The House of Kadmos in Mycenaean Thebes reconsidered: architecture, chronology, and context

Abstract

This article concerns the House of Kadmos or ‘old palace’ in Boeotian Thebes, which was excavated by Keramopoullos between 1906 and 1929. It entails the study of the architecture within the Theban landscape and the context of other Mycenaean structures later unearthed in its vicinity, as well as a preliminary stratigraphic and chronological reexamination of available data. It is concluded that the House of Kadmos would have been a free-standing palatial building, but the reconstruction of a ‘typical’ tripartite megaron with a columned porch is questioned. A LH II construction date is not deemed impossible, but the basis on which it has been put forward is considered to be inadequate. On the other hand, an early LH III B1 destruction date seems very plausible on the basis of decorated pottery securely assigned to the destruction fill. Some groups of previously unpublished decorated pottery from the site do not suffice to clarify the destruction date, but seem to be in accord with this conclusion. Hopefully, the ongoing study of the ceramic assemblage will eventually cast more light on Theban chronology.