Folia archeologica 54.

Judit Lebegyev: A Stag from Mycenae and the Greek prehistoric Sherd collection of the Hungarian National Museum

A STAG FROM MYCENAF. 75 Schliemann's dump, t Iii s information, however, does not give any clue for a more precise location, since the dump has been moved from one place to the other around the site;" and Tiryns: two sherds of LH IIIA 1 and IIIA2 date.

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2 On the back of some sherds, a short code of three characters (a combination of Latin and Greek letters and Arabic numbers) appear as well.

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3 These signs refer to the fabric descriptions used in A. J. B. Wace and M. S. Thompson, Prehistoric Thessaly.

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4The description of the fabrics and paints given here follows the standard methods used in pottery characterisation.

1' A PICTORIAL SHERD FROM MYCENAE (Fig. 1). Body fragment from an open shape (ES 281 deep bowl krater). From Mycenae [On the back AM W], H. 6.5; W. 6.9 cm. Fine fabric with occasional small white grits. Fracture 1OYR 6/4 light yellowish brown; slipped and burnished to medium high lustre 10YR 7/4 very pale brown; matt to semi-lustrous 5YR 4/6 yellowish red to 4/4 reddish brown paint. LH HIB. Form The identification of the fragment as belonging to a FS 281 deep bowl krater is based on the straight wall and the horizontal band below the rim, which is characteristic to this shape. Decoration Below the horizontal band under the rim the preserved decoration shows the outlined head of an animal facing to the right, characterised by a short and downward tapering muzzle and a circle and dot for the eye. On the head the two curving lines with outlined triangles on the underside indicate an antler, thus identifying the animal with a stag. The drawing of the head-line breaks al the eye and continues to the left at a slightly differing angle. The antlers are placed on this line as growing out from one point. Between this line and the eye, the short, diluted wavy line can most probably be interpreted as the first line of a wavy-line body fill characteristic to the LH HIB period stag representations. 1

1 Much of it had been transferred to the slope below the modern car park. FRENCH -SHELTON 2005, 178, n. 6. 1

2 These fragments could have been collected during the journeys of A. J. B. Wace made in the autumn and winter of 1921 while preparing the final publication of the excavations at Mycenae. Annual Meeting of the Subscribers (1921-1922), BSA 25 (1921-1923) 438. " These codes are indicated in brackets at the relevant pieces. 1

4 WACE - THOMPSON 1912, 13. - Two sherds from Gonia (Nos. 3, 4) bear the sign A3ß? described as „red on white painted ware" in WACE - THOMPSON ibid. 14. On a sherd from Corinth (No. 1) and on another from the Corinthia (No. 20) the sign B3a? is defined as „chocolate on cream or black on white ware", WACE-THOMPSON ibid. 16. On a LN polychrome painted fragment (No. 2) the sign B3ß, is defined as a „three-colour ware with black and white patterns on a red ground, or with black and red patterns on a cream ground", WACE-THOMPSON ibid. 16. A MH fragment from Aietopetra (No. 21) have on it's back the sign B36, defined as a "black on red ware with linear designs, often matt", WAGETHOMPSON ibid. 16-17. 1

5 For the descriptions Munsell Soil Golm Charts, New Windsor NY 2000 was used.