“semitisches pantheon”. eine “männliche tyche” - MOSAIKjournal.com

94|ANASTASIA CHRISTOPHILOPOULOU
diverse picture given by the architecture and its movable finds have
led the excavators to believe that the settlement was inhabited by a
population group with a mixed ethnic origin. M. Tsipopoulou has
argued that Chalasmenos was an “amalgam” of a “Minoancharacter”
community represented architecturally by the typical
agglomerated houses, and of a “Mycenaean-character” community,
represented architecturally by the megara (fig. 12a–b). 63 She also
views the appearance of the architectural type of the megaron in
Crete before the fall of the Mycenaean palaces as connected with
the presence of people from the mainland on the island, especially
of some minor elite groups: „These immigrants wanted to distinguish
themselves from the rest of the indigenous population by
stressing their different cultural tradition.” 64 This hypothesis follows
an argument expressed in relation with other sites with a
mixed architectural picture, such as Karphi. 65
It is also worth concentrating on the distribution of both architectural
features and movable finds in Chalasmenos. Central
hearths in Chalasmenos were present not only in the megara but
also in at least one other large room equipped with benches and
platforms. 66 Related data also come from the study of cooking
wares in Chalasmenos. The study of the Mycenaean-type legless
cooking pots (cooking amphorai) in Chalasmenos as well as of other
types of vessels shows that they were placed in a fire. 67 The megara
were not equipped with storage areas and it is unlikely that they
were used for a full range of domestic activities by any group of
people. On the other hand all sector B seems to have been used for
is the preparation of food and the storage of vessels, as the cooking
pots found there were numerous and represent a significant capacity.
63 TSIPOPOULOU (2004b) 129–130, fig. 3 a–b; TSIPOPOULOU (2001)
171–172.
64 TSIPOPOULOU (2005) 322.
65 WALLACE (2005) 264–270.
66 TSIPOPOULOU (2004a) 103–104.
67 TSIPOPOULOU (2005) 321, fig. 17.