Cherry, J. F.

Davis, J. L

Mantzourani, E.

Wright, James C

English

Scholarship;  Research;  and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr College
Scholarship, Research, and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr
College
Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology Faculty
Research and Scholarship Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology
1985
The Nemea Valley Archaeological Project, 1984
J. F. Cherry
J. L. Davis
E. Mantzourani
James C. Wright
Bryn Mawr College, jwright@brynmawr.edu
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Cherry, J.F., J.L. Davis, E. Mantzourani, and J.C. Wright. 1985. The Nemea Valley Archaeological Project, 1984. American Journal Of
Archaeology 89:327.
1985] THE EIGHTY-SIXTH GENERAL MEETING 327 
survey can be related to major changes in the political and 
economic organization of the island and its relations with 
the world beyond, a theme which has also been pursued in 
an anthropological study of the island in the period follow- 
ing Greek Independence. 
THE NEMEA VALLEY ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT, 
1984: J.F. Cherry, J.L. Davis, E. Mantzourani, 
J.C. Wright, University of Cambridge, University 
of Illinois at Chicago, University of Athens, Bryn 
Mawr College 
The Nemea Valley Archaeological Project conducted its 
first season during the summer of 1984 under authority of 
the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sciences and the Ameri- 
can School of Classical Studies. The project studies the his- 
tory of human occupation in the valley in terms of patterns 
of local settlement and activity, interaction between man 
and the environment, and changing relations with the world 
beyond the valley. This season's work focussed on survey in 
and around the valley and excavation of the prehistoric site 
of Tsoungiza. 
Excavation on Tsoungiza ridge refined its chronological 
range. Deposits and architectural remains of Early Neo- 
lithic, Early Helladic I, II and III, late Middle Helladic, 
and Late Helladic I, IIA, IIIB1 and 2 were uncovered; the 
considerable evidence of early Mycenaean settlement is es- 
pecially notable. The major result of the season's research 
was the refinement of questions about the size and nature of 
the settlements on the ridge, the manner in which successive 
occupants utilized the terrain, and the extent to which occu- 
pation there is paralleled-and perhaps at some periods 
overshadowed-by that elsewhere in the valley. 
The regional survey sampled landscape types in an area 
from Mount Phoukas at the N to S of the Tretos Pass. 
About 26 sites were located in three different areas totalling 
about 11 km2. The material discovered ranges from Middle 
Palaeolithic, Early Neolithic, EH I-II, and Mycenaean 
through Archaic and Classical down to Byzantine and mod- 
ern times. Overlooking the Tretos Pass are an EH I-II site 
and a Mycenaean akropolis. An overall abundance of Mid- 
dle Byzantine contrasts with a paucity of Roman remains. 
Advances were made in interpreting the remarkable range 
of artifacts not situated near identifiable sites, and in under- 
standing the geomorphology of the area. 
THE ICONOGRAPHY OF THE SOSIAS CUP: Mark Ed- 
ward Clark, University of Southern Mississippi 
The Sosias cup represents the enigmatic scene of Achilles 
bandaging Patroclus. Recently G.F. Pinney (1983) has in- 
terpreted the scene as evidence for the cult of Achilles 
among the Scythians. Here the identification of the subject 
is reconsidered and the scene is interpreted in light of cult 
ideology and epic typology. The paper supports Pinney's 
thesis by considering additional associations of the scene 
with myth and cult. 
The problem of identification centers on an opportunity 
in myth for the wounding of Patroclus. The traditional view 
that the scene represents an episode in which Patroclus was 
wounded in battle against Telephus has been challenged by 
C. Bauchhenss-Thiiriedl (1971). A consideration of Pindar, 
Ol. 9.70-79, however, affords new arguments for the pre- 
vious identification, so that the Telephus myth, which in- 
troduces the theme of Achilles' healing, remains an accept- 
able interpretation of the scene. 
The Sosias cup is then examined in terms of Achilles as 
healer. The cults of heros-iatros and the widespread recog- 
nition of health as a benefit granted by Achilles Pontarches 
suggest that healing was a significant aspect of the hero 
which should not be underestimated. Linguistic evidence- 
e.g., t/.4EcrOat, jdawv--also indicates that healing was fun- 
damental to Indo-European concepts of governing (E. Ben- 
veniste, 1945), and defines Achilles' role as caretaker of the 
Scythians (Alcaeus Z31). 
Typology of the Iliad sheds light upon the subject. While 
no episode of Achilles as healer is recounted, if Patroclus is 
understood as therapon-that is, as ritual substitute of 
Achilles-a typology is implicit. Patroclus' healing of Eury- 
pylus (11.828-48, 12.1-3, 15.390-94) thus affords the best 
opportunity to view the heros-iatros in epic. Homer's rep- 
resentation, moreover, evokes the same intimate relation- 
ship between the hero-physician and his wounded friend as 
is depicted on the Sosias cup. 
AMENOPHIS III AND THE AEGEAN: Eric Cline, Univer- 
sity of Pennsylvania 
The intriguing possibility that Amenophis III or an of- 
ficial Egyptian embassy voyaged to Mycenae has been sug- 
gested by both Helck and Hankey. This paper examines the 
evidence for extensive contacts between the Aegean and 
Egypt during the reign of this 18th Dynasty pharaoh. 
Hankey noted faience plaques with the cartouche of 
Amenophis III at Mycenae and a list of Aegean place- 
names inscribed on his mortuary temple in Egypt, and sug- 
gested a possible correlation between them. Further study 
has revealed many more examples, as well as varied objects 
from Mycenae and elsewhere in the Aegean, inscribed with 
the cartouche of either Amenophis III or his wife. Of the 6 
Aegean sites yielding these objects, 4 are also sites listed on 
Amenophis III's funerary temple at Kom el Hetan. Helck's 
and Hankey's original hypotheses of an official embassy to 
Mycenae may be modified to recognize multiple contacts 
between 18th Dynasty Egyptians and the Aegean world. 
The actual points of contact most likely include the sites 
listed in the "itinerary" on Amenophis III's mortuary tem- 
ple, with Mycenae as one port of call. Other data, including 
correlations between sites in the Syro-Palestinian area con- 
taining objects inscribed with the names of Amenophis III 
and Queen Tiyi and sites in this same area where Myce- 
naean LH IIIA-B pottery has been found, support this ex- 
panded hypothesis. The visit of Amenophis III may well 
have taken place; however, it must be regarded as only one 
instance of Egypto-Aegean contact among many occurring 
during this period. 
This analysis of inter-Mediterranean contacts is relevant 
to several current debates, including those concerning the 


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Scholarship; Research; and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr College