Published by the Swedish Institute at Athens. Distributed by Astrom Editions The function of the “Minoan villa”. Proceedings of the Eight International Symposium at the Swedish Institute at Athens, 6–8 June, 1992 Edited by Robin Hägg These twenty papers, presented at an international conference in Athens, deal with various aspects of the so-called villas in Neopalatial Crete and their possible predecessors or equivalents in the preceding, Protopalatial period. They are followed by transcripts of the discussions of the symposium. Among the problems treated are: the origin of the “villa system”, the definition of the “villa”, the architectural analysis of buildings and building complexes, the magico-religious background of the “villa”, the role of religious painting, the origin of the Cretan andreion, and a study of ceramic exchange between towns and outlying settlements in Neopalatial eastern Crete. Special discussions concern the functional analysis of the architecture, administration and bureaucracy, with special reference to seals, sealings and Linear A tablets and political geography. Contents ‘Preface’, 7 Henri van Effenterre & Micheline van Effenterre, ‘Towards a study of Neopalatial “villas”: modern words for Minoan things’, 9–13 Wolf-Dietrich Niemeier, ‘The origins of the Minoan “villa” system’, 15–19 J.A. MacGillivray, ‘The Cretan countryside in the Old…

Published by the Swedish Institute at Athens. Distributed by Astrom Editions. Opuscula Atheniensia 19 Contents Carl Nylander, ‘Sture Brunnsåker, 1925–1978’ (p. 9) Paul Åström, Katie Demakopoulou, Nicoletta Divari-Valakou & Peter M. Fischer, ‘Excavations in Midea, 1989–1990’ (pp. 11–22) Gisela Walberg, ‘Excavations on the Lower Terraces at Midea’ (pp. 23–39) Birgitta Bergquist, ‘A particular, Western Greek cult practice? The significance of stele-crowned, sacrificial deposits’ (pp. 41–47) Mary Blomberg, ‘The meaning of Χελιδών in Hesiod’ (pp. 49–57) Robin Hägg & Gullög C. Nordquist, ‘Excavations in the Levendis sector at Asine, 1989. A preliminary report with an appendix on the animal bones by Katrin Moberg’ (pp. 59–68) Tullia Linders, ‘The Delian temple accounts: some observations’ (pp. 69–73) Alexandros Mazarakis Ainian, ‘Nichoria in the south-western Peloponnese: Units VI-1 and IV-5 reconsidered’ (pp. 75–84) Erik Østby, ‘Der dorische Tempel von Pherai’ (pp. 85–113) Paul Rehak, ‘Minoan vessels with figure-eight shields: antecedents to the Knossos throneroom alabastra’ (pp. 115–124) Eva Rystedt, ‘Notes on the rattle scenes on Attic Geometric pottery’ (pp. 125–133) Berit Wells, ‘The walls of Asine’ (pp. 135–142) Charlotte Wikander, ‘Pomp and circumstance. The procession of Ptolemaios II’ (pp. 143–150) Örjan Wikander, ‘Archaic roof-tiles: the first (?) generation’ (pp. 151–161) Miscellanea Åke Åkerström (†),…