The aim of the project was to examine and document all 195 Early Helladic (EH) ceramic roofing tile fragments from Zygouries that were excavated in 1921 by Carl Blegen. The planned monograph presenting this work will be the first publication of a complete EH tile assemblage. It will also offer a re-analysis of the social organization and economy at this important EH site.
The ceramic tiled roof is an invention of EH mainland Greece. Although EH tiles have been recognized for nearly a century, a complete assemblage has yet to be published. Previously, site publications have typically presented the tiles as components of the building’s superstructure, rather than as important objects with interpretive value on their own.
Our work with this assemblage will demonstrate that the production of a single tiled roof at Zygouries required a massive investment of time, resources, and labour. Consequently, we will be able to offer a new perspective on the nature of rulership, craft, trade, and social organization in the Early Bronze Age.
The MAT funding was essential to bring this project to completion by sponsoring the final study season at Ancient Corinth and the hiring of an archaeological illustrator to draw 30 tiles.
For further information, please contact Dr. Kyle Jazwa (Instructor of Classical Studies, Duke University) at kyle.jazwa@duke.edu, or check his profile at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kyle_Jazwa.
M.A.T. 