Recherche par auteur > Stissi Vladimir

Many Archaic and Classical Greek sanctuaries have produced impressive numbers of small ceramic and metal votives. While these objects have been studied in detail and often appear in long catalogues, the ways they were handled and perceived has not received much attention, even though there are relevant ancient texts and depictions, and we have archaeological contextual information. Likewise, though documented, perishable materials (food, perfume, wine, textiles) brought with the preserved objects, have not received much scholarly attention. Studies that do exist often focus on the practical and are mainly descriptive.
There is an enormous potential for sensory archaeology here, since their sheer amount must have made the small votives very visible and tangible, organic contents must have smelled -- pleasantly in the beginning, but probably less so later on -- and some items (particularly hanging ones) would have contributed to the soundscape of sanctuaries as well. Besides this, votive foods were eaten, and textiles were worn. The sanctuaries that received many small votives must have been a far cry from the clean, empty and calm impression one gets from many modern (architectural) reconstructions, which are of course rooted in early modern ideas about ancient Greece. In my presentation I will explore a more realistic sense-scape, placing the small votives and associated materials in their architectural and ritual context, and trying to see how sensory experience was an integral part of religious life. .