Sacrificial Ritual and the Palace of Nestor
A Reanalysis of the Ta Tablets
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4534432 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jake Morton (Carleton College), Nicholas G Blackwell (0000-0002-6734-417X, Indiana University Bloomington), Kyle W Mahoney (Swarthmore College) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 127 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 167-187 |
| Publication date | 2023-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-9114 • E-ISSN: 1939-828X |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1086/723242 |
| OpenAlex | W4324139567 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 21 |
The Ta tablets are a series of Linear B documents from the Palace of Nestor at Pylos that inventory vessels, fire implements, slaughtering paraphernalia, and furniture. This article argues that all the equipment documented on the Ta tablets pertains to a single large-scale ritual cattle sacrifice and was not equipment for the banquet that would have followed the sacrifice. The argument is rooted in a reanalysis of the tables listed on the Ta tablets that concludes that they were used for the slaughter and butchery of sacrificial cattle. Discussion proceeds from there to the sacrificial ritual use of the other items listed on the Ta tablets. Finally, speculative conclusions are drawn about the political ceremony that employed these objects and a possible smaller event taking place within the larger ceremony. This study draws on a wide range of sources, including other materials found in the same archival room, relevant iconography, archaeological comparanda, experimental archaeology, and a study of comparative butchery techniques.1
Archaeology · Art · Banquet · Ceremony · Iconography · Paraphernalia · Sacrifice · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Ancient Near East History · Archaeology and Historical Studies · History
The interpretation of Mycenaean Greek texts.
From Texts and Iconography to Use-Wear Analysis of Ceramic Vessels
The LH Iiib?LH IIIC Transition on the Mycenaean Mainland
A Wheelmade Bovid from the Palace of Nestor at Pylos
A Survey of Evidence for Feasting in Mycenaean Society
The Acceptance of the Greek Solution for Linear B
Animal Sacrifice, Archives, and Feasting at the Palace of Nestor
Sacrificial Feasting in the Linear B Documents
Smoke Signals for the Gods
A Companion to Linear B. Mycenaean Greek Texts and their World
Hiera kala
Mycenaean Pottery from Pylos
The Palace of Nestor Excavations of 1954
State Formation in Greece
Ins and Outs of the Archives Rooms at Pylos
Burnt animal sacrifice at the Mycenaean 'Palace of Nestor', Pylos
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |