edition distributed by Eddy.se AB. Also available at Amazon.com, Adlibris, and Bokus. View volume at ERIH PLUS. Life and death in ancient Hermione. Excavations in the necropolis By Angeliki Kossyva (Ephorate of Antiquities of the Argolid, Greece) Abstract The wealth of ancient Hermione is no longer visible: continuous habitation from c. 3000 BC down to the present day has obliterated most traces. Important information on the social organization and economy of Hermione can however be drawn from the tombs that have been unearthed. A large cemetery was discovered in the early 20th century just outside the city gate, stretching along the road leading to ancient Mases and in continuous use for a period of 1,500 years. It covers an area of 1.5 km east–west along the modern Hermione–Kranidi rural road, taking in the terrain to either side to a width of 160 m and extending south to Pron Hill and north to a patch of level ground some 60 m wide. In this article we focus on cemetery finds unearthed in the area south of the present-day Gymnasium-Lykeion school of Hermione, as they typically reflect the urban organization and economic development of…

Opuscula 14 is published with open access. Printed edition distributed by Eddy.se AB. Also available at Amazon.com, Adlibris, and Bokus. View volume at ERIH PLUS. The cisterns of the Bisti promontory at Hermione. With a preliminary description of the Roman aqueduct By Patrik Klingborg (Swedish Institute at Athens, Greece) Abstract This article reports the findings of the fieldwork exploring the cisterns at the Bisti promontory of Hermione, executed as part of a collaboration between the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Argolid and the Swedish Institute at Athens. In order to better understand the function of the cisterns within the water supply system, the article begins by presenting an overview of existing water resources in the area, primarily the naturally occurring sources and the city’s 2nd-century AD Roman aqueduct. Following this the study describes the remains of the 14 potential cisterns on the Bisti. Based on the empirical material the similarities and contrasts between these are explored, as well as what they can tell us about the history and life in ancient Hermione. In particular, the article suggests that the presence of the cisterns contributes to our understanding of the urban fabric of the city, and reveals important information about when…

Opuscula 14 is published with open access. Printed edition distributed by Eddy.se AB. Also available at Amazon.com, Adlibris, and Bokus. View volume at ERIH PLUS. The Temple of Demeter Chthonia at Hermione By Jesper Blid (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria), with an appendix by Baukje van den Berg (Central European University, Austria) Abstract This paper presents the results of an architectural survey of the foundations of a Classical temple, presumably that of Demeter Chthonia, located inside the chief sanctuary of the ancient city of Hermione. It also studies ancient architectural members built into the walls of the Taxiarches Church situated on top of the temple foundations. By analysing these material remains and connecting them to the observations of 19th-century travellers to Kastri (Hermione), the paper draws conclusions about the original size and appearance of the Temple of Demeter Chthonia. Bibliographical information Jesper Blid, with an appendix by Baukje van den Berg, ’The Temple of Demeter Chthonia at Hermione’, Opuscula. Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome (OpAthRom) 14, Stockholm 2021, 101-134. ISSN: 2000-0898. ISBN: 978-91-977799-3-7. Softcover, 478 pages. https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-14-07 Hermione. A Greek cityscape and its people The section on Hermione, published in OpAthRom 14, comprises six articles: Alcestis Papadimitriou | An…

Opuscula 14 is published with open access. Printed edition distributed by Eddy.se AB. Also available at Amazon.com, Adlibris, and Bokus. View volume at ERIH PLUS. The topography of Hermione—A preliminary outline By Henrik Gerding (Lund University, Sweden) Abstract The preliminary results of a survey of ancient Hermione (epichoric Hermion) are presented in this paper. The survey was conducted during three short campaigns over the period 2015–2017, and focused on the urban layout and development of the ancient city. Because the ancient city area more or less coincides with modern Ermioni, the investigation was mainly restricted to the documentation and analysis of architectural remains that were both still visible above ground and accessible. However, the report also includes a thorough re-evaluation of previous scholarship, taking into consideration remains that are no longer visible. The author identifies three questions of particular interest, relating to the exact location, extent, and potential relocation of the ancient city, and points to the lack of a coherent interpretation. On the basis of present data, the author proposes that Hermione was indeed relocated to a new site, less than 1 km away from its original position, in the early 3rd century BC, and highlights the urban, social,…

Opuscula 14 is published with open access. Printed edition distributed by Eddy.se AB. Also available at Amazon.com, Adlibris, and Bokus. View volume at ERIH PLUS. An ancient cityscape and its people: A study of ancient Hermione. Introductory remarks on historical sources and visible remains, archaeological research and prospects By Alcestis Papadimitriou (Ephorate of Antiquities of Argolid, Greece) Abstract This article provides a brief introduction to the area of the Hermionid and the research that has been carried out in ancient Hermione. The main textual sources are presented, as are the still-visible archaeological remains and the results of important rescue excavations. The contribution outlines the scientific framework of the project that has generated the five articles that follow, and closes with an agenda for future development for the exploration and preservation of ancient Hermione. Bibliographical information Alcestis Papadimitriou, ’An ancient cityscape and its people: A study of ancient Hermione. Introductory remarks on historical sources and visible remains, archaeological research and prospects’, Opuscula. Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome (OpAthRom) 14, Stockholm 2021, 65-76. ISSN: 2000-0898. ISBN: 978-91-977799-3-7. Softcover, 478 pages. https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-14-05 Hermione. A Greek cityscape and its people The section on Hermione, published in OpAthRom 14, comprises six articles: Alcestis Papadimitriou | An…