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The Athenian Agora Intro Page 2

the temple of hephaestionIt formed the political heart of the Classical city and many of the surviving monuments can be related directly to the workings of the democracy.

Here a brief chronological overview of the general development of the Agora will be given. More information on the individual buildings, their role in the political process and other functions can be found via the cross links.

The use of the area of the Agora can be traced back to at least the Late Bronze Age or Mycenaean period, when the area was used as a burial ground. Close to 50 tombs have been excavated, many of them belonging to the wealthy families that formed the upper echelons of Athenian society in the 14th and 13th centuries BC. The tombs cannot be visited, but models and a selection of the rich grave gifts are on display in the Agora Museum.

After the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization, during the so-called ‘Dark Ages’ (ca. 1100-800 BC), use of the area as a burial ground continued. The tombs were initially much poorer than those of the Mycenaean period, reflecting the impoverished conditions of the time. However, in the course of the period, especially in the 9th and 8th centuries BC, some families again acquired considerable wealth. This is illustrated by the exquisite pottery (with Geometric patterns) and weaponry from the ‘Warrior tomb’ (ca. 900 BC) and by the ceramic finds and fine jewelry from the tomb of the ‘Lady of the Areopagos’ (ca. 850 BC). At the same time the area of the later Agora seems to have been used for habitation, as can be inferred from the large number of ‘Dark Age’ wells. Each of these presumably indicates the presence of (a now lost) Dark Age house.

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