Hellenistic-Roman Terracotta figurines from Akrai, Sicily (working title)

Museum exhibits dedicated to the ancient Mediterranean often house collections of terracotta figurines, inviting visitors into forgotten customs of their past users. These clay-made figurines are frequently found in excavations of ancient cities, but their precise find-spots are rarely documented and their function and use in various contexts can often not be securely determined. This pertains particularly to the long-neglected domestic contexts and uses of terracottas.

Recent excavations in the Sicilian city of Akrai have yielded over 400 fragments of terracotta figurines from securely stratified and well-documented domestic contexts of the Hellenistic and Roman periods (3^rd/2^nd BC to mid-4^th century AD). This dissertation project aims to comprehensively investigate and publish these figurines through a multi-scalar approach, moving from the houses to the wider local, regional, and supra-regional levels. Iconographical, technological, and contextual analyses will allow to determine the preferred topics, production (local vs. imported), use contexts and related activities from a diachronic perspective. Comparisons with terracotta finds from other contexts in Akrai (sanctuaries, necropolis, theater) as well as other houses in Sicily and beyond will show whether inhabitants of the houses in Akrai adopted common local/regional/supra-regional standards or used terracottas in an idiosyncratic way for individual purposes. This holistic study will contribute to several current discourses regarding the evaluation of household assemblages, production and economy of Hellenistic-Roman Sicily, changes of material culture and related activities/rituals/perception under Greek vs. Roman rule in Sicily.

Supervisor: Prof. Monika Trümper