The wall paintings from Spourlis Plot, at the heart of the Mycenaean Palatial site of Thebes, is an assemblage consisting of 3055 fresco fragments excavated in 1998. Since 2016, the research team worked on identifying and reconstructing the iconographic themes in miniature and medium scale that decorated the walls of major structures. These themes vary from chariot processions to architectural constructions, including processions of women, male figures marching, compositions with griffins, plant motifs, decorative bands and other significant, but fragmentary scenes.
Although the wall painting assemblage from Spourlis Plot was extremely fragmented, research revealed the wealth of the local artistic repertoire, with images extremely rare, if not unique, within the world of Late Bronze Age Aegean arts. For example, a scene in miniature scale was identified depicting a woman standing in front of a desk with various drinking cups visible, perhaps as part of a ceremony. It can be concluded that the artists at Thebes had the skills to create complex narrative scenes, as in the majority of the mainland Mycenaean centres.
During these four study seasons, MAT supported the project and with its generous financial assistance, allowed the team to travel to the Museum of Thebes, record and explore again and again in detail the trays with the wall painting fragments, in order to identify new themes and motifs and suggest new reconstructions that will be presented in the forthcoming publication.
For further information, please contact the visual artist on the project, Mr Nikos Sepetzoglou, at nsepetzoglou@yahoo.gr. The Project Director was Dr Elena Kountouri, the excavator of the site, while Dr Angelos Papadopoulos provided archaeological expertise.
M.A.T. 