TY - BOOK
T1 - Gods and Garments
T2 - Textiles in Greek Sanctuaries in the 7th-1st Centuries BC
AU - Brøns, Cecilie
N1 - 2 bd.: Hovedbind + appendices
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Textiles comprise a vast and wide category of material culture and constitute a crucial part of the ancient
economy. Yet, studies of classical antiquity still often leave out this important category of material culture,
partly due to the textiles themselve
s being only rarely preserved in the archaeological record. This neglect is
also prevalent in scholarship on ancient Greek religion and ritual, although
it is one of the most vibrant and
rapidly developing branches of classical scholarship.
The aim of the
present enquiry is, therefore, to introduce textiles into the study of ancient Greek religion and
thereby illuminate the roles textiles played in the performance of Greek ritual and their wider consequences.
Among the questions posed are how and where we can detect the use of textiles in the sanctuaries, and how
they were used in rituals including their impact on the performance of these rituals and the people involved.
The dissertation adopts a broad, inclusive chronological scope to document the presence
and ritual use of
textiles in ancient Greek sanctuaries. The documentation includes source material primarily from the period
from the 7
th
century until the end of the 1st
millennium BC, with comparative archaeological evidence from
other periods. Similarly, a broad geographical scope is adopted, thus providing useful comparanda. I do not
confine myself to the area of modern Greece or the Aegean but, where relevant, include comparative
material from a wider area across the Mediterranean from Southern Italy
to the Near East, yet still with a
primary focus on the Aegean.
The dissertation is centred on three major themes: first, the dedication of textiles and clothing accessories in
Greek sanctuaries is investigated through a thorough examination of the temple
inventories, primarily from
the late 5
th
to the 1
st
century BC. Second, the use of textiles to dress ancient cult images is explored. The
examination of Hellenistic and Roman copies of ancient cult images from Asia Minor as well as depictions
of cult images in vase-painting in collocation with written sources illustrates the existence of this particular
ritual custom in ancient Greece. Third, the existence of dress codes in the Greek sanctuaries is addressed
through an investigation of the existence of part
icular attire for ritual personnel as well as visitors to the
sanctuaries with the help of iconography, such as sculpture and vas
-
painting and written sources.
By merging the study of Greek religion and the study of textiles, the current dissertation illustrates how
textiles are, indeed, central materialisations of Greek cult, by reason of their capacity to accentuate and
epitomize aspects of identity, spirituality, position in the religious system, by their forms as links between the
maker, user, wearer,
but also as key material agents in the performance of rituals and communication with
the divine. In sum, the present dissertation demonstrates the importance of taking textiles into account in the
study of ancient Greek religion.
AB - Textiles comprise a vast and wide category of material culture and constitute a crucial part of the ancient
economy. Yet, studies of classical antiquity still often leave out this important category of material culture,
partly due to the textiles themselve
s being only rarely preserved in the archaeological record. This neglect is
also prevalent in scholarship on ancient Greek religion and ritual, although
it is one of the most vibrant and
rapidly developing branches of classical scholarship.
The aim of the
present enquiry is, therefore, to introduce textiles into the study of ancient Greek religion and
thereby illuminate the roles textiles played in the performance of Greek ritual and their wider consequences.
Among the questions posed are how and where we can detect the use of textiles in the sanctuaries, and how
they were used in rituals including their impact on the performance of these rituals and the people involved.
The dissertation adopts a broad, inclusive chronological scope to document the presence
and ritual use of
textiles in ancient Greek sanctuaries. The documentation includes source material primarily from the period
from the 7
th
century until the end of the 1st
millennium BC, with comparative archaeological evidence from
other periods. Similarly, a broad geographical scope is adopted, thus providing useful comparanda. I do not
confine myself to the area of modern Greece or the Aegean but, where relevant, include comparative
material from a wider area across the Mediterranean from Southern Italy
to the Near East, yet still with a
primary focus on the Aegean.
The dissertation is centred on three major themes: first, the dedication of textiles and clothing accessories in
Greek sanctuaries is investigated through a thorough examination of the temple
inventories, primarily from
the late 5
th
to the 1
st
century BC. Second, the use of textiles to dress ancient cult images is explored. The
examination of Hellenistic and Roman copies of ancient cult images from Asia Minor as well as depictions
of cult images in vase-painting in collocation with written sources illustrates the existence of this particular
ritual custom in ancient Greece. Third, the existence of dress codes in the Greek sanctuaries is addressed
through an investigation of the existence of part
icular attire for ritual personnel as well as visitors to the
sanctuaries with the help of iconography, such as sculpture and vas
-
painting and written sources.
By merging the study of Greek religion and the study of textiles, the current dissertation illustrates how
textiles are, indeed, central materialisations of Greek cult, by reason of their capacity to accentuate and
epitomize aspects of identity, spirituality, position in the religious system, by their forms as links between the
maker, user, wearer,
but also as key material agents in the performance of rituals and communication with
the divine. In sum, the present dissertation demonstrates the importance of taking textiles into account in the
study of ancient Greek religion.
KW - Faculty of Humanities
KW - Textiles
M3 - Ph.D. thesis
BT - Gods and Garments
PB - Det Humanistiske Fakultet, Københavns Universitet
ER -