Date Thesis Awarded

5-2024

Access Type

Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only

Degree Name

Bachelors of Arts (BA)

Department

Classical Studies

Advisor

Jessica Paga

Committee Members

Molly Swetnam-Burland

Lu Ann Homza

Abstract

This thesis examines the ritual practices of different chthonic cults across the ancient Mediterranean by studying the ceramic evidence from each site. The sites that are discussed are Atsipadhes Korakias and Ayios Yeoryios sto Vouno (Crete and Kythera), Eleusis and the City Eleusinion (Greece), Pyrgi (Italy), Abydos (Egypt), and Tavira (Iberia). These sites cover a broad geographical range of the ancient Mediterranean and reflect the religious practices of different cultures, including the Minoans, Greeks, Egyptians, Etruscans, and Romans. By examining sites across a broad geographic range, I show the interconnected nature of the ancient Mediterranean and the influences different peoples had on one another. I also look at a variety of geographic locations and ritual practices to consider how these cultures interacted within their ritual settings and the shared religious customs of the ancient Mediterranean. In particular, I consider the form, function, and decoration of ceramic vessels from each cult site. Ceramic vessels are significant because they offer evidence for ritual activity that otherwise does not survive in the archaeological record. By examining the pottery from these sanctuaries, I analyze the shared or different ritual practices at each site and look at how these customs influenced each other through patterns of exchange. The evidence from each sanctuary is significant for understanding the diversity of cultural practices in the ancient Mediterranean and understanding the cultural and political interactions between different subcultures in the broader region.

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