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Burnt sacrificial plant offerings in Hellenistic times: an archaeobotanical case study from Messene, Peloponnese, Greece

2006; Springer Science+Business Media; Volume: 16; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/s00334-006-0072-8

1617-6278

Fragkiska Megaloudi,

Nuts composition and effects

Messene, situated on the southwest Peloponnese, Greece, was founded in 369 B.C. by Epaminondas, after the liberation of Messenia from Spartan rule. During the 2001 excavation campaign on the site, large numbers of carbonised fruits were recovered from a sacrificial context, dated to the end of the 3rd century B.C. This material was very rich thanks to the remarkable preservation of the plant remains. Cones and seeds of stone pine, olives, grape and almonds were present in the samples. A particularly interesting find was the presence of five whole chestnuts, the first find of carbonized fruits of Castanea sativa in Greece. The comparison of the Messene finds with other plant offerings recorded in Classical times in Greece and in Archaic and Roman Italy provides useful information about the composition of sacrificial offerings in antiquity.