Sanctuaries as Monetary Centres in the Ancient Greek World

The purpose of the proposed project is to examine sanctuaries as monetary centres in the ancient Greek world and thereby to increase the understanding of the complex nature of the ancient sanctuaries and the actual role(s) played by coins in their economic activities and beyond. The geographic scope of the project is the widespread region between Olympia in the West, Babylon in the East and Alexandria in the south, incorporating areas which were either continuously Greek (mainland Greece, parts of Asia Minor) or which came under Greek rule during the Hellenistic period in the course of Alexander`s the Great conquests (Levant, Mesopotamia and Egypt). The `old` Greek world in the West structured around the poleis, within which a sanctuary was incorporated as an inherent part, differed radically from the socio-cultural structures of the `new` Greek world in the East, which yet again reflected a world relying on traditions completely different from those building the foundation of the Ptolemaic monetary economy in the South. Due to these circumstances, great differences existed between the natures of the sanctuaries, within which the specific role of their monetary history is to be examined. The material evidence will be examined in its local context (i.e. the immediate context of the sanctuary and surrounding infrastructure), the regional context (i.e. in relation to the surrounding region and the possibly historically conditioned connected institutions/cities/areas), and finally the supra-regional context. Why did some sanctuaries develop (the need for) coinage and how was this implemented? One major aim of the project is to analyse if the case studies to be conducted in the course of the project can be ascribed to being independent temporary or local phenomena, or if these were general phenomena of a permanent nature reflecting widespread practices. Furthermore, if or how these where incorporated in the prevailing economies systems of the Greek city states (e.g. through the use of specific nominal systems, etc.) and royal economies, i.e. having functioned as either `open` or `closed` economies. The examination will be carried out on the basis of the available archaeological, numismatic, epigraphic and literary evidence found in connection with the religious centres. This will enable an addition to the analysis of the major religious structures in the Greek world. The proposed project will help to decrease the gap in the knowledge on the ancient Greek sanctuaries as economic institutions, adding the aspect of them having equally functioned as monetary institutions.

The purpose of the project was to study sanctuaries as monetary centers in the ancient Greek world. The aim was thereby to contribute to a better understanding of the complex nature of the ancient sanctuaries and functions of coins in their context. In the study archaeological, numismatic and epigraphic material, as well as literary evidence, was used to achieve this. Monetization did not follow at the same time or according to the same pattern throughout the Greek world, but evolved over several centuries (between the 7th and 4th centuries BCE) and in time increasingly spread outside the Greek core area. Both the coining and the use of coins in connection with the sanctuaries did therefore not commence in exactly the same way nor simultaneously. Nonetheless, it is clear that the emergence and spread of coins as a means of payment and currency brought many changes. The spread of monetization not only meant that sanctuaries were able to flourish as economic centers. What emerged in the course of the project with regard to the sanctuaries is that coins were increasingly integrated over time as an integral part of sacred life, helping to rationalize ritual behavior. With the development of coinage, an instrument was created that made this possible. For example, this meant that certain types of dedications were replaced by coins, and coins themselves became votive offerings. Containers such as the offertory box were created to aid in the use of coins in connection with ritual acts. At the same time, the creation of these also opened up the possibility to collect coins and bring them back into circulation, which enabled the sanctuary access a greater profit, and much more. On the one hand, monetization was made possible by changes in human behavior, on the other, the use of coins made changes in human behavior possible. This interaction can be read from the different ancient sources and material, when these are evaluated together.