Archaic Terracotta Reliefs from Ancient Helike

by Erophile Kolia

Hesperia, Volume 83, Issue 3
Page(s): 409-445
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2972/hesperia.83.3.0409
Year: 2014
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ABSTRACT:

Excavations at Nikoleika, in the territory of the ancient Achaian city of Helike, revealed an extensive layer of architectural members, including roof tiles, eaves tiles with antefixes, painted sima fragments, and fragmentary terracotta reliefs. The majority of this material most likely belonged to a Doric temple constructed in the Archaic period, ca. 560-550 B.C. The author examines the style, iconography, and dating of the reliefs, which are distinguished by the mixing of Daedalic and Early Archaic elements, and proposes a restoration of the pedimental decoration of the Archaic temple with a central Gorgon in the knielaufen pose flanked by two sphinxes.