Wikipedia

Megaron

This article is about ancient Greek palace complexes. For the Megaron Mousikis, seeAthens Concert Hall.

Themegaron(/ˈmɛɡəˌrɒn/;Ancient Greek:μέγαρον,[mégaron],pl.:megara/ˈmɛɡərə/) was thegreat hallin very earlyMyceneanandancient Greekpalacecomplexes.[1]Architecturally, it was a rectangularhallthat was surrounded by four columns, fronted by an open, two-columnedportico,and had a central, openhearththat vented though anoculusin the roof.[2]

Schematic plan of amegaroncomplex. 1:anteroom,2: hall (main room), 3: columns in portico and hall.
Foundation of themegaroncomplex atMycenae,view from the main hall (circular hearth visible in foreground) through theanteroomand porch

Themegaronalso contained thethrone-roomof thewanax,or Mycenaean ruler, whose throne was located in the main room with the central hearth.[3]Similar architecture is found in theAncient Near East,though the presence of the openportico,generally supported by columns, is particular to theAegean.[4]Megaraare sometimes referred to as "long-rooms", as defined by their rectangular (non-square) shape and the position of their entrances, which are always along the shorter wall so that the depth of the space is larger than the width.[5]There were often many rooms around the centralmegaron,such as archive rooms, offices, oil-press rooms, workshops, potteries,shrines,corridors,armories,and storerooms for such goods aswine,oilandwheat.[6]Evidence suggests that themegaraof ancient Greece were often created using the construction techniques of "Wattle-and-Daub"and"Pisé".[7]

Themegaronis thought to have been used for sacrificial processions,[8]as well as for royal functions and court meetings.[4]However, parts of themegaronfunctioned as habitable spaces, and were utilized as living quarters prior to the eighth century BC.[9]

Historical use and purpose

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Numerous sources indicate that themegaronwas used in two central ways: first and foremost, it was used for religious ceremonies, while also being used to support residents as a dwelling space. Additionally, according to Valentin Müller,[10]there is evidence for 32 different types ofmegaronthroughout Greece and parts of Europe and Russia. Their use varied significantly depending on the time periods and locations in which they were built. Remnants of structures related to the traditional Greekmegaronstyle buildings can be found in Thessaly dating back to theNeolithic Era.Müller asserts that these are some of the first knownmegaron,classifying them with the designation "Type 1"megarons.These initial structures were somewhat similar in design to those found in ancient Greece, but different in their material and roofing style and complexity. Müller has classified and archived a number ofmegaron"typing's" which existed through the first, second and third periods of history, and shows how a number of ethnic groups participated in creating the original and archetypal model which later evolved into the classical Greekmegaronstructure.[10]

Eventual reworking and theoikos

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The Greekmegaronstyle building was initially structurally designed to allow for religious ceremonies to be held in the central room of the building, while the other rooms supported residence dwelling. However, during the eighth century BC, the base layout of themegaronevolved into what is understood to be the traditional structural design: where the central configuration of the building became more strictly associated with worship. The inhabited sections of the structure grew as a subsidiary structure from the traditionalmegarondesign, and became what was later known as anoikosinancient Greece.[9]

Structure

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Throne room of amegaroninKnossos,Greece

Rectilinear halls were a characteristic theme of ancient Greek architecture.[11]The Mycenaeanmegaronoriginated and evolved from themegaroid,or large hall-centered rectangular building, of mainlandGreecedating back to theLate NeolithicandEarly Bronze Age.[1][11]Furthermore, it served as the architectural precursor to theGreek templesof theArchaicandClassicalperiods.[12]With respect to its structural layout, themegaronincludes a columned entrance, apronaosand a centralnaos( "cella" ) with early versions of it having one of many roof types (i.e., pitched, flat, barrel).[5]The roof, specifically, was supported by wooden beams[13]and since the aforesaid roof types are always destroyed in the remnants of the earlymegaron,the definite roof type is unknown.[5]The floor was made of patterned concrete and covered in carpet.[14]The walls, constructed out ofmudbrick,[15]were decorated with fresco paintings.[12]There were wood-ornamented metal doors, often two-leaved,[16]and footbaths were also used in themegaronas attested in Homer'sOdysseywhere Odysseus's feet were washed byEurycleia.[17]The proportions involving a larger length than width are similar structurally to earlyDorictemples.[18]

Construction techniques

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Wattle-and-Daub and Pisé

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The construction of themegaronstyle structure differs depending on the location and the specific example. Recent excavations of the small town ofKarataş,Turkey, has led to the discovery of structural evidence that survived the ages, allowing archeologists and scholars to piece together theories as to how they were created. Some of the most prominent theories to come from this unearthing are the "Wattle-and-Daub"and"Pisé"construction techniques.[19]In the ancient remains of the Karataş houses, archeologists analyzed the surviving foundations and walls of themegaronframework and observed that within each brick foundation were tightly packed tree saplings. Themudbricksurrounding these saplings provided for a dense and well taught structural foundation in which themegaroncould be assembled. In other instances, the inner wood-work of the foundation was held in place with soil and rock, rather than mudbrick. Archeologist are unsure whether to call this a pure "Wattle-and-Daub" technique, or rather Pisé, as there is no indication that the inner saplings were woven together in order to help keep the wall's shape, or if the walls were rather held together by the surrounding mud, as done in typical Pisé fashion.[19]

Roofing

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There are a number of different theories about the architectural design ofmegaronroofing; consequently there is much contention as to what type of roofing was actually used inancient Greece.Some scholars suggest that the traditionalmegaronroof wasflat,while others, prominently Baldwin Smith and Dinsmoor respectively, believe there is more evidence towards apitchedorgableddesign.[20]A lot of these theories have gained popularity and are widely accepted in the effort to reconstruct the ancientmegaron;however, some scholars such as Carl W. Blegen have argued that both the arguments presented by the lead supporters for the pitched and gabled roofs (Smith and Dinsmoor) provide insufficient evidence for determining what the actual roofing might have looked like and asserts that more pertinent studies need to be done before any conclusive judgements can be made.[20]As it stands, conceptualization of themegaronstyle roofing rendered an overall inconclusive understanding among the archeological community and has led to nothing but speculation.

Examples

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Megaronof Tiryns

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A famousmegaronis in the large reception hall of the king in the Bronze Age palace ofTiryns,the main room of which had a raised throne placed against the right wall and a centralhearthbordered by four Minoan-style woodencolumnsthat served as supports for the roof.[5]TheCretanelements in the Tirynsmegaronwere adopted by the Mycenaeans from the palace type found inMinoan architecture.[5]FrescoesfromPylosshow figures eating and drinking, which were important activities inGreek culture.[8]Artistic portrayals of bulls, a common zoomorphic motif in Mycenaean vase painting,[21]appear on Greekmegaronfrescoes, such as the one in the Pylosmegaron,where a bull is depicted at the center of a Mycenaean procession.[8]Other famousmegarainclude the ones at the Mycenaean palaces ofThebesandMycenae.[22]Different Greek cultures had their own uniquemegara;for example, the people of theGreek mainlandtended to separate their centralmegaronfrom the other rooms whereas theCretansdid not do this.[23]

Megaronof Mycenae

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Notable information about themegaronofMycenaehas been reported by archeologist Hugh Plommer on his findings of a fully intact carved block from themegaronof Mycenae. His publication notes specificin situmeasurements, photographs, physical details and descriptions of the stone left behind, along with a brief history of what had happened to the digging site, and even a supposition of the block's use – possibly the remnants of a fallenabacusfrom the porch of themegaron.The carved fragment of themegaronwhich he recovered was reportedly "broken into more than forty fragments",[24]and was made from what he assumed to be a sort of reddishsandstone.This archeological fragment is particularly revealing of the history of themegaronof Mycenae, as much of the stone was also reportedly blackened around its edges, indicating that at some point there was a fire which raged through the building. After much archeological analysis, Plommer concluded that the abacus of themegaronwas likely "80 cm" in both length and width, creating a solid square base linking the roof to the supporting pillar.[24]

Müller'smegarontypes

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One source written by Valentin Müller claims that there are 32 recorded types ofmegaronfound throughout Greece and parts of Europe. These structures are understood as variations of the Greekmegaronstyle building, as they are similarly defined by their design as a "long room"[10]where two parallel walls of the structure are equal in length to each other, and longer than the other two walls. Refer to "Fig 1 – Types ofMegerawith Dates "[10]for a full list ofmegarontypes as determined by Müller.

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^abBiers 1996,p. 69: "Perhaps the most conspicuous and distinctive feature of Mycenaean architecture is the central hall, or megaron, which is found not only in the palaces but in private houses as well. A typical mainland form, traceable at least to Early Helladic and perhaps to Neolithic predecessors [...]"
  2. ^Pullen 2008,p. 37.
  3. ^Kleiner 2016,"Chapter 4 The Prehistoric Aegean", p. 94;Neer 2012.
  4. ^ab"Megaron".Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Retrieved3 April2013.
  5. ^abcdeMüller 1944,pp. 342−348.
  6. ^Pentreath 2006,"Pre-Classical Beginnings".
  7. ^Smith, E. Baldwin (1942). "The Megaron and Its Roof".American Journal of Archaeology.46(1): 99–118.doi:10.2307/499112.JSTOR499112.S2CID192949828.
  8. ^abcWright 2004,pp. 161–162.
  9. ^abCoucouzeli, Alexandra (2007). "From megaron to oikos at Zagora".British School at Athens Studies.15:169–170.JSTOR40960585.
  10. ^abcdMuller, Valentin (1944). "Development of the 'Megaron' in Prehistoric Greece".American Journal of Archaeology.48(4): 342–348.doi:10.2307/499900.JSTOR499900.S2CID245275483.
  11. ^abHitchcock 2012,pp. 200–209.
  12. ^abCartwright 2019.
  13. ^Werner 1993,p. 16;Rider 1916,pp. 179–180.
  14. ^Diehl 1893,p. 53.
  15. ^Werner 1993,p. 23.
  16. ^Rider 1916,p. 180.
  17. ^Rider 1916,p. 183; Homer.Odyssey,XIX.316.
  18. ^Rider 1916,p. 140.
  19. ^abWarner, Jayne (1979). "The Megaron and Apsidal House in Early Bronze Age Western Anatolia: New Evidence from Karataş".American Journal of Archaeology.83(2): 133–147.doi:10.2307/504897.JSTOR504897.S2CID192878413.
  20. ^abBlegen, Carl W. (1945). "The Roof of the Mycenaean Megaron".American Journal of Archaeology.49(1): 35–44.doi:10.2307/499938.JSTOR499938.S2CID245275098.
  21. ^Wright 2004,p. 160 (Footnote #116).
  22. ^Werner 1993.
  23. ^Rider 1916,p. 127.
  24. ^abPlommer, Hugh (1965). "A Carved Block from the Megaron of Mycenae".The Annual of the British School at Athens.60:207–211.doi:10.1017/S0068245400013952.JSTOR30103155.S2CID130406443.

Sources

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Bibliography

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  1. Blegen, Carl W. (1945). "The Roof of the Mycenaean Megaron".American Journal of Archaeology.49(1): 35–44.doi:10.2307/499938.JSTOR499938.S2CID245275098.
  2. Coucouzeli, Alexandra (2007). "From megaron to oikos at Zagora".British School at Athens Studies.15:169–170.JSTOR40960585.
  3. Dinsmoor, William Bell (1 July 1942). "Notes on Megaron Roofs".American Journal of Archaeology.46(3): 370–372.doi:10.2307/499777.JSTOR499777.S2CID192984693.
  4. Knox, Mary O. (1973). "Megarons and ΜΕΓΑΡΑ: Homer and Archaeology".The Classical Quarterly.23(1): 1–21.doi:10.1017/S0009838800036429.JSTOR638119.S2CID170046576.
  5. Cosmopoulos, Michael B. (1 July 2014). "Cult, Continuity, and Social Memory: Mycenaean Eleusis and the Transition to the Early Iron Age".American Journal of Archaeology.118(3): 401–427.doi:10.3764/aja.118.3.0401.S2CID192963948.
  6. Muller, Valentin (1944). "Development of the 'Megaron' in Prehistoric Greece".American Journal of Archaeology.48(4): 342–348.doi:10.2307/499900.JSTOR499900.S2CID245275483.
  7. Plommer, Hugh (1965). "A Carved Block from the Megaron of Mycenae".The Annual of the British School at Athens.60:207–211.doi:10.1017/S0068245400013952.JSTOR30103155.S2CID130406443.
  8. Smith, E. Baldwin (1942). "The Megaron and Its Roof".American Journal of Archaeology.46(1): 99–118.doi:10.2307/499112.JSTOR499112.S2CID192949828.
  9. Wace, Alan J. B. (November 1951). "Notes on the Homeric House".The Journal of Hellenic Studies.71:203–211.doi:10.2307/628203.JSTOR628203.S2CID163626816.
  10. Warner, Jayne (1979). "The Megaron and Apsidal House in Early Bronze Age Western Anatolia: New Evidence from Karataş".American Journal of Archaeology.83(2): 133–147.doi:10.2307/504897.JSTOR504897.S2CID192878413.

Further reading

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  • Homer'sOdysseycontains detailed references to the megaron of Odysseus.
  • Hopkins, Clark (1968)."The Megaron of the Mycenaean Palace"(PDF).Studi Micenea ed Egeo-Anatolici.6:45−53.
  • Konsolaki-Yannopoulou, Eleni (2004). "Mycenaean Religious Architecture: The Archaeological Evidence from Ayios Konstantinos, Methana". In Wedde, Michael (ed.).Celebrations: Sanctuaries and the Vestiges of Cult Activity.Papers from the Norwegian Institute at Athens 6. The Norwegian Institute at Athens. pp. 61–94.hdl:1956/24357.ISBN978-82-91626-23-9.S2CID55419723.
  • Vermeule, Emily (1972).Greece in the Bronze Age.Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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