Settlements > Lefkandi

Lefkandi

The archaeological site of Lefkandi is extremely important to archaeologists because it shows continuous occupation of a single settlement throughout the Mycenean Period, the Late Bronze Age Collapse and into the Geometric Period. One of the major structures at Lefkandi is the Heeron which was a major religious and ceremonial building and served as a precursor to the Greek worship of heroes through Hero Cults.

It is also a precursor to the style of Greek temple developed during the Geometric Period which spread throughout the Hellenic world. For example it features columns that surround the structure known as peripteral that would later be seen at famous structures like the Pantheon or the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

Other major developments at this site include bronze and faience bowls and gold objects from the Near East and Egypt which attests to the massive interconnected trade network that existed in the ancient world. Overall, the development of art at this site shows increasingly complexity into the Geometric Period and include depictions that look derived from Homer’s epics themselves.

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