DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2533#0032
THE TERRA-COTTA FIGURINES
By CHARLES WALDSTEIN and GEORGE HENRY CHASE
The great hulk of the Texra-cotta Figurines found at the Heraeum belong to what
must he called pre-archaic Greek types. When we consider the find as a whole, we dis-
cover the following significant facts : —
I. The number of terra-cottas dating from the clearly historical periods of Greek
civilization, i. e. the eighth century b. c. and later times, is very small. Out of 2865
figures preserved by us, not counting the ordinary figures of animals and small objects,
which cannot be accurately classified, there are 2557 of pre-archaic style to 308 of
archaic and later types.1
II. Among the terra-cottas of the archaic and later periods, a strikingly small pro-
portion belong to the periods of advanced archaism and technical freedom ; in fact, there
are only fifty-two specimens of the former and tAvo specimens of the latter.
Thus it will be seen that the closest parallelism exists between the main conditions of
the find in terra-cottas and those of the vases, bronzes, and other objects; namely, the
absolute preponderance of " prehistoric " material, the absence of works of the later Greek
periods, and the fact that in the layers which we excavated, hardly any object is syn-
chronous with the erection of the Second Temple or of a later period.'2
The bulk of the find in terra-cottas was made in the black layer about and below the
foundation walls of the Second Temple, as well as in the deposits on the southeast and
southwest slopes of the Second Temple terrace.3 But this general statement must be
qualified by the following significant facts : —
1. We can assert as practically established the fact that no terra-cotta figurines were
found beneath the surface of the upper or Old Temple platform.
2. Nearly all the specimens of the archaic and subsequent periods were found on the
southern slope and the southeast corner and slope of the Second Temple (not in the
black layer about the foundations of the Second Temple).
3. No prehistoric Greek specimens were found within the large West Stoa (one speci-
men of a draped female figure, belonging to the archaic period, was found here), and
none at all on the site of the Roman Building.
The fact that no terra-cottas were found on the site of the Old Temple, as it p re-
sented itself to us for excavation, may lead us to any one of three conclusions : (1) that
our terra-cottas belong to a later period than that marked by the site; or (2) that the
custom of offering such figurines did not exist at the time Avhen the temple was built —
1 Cf. the Table, p. 9.
2 Cf. General Introd. vol. I. pp. 37 ff.
3 The custom of burying the smaller objects dedicated
in temples, often apparently with great care (cf. the find
of terra-cottas made by Orsi at Terravecchia near Gran-
michele in the Province of Catania, Mon. Ant. VII. pp.
201-274, esp. pp. 212 ff.), is one which has been illustrated
by a large number of excavations upon Greek soil and
elsewhere (cf. Homolle, ' Donarium' in Daremberg et
Saglio, Diet, des Ant. Gr. et Rom. II. pp. 363 ff., esp.
p. 371, note 130). In the case of the Heraeum, these
offerings seem to have been used as " dry rubbish" in
leveling up about the Second Temple, just as the offer-
ings upon the Acropolis which were demolished by the
Persians were later used in leveling that site.
By CHARLES WALDSTEIN and GEORGE HENRY CHASE
The great hulk of the Texra-cotta Figurines found at the Heraeum belong to what
must he called pre-archaic Greek types. When we consider the find as a whole, we dis-
cover the following significant facts : —
I. The number of terra-cottas dating from the clearly historical periods of Greek
civilization, i. e. the eighth century b. c. and later times, is very small. Out of 2865
figures preserved by us, not counting the ordinary figures of animals and small objects,
which cannot be accurately classified, there are 2557 of pre-archaic style to 308 of
archaic and later types.1
II. Among the terra-cottas of the archaic and later periods, a strikingly small pro-
portion belong to the periods of advanced archaism and technical freedom ; in fact, there
are only fifty-two specimens of the former and tAvo specimens of the latter.
Thus it will be seen that the closest parallelism exists between the main conditions of
the find in terra-cottas and those of the vases, bronzes, and other objects; namely, the
absolute preponderance of " prehistoric " material, the absence of works of the later Greek
periods, and the fact that in the layers which we excavated, hardly any object is syn-
chronous with the erection of the Second Temple or of a later period.'2
The bulk of the find in terra-cottas was made in the black layer about and below the
foundation walls of the Second Temple, as well as in the deposits on the southeast and
southwest slopes of the Second Temple terrace.3 But this general statement must be
qualified by the following significant facts : —
1. We can assert as practically established the fact that no terra-cotta figurines were
found beneath the surface of the upper or Old Temple platform.
2. Nearly all the specimens of the archaic and subsequent periods were found on the
southern slope and the southeast corner and slope of the Second Temple (not in the
black layer about the foundations of the Second Temple).
3. No prehistoric Greek specimens were found within the large West Stoa (one speci-
men of a draped female figure, belonging to the archaic period, was found here), and
none at all on the site of the Roman Building.
The fact that no terra-cottas were found on the site of the Old Temple, as it p re-
sented itself to us for excavation, may lead us to any one of three conclusions : (1) that
our terra-cottas belong to a later period than that marked by the site; or (2) that the
custom of offering such figurines did not exist at the time Avhen the temple was built —
1 Cf. the Table, p. 9.
2 Cf. General Introd. vol. I. pp. 37 ff.
3 The custom of burying the smaller objects dedicated
in temples, often apparently with great care (cf. the find
of terra-cottas made by Orsi at Terravecchia near Gran-
michele in the Province of Catania, Mon. Ant. VII. pp.
201-274, esp. pp. 212 ff.), is one which has been illustrated
by a large number of excavations upon Greek soil and
elsewhere (cf. Homolle, ' Donarium' in Daremberg et
Saglio, Diet, des Ant. Gr. et Rom. II. pp. 363 ff., esp.
p. 371, note 130). In the case of the Heraeum, these
offerings seem to have been used as " dry rubbish" in
leveling up about the Second Temple, just as the offer-
ings upon the Acropolis which were demolished by the
Persians were later used in leveling that site.