A new look at old finds: The bronze handle nam x15463 from Thessaly and the sanctuary of Athena Polias at Phthiotic Thebes

Book section

This paper begins with a presentation of a late 6th century BC bronze handle which, albeit known in scholarship, has only been discussed in passing in treatises of bronze vessels and wrongly attributed to Pherai. Recent study of Apostolos S. Arvanitopoulos’ archives and firsthand autopsy in the National Archaeological Museum at Athens have revealed that the handle was discovered during Arvanitopoulos’ excavations in the sanctuary of Athena Polias on the acropolis of Phthiotic Thebes (fig. 1),1 situated on the volcanic hill Kastro, about 1.5 km north from the modern village Mikrothives (formerly Aketsi). The relevant archival material will be discussed in the second part of this article since it demonstrates the challenges faced when dealing with finds from early, poorly documented, archaeological investigations. The study of the available evidence, archives and the artefacts themselves permit us to attempt a new presentation of the sanctuary of Athena Polias and a reassessment of its significance, especially during the Archaic and Early Classical periods.

Authors: Stamatopoulou, M

• Publication status: Accepted
• Peer review status: Reviewed (other)
• Publisher: University of Athens
• Host title: ΕhΣΟΧΟΣ ΑΛΗΟΝ; Τιμητικός τόμος για την Ε. Σημαντώνη-Μπουρνιά
• Pages: 227-246
• Publication date: 2019-01-01
• Keywords: SBTMR