Expressions of regional identities in coroplastics - Mycenaean figurines in context

The focus of my research concerns the coroplastic material from the Swedish excavations at Asine in the 1920s. This unpublished material comprises small figurines of terracotta that often represent human beings and animals, but miniature furniture and boats also occur. The figurines were discovered in various archaeological contexts, but are linked to the cultic rituals in the Bronze Age and mirror social, economic and ideological conceptions and conditions. The assemblage of terracotta figurines also signals the local identity and self- representation of the inhabitants. My aim is to compare the various assemblages of figurines from Asine with similar finds, both unpublished and partly published. The comparative material comes mainly from the Argive Mycenaean sites. The unpublished coroplastic material excavated by Swedish archaeologists constitutes important archaeological evidence and it is our responsibility to make it known, not least since it is central for a deeper understanding of the Late Bronze Age. In order to pursue my study it is necessary to spend time in Greece, partly for the primary documentation of the finds that are to be published, but also in order to study the comparative material in various museums and study collections. I plan to finish my work during six months divided in two: during the second part of 2020 and the second part of 2021.

The project is funded by the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond.