Pottery and other finds from the ´Westkomplex´ at Aegina Kolonna

The acropolis of the ancient capital of the Greek island of Aegina is the peninsula today known as Kolonna. At its outermost edge the `Westkomplex` is situated, a large-scale building complex consisting of several linked units of small rooms and courtyards. According to a first examination of the findings, it was founded in the course of the Late Archaic period and after a phase of abandonment rebuilt in the Middle Hellenistic period. Its prominent position, structure, careful construction and the range of finds always indicated a special importance of this building. Furthermore, recent excavations revealed that the area had already been used in the Proto- and Early Geometric periods as burial ground. Our project aims to contribute to the holistic exploration of the history of the `Westkomplex`. This spot offers the unique opportunity for a contextualized analysis of a major monument from the historical period at Kolonna, as such studies have thus far not been possible at the site. We intend to trace the chronology and development of the area of the `Westkomplex` as well as diachronic changes or continuities in its function. This will be achieved by a careful assessment of the finds mainly pottery, terracottas and jewellery as well as human remains within their archaeological, artefact-specific and cultural context. A crucial query regards the transition of the site from an Early Iron Age graveyard into a cultic or sacral area in the course of the Archaic period. Furthermore, the hypothesis that the `Westkomplex` in Late Archaic-Classical and Hellenistic times had a ritual or cultic function and was a place where symposia were performed has to be tested. Also, its affiliation to the Acropolis cult complex needs to be discussed. Another major theme is how the development of the `Westkomplex` is linked to the key moments in the island`s history, especially its rise as one of the most important trade powers and major centres of the Greek world in the Archaic and Classical period, its conquest by Athens in 456 B.C., the expulsion of its inhabitants in 431 B.C., and its purchase by the Attalids in the late 3rd c. B.C. Through a thorough study of the pottery, including scientific analysis, we also aim to gain further insights into the local pottery production and the exchange mechanisms of the island. Thus, the scheduled project will contribute significantly to the clarification of the history of the `Westkomplex`. It will also improve our still rather limited knowledge about the general development of the acropolis of Kolonna, and about the Aeginetan trade and economy.

The focus of this interdisciplinary project was the so-called 'Westkomplex' in Kolonna on the Greek island of Aegina and its chronology, function, and development from the Protogeometric to the Hellenistic period. The project's key objective was a contextual and holistic analysis of the material record, i.e., most notably pottery, but also terracottas, textile implements, metall objects, and human and faunal remains. Our study not only clarified the 'Westkomplex's' relation to the development of the sanctuary at Kolonna-hill and its role within the wider frame of Aegina's history, but also produced insights into local processes, social practices, and technological developments. In refining the 'Westkomplex's' stratigraphy and chronology, it became clear that the foundation and abandoment of its various compartments relate to general phases of architectural embellishment or decline at Kolonna and to key moments in Aegina's history. Thus the foundation of the 'Westkomplex' in about 480 BC occurred during a formative period of Aegina's economic and political identity. Its abundance most likely coincided with the expulsion of the Aeginetan population by the Athenians in 431 BC. The erection of a new building most likely connects to the establishment of Pergamene power over Aegina in 210 BC. Given the evidence of food preparation, extensive drinking and dining activities, and ritual practices, it seems most likely that large-scale gatherings occurred at the early Classical 'Westkomplex', possibly hosted by a civic group that utilized the prominent location of the site and its proximity to the sanctuary for reasons related to cult, or simply prestige. Previous hypotheses that ancestral or hero worship occurred at the Classical 'Westkomplex' remain plausible, but cannot be conclusively accepted. Communal drinking and dining activities and aspects of ritual practice are also attested in the Hellenistic 'Westkomplex', but we found no clear indications of diachronic activities or continuities in terms of function between the Classical and the Hellenistic structures. Ritual activities combined with drinking and dining were performed in the area already in the 7th and 6th centuries BC, probably related to single open-air monuments. Bioarchaeological investigations provided important insights regarding the early Iron Age cemetery that preceeded the 'Westkomplex', its chronology and for the diet reconstruction. A continuous ritual tradition from the early Iron Age cemetery to the early Classical 'Westkomplex' could not be definitively determined. Eighty-eight samples of pottery from the 'Westkomplex' were selected to address questions concerning the development of the local cooking ware production and the pottery supply from other sources. Stylistic and scientific analysis confirmed generally the known picture of pottery consumption on Aegina during the Geometric to Hellenistic periods, but also improved our knowledge of trans-Aegean exchange mechanisms.