The statuettes and amulets of Thonis-Heracleion

Thesis

This study catalogues and analyses 329 statuettes and amulets from Thonis- Heracleion, a sunken city off the coast of Egypt that flourished between the 7th and 2nd centuries BC. This is the first study of votive statuettes and amulets from the Late and Ptolemaic Periods that presents a comprehensive corpus from a single site, complete with detailed catalogue entries and photographs. Although some of the most exceptional pieces were previously published in an exhibition catalogue, the majority are unpublished and it is the first time they have been studied and viewed as a whole.

The material includes not only Egyptian-style bronzes, which are typical dedications of this period, but also a range of other materials including lead, terracotta, faience, and limestone. Some figures are represented in foreign style and attest to a small hellenized community at the site. By viewing multiple categories of votive material laterally and in context, important conclusions about cultural interactions and cult practice at Thonis-Heracleion come to light.

Chapter One details the find context of the statuettes and amulets, followed by a discussion of their types and the cults to which they attest in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 outlines the objects’ primary functions and demonstrates the ways that lead and bronze were utilised differently. Chapter 4 focuses on bronze and lead production methods, particularly methods of replicable production that are indicative of technological exchange with other Mediterranean cultures. Finally, in Chapter 5, I look at how the votives reflect the cultural community at Thonis-Heracleion, and how they compare to others at sites throughout Egypt. Each chapter highlights how the archaeological context informs us about cultural interactions between Egyptians and Greeks and about the dynamics of cult practice at a Delta site in the Late and Ptolemaic Periods.

Authors: Heinz, S

• Publication date: 2015
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Delta; lead; votives; underwater; statuettes; Egyptian; cult; bronzes
• Subjects: Egyptology; Archaeology; Middle East; History of art and visual culture; Art; Maritime archaeology; Materials studies (archaeology); Settlement; Greek archeology