Paper presented at the '41st International Symposium on Archaeometry (ISA)'. Kalamata (GR), 16-21 May 2016

1. Minoan-style transport jar production in the LHIIIB
Argolid, Greece
M. Tenconi1, P.M. Day1, K. Demakopoulou2, E. Kardamaki3, J. Maran4
and A. Papadimitriou5
1University of Sheffield, 2Hellenic Ministry of Culture, 3University of Vienna, 4University of Heidelberg , 5Ephorate of
Antiquities of the Argolid

2. Cape Iria
Uluburun Cape Gelidonya

4. Inscribed Transport Stirrup Jars from Tiryns

5. • The majority of these vessels were made in Crete and were transported to the
mainland Mycenaean world and throughout the Eastern Mediterranean
• Mainland TSJs are different from Cretan TSJs: more globular, overgrown fineware
vessels
• West Crete outweighed Central Cretan production
• Some of the exchange was targeted through special links: West Crete/Chania – Tiryns
• Inscribed jars were from West Crete
• Central Crete was less involved in the later phases of the jars’ use
Previous theory about TSJs (2011’ monograph)

6. 89 identified
imports
41 identified
imports
177 identified
imports
17 identified
imports
44 identified
imports
Citadel of Tiryns

7. Excavation
trench 1999
Excavation
trench 1998
Epichosis of
Verdelis
Tiryns citadel: contexts studied in the Upper Citadel

8. • Were the samples analysed in the original study representative of all contexts at
Tiryns?
• Was it possible to identify jars moving between Mycenaean centres and not just from
Crete?
• Were the Stirrup Jars circulating freely after the fall of the Cretan palaces?
New questions about Tiryns

9. TIRYNS
MIDEA

10. Citadel of Midea

11. Citadel of Tiryns

13. KOMMOS
PHAISTOS
AYIA TRIADA
CHANIA

14. KOS
KITHERA
TIRYNS
MIDEA

15. ALIMOS
CORINTH
TIRYNS
MIDEA

16. TSJs from the Argolide
T04
T45