CARE,
SOCIALIZATION
AND PLAY
IN ANCIENT
ATTICA
A Developmental Childhood
Archaeological Approach
MARIA SOMMER AND DION SOMMER
Care, Socialization,
and Play in Ancient Attica
This page is protected by copyright and may not be redistributed
Care, Socialization,
and Play in Ancient Attica
A Developmental Childhood
Archaeological Approach
Maria Sommer and Dion Sommer
Aarhus University Press | a
This page is protected by copyright and may not be redistributed
Care, Socialization and Play in Ancient Attica
© The authors and Aarhus University Press 2015
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CONTENTS
List of Illustrations 7
Acknowledgements 11
Part 1 15
APPROACHES TO CHILDHOOD IN ANCIENT
ATTICA – INTRODUCTION 17
Developmental childhood archaeology – an interdisciplinary approach 17
A brief prologue 17
Childhood archaeology: Interdisciplinarity from the beginning 20
Developmental childhood psychology – main propositions 22
Child perceptions in ancient Greece: Literary sources and material culture 33
Focuses of the book: Time, space, age and specific material evidence 37
Content of the book 40
Part 2 43
THE CARE AND SOCIALIZATION OF INFANTS
AND YOUNG CHILDREN 45
Child-parent relationships in the household – the role of the mother and father 45
Beyond sentiment? High child mortality and infanticide 51
Multiple care, alloparenting and cooperative breeding 57
Infant feeding in the Classical period 64
The high chair-potty stool and its functions 69
Infant swaddling – evidence and explanations 75
Activating the infant – the rattle and adult-child relationships 78
Rattling in front of an infant 80
The exploring toddler boy 82
Sibling relationships 85
The religious world of the child – sacral actions and socialization 89
Part 3 103
YOUNG CHILDREN’S PLAY AND TOYS 105
The functions and meanings of play – a brief history 105
Did young children really play in ancient Attica? – the iconographic ambiguity 109
Children’s play in Classical Attica 111
Toys in Classical Attica – the evidence 115
Dolls 115
Rollers, push- and go carts 123
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Other types of children’s toys 126
Miniature toys 130
Children with pets 131
Toys – objects to be used in many ways 139
Objects and toys – developmental perspectives 143
Part 4 147
CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES 149
Conclusions 149
Interpretative validity? – discussion and conclusion 152
A repeated call for interdisciplinarity 154
BIBLIOGRAPHY 157
INTERNET SOURCES 165
NOTES 167
INDEX 191
6
Conclusions and perspectives This page is protected by copyright and may not be redistributed
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig. 1: Attic grave stele with mother, child and maid ser‑
vant. Dating: Ca. 420‑410 BC. Exhibited: Leiden
Rijksmuseum, inv. no. I 1930/21.
Fig. 2: Attic red-figure hydria showing family scene.
Measurements: H. 34.6 cm. Dia. 24.6 cm. Dating:
Ca. 440‑430 BC. Exhibited: Cambridge, Harvard
University of Arts Museums, Arthur M. Sackle Mu‑
seum, inv. no. 1960.342.
Fig. 3: Attic grave stele with mother, child and maid ser‑
vant. Measurements: H. 1.5 m. W. 1.1 m. Dating: Ca.
370‑360 BC. Exhibited: The Nat. Mus. Athens, inv.
no. 3790. © Hellenic Ministry of Education and
Religious Affairs, Culture and Sports /Archaeologi‑
cal Receipts Fund. Photo by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 4: The Ampharete stele showing grandmother with
grandchild (boy). Dating: 430‑420 BC. Exhibited:
The Kerameikos Museum, inv. no. P695.
Fig. 5: Attic marble stele from Piraeus showing father
(Euempolos) with his two children (boy in front,
girl behind). Measurements: H. 54 cm. W. 41 cm.
Dating: Late 5th century-early 4th century BC. Exhibited: The Nat. Mus. Athens, inv. no. 778. © Hel‑
lenic Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs,
Culture and Sports /Archaeological Receipts Fund.
Fig. 6: Attic marble stele from Piraeus showing a father
giving the characteristic departing handshake. Dating: Ca. 360 BC. Exhibited: Piraeus Archaeological
Museum, inv. no. 46.
Fig. 7: Attic black-glazed feeding bottle with decoration.
Measurements: H. 6.3 cm. Dia. 9 cm (including
spout). Dating: The Classical period (source The
Benaki Museum). Exhibited: The Benaki Museum,
the Ancient Greek Collection, inv. no. 22477. Photo
by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 8: Red-figure hydria with close-up depiction of
breastfeeding mother. Dating: Ca. 440 BC. Exhibited: Berlin-Staatliche museum, inv. no. F2395.
Fig. 9: Potty stool in terracotta with red decoration
found in The Athenian Agora. Measurements: Ca.
H. 50 cm. Ca. 20 cm. in dia. on the top-bowl, the
base of the stool is ca. 40‑45 cm. in dia.. Dating: Ca.
580 BC. Exhibited: The Agora Museum, Athens, inv.
no. PI18010. Photo by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 10: Red-figure chous with toddler on potty stool.
Measurements: H. 12 cm. Dating: Ca. 440‑430
BC. Exhibited: British Museum, London, inv. no.
1910.6‑15.4.
Fig. 11: Attic red-figure and white-ground stemless
kylix with mother and child on a potty stool (by
the Sotades Painter). Measurements: H. 3 cm. Dia.
12.7 cm. Dating: Ca. 460 BC. Exhibited: Musees
Royaux, Brussels, inv. no. A890.
Fig. 12: Attic marble grave stele with depiction of woman
(mother) with swaddled infant. Dating: 375‑350 BC.
Measurements: H. 44.5 cm. W. 50.8 cm. D. 9.5 cm.
Exhibited: The Museum of Fine Arts, Huston, inv.
no. 37.25.
Fig. 13: Club-shaped rattle from Attica with whiteground and perhaps red paint. Measurements: H.
15 cm. Dia. 4.5 cm. Dating: The Classical period.
Exhibited: The private collection of Argyriadi, the
Benaki Toys Department, Phaliro, Athens, inv. 12.
Photo by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 14: Owl-rattle from Cyprus made of terracotta with
red decoration. Measurements: H. 11.5 cm. Dia.
6.4 cm. Dating: 4th century BC. Exhibited: The
private collection of Argyriadi, the Benaki Toys
Department, Phaliro, Athens, inv. 1093. Photo by
Maria Sommer.
Fig. 15: Pig rattle from Cyprus made of terracotta. Measurements: H. 7.7 cm. Dia. of body 5.9 cm. Dating:
4th century BC. Exhibited: Leo Milden Collection,
Zurich.
Fig. 16: Attic red-figure chous with children (girl rat‑
tling a rattle to infant brother). Measurements: H.
8 cm. Dating: Shortly after 400 BC. Exhibited: The
Nat. Mus. Athens inv. no. 1258. © Hellenic Min‑
istry of Education and Religious Affairs, Culture
and Sports /Archaeological Receipts Fund. Photo
by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 17: Attic red-figure chous with crawling male toddler
(wears amulets). Dating: Ca. 420 BC. Exhibited: The
Nat. Mus. Copenhagen inv. no. 10120. Photo by
Maria Sommer.
Fig. 18: Attic red-figure pelike with crawling infant,
mother and father. Measurements: H. 18.5 cm. Dat-
List of Illustrations
CONTENTS NOTES INDEX
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7
ing: Ca. 430‑420 BC. Exhibited: British Museum,
London, inv. no. E396.
Fig. 19: Attic red-figure chous with two male siblings
playing with toy roller and chous. Measurements:
H. 13 cm. Dating: About 420 BC. Exhibited: Nat.
Mus. Athens, inv. no. 14509. © Hellenic Ministry
of Education and Religious Affairs, Culture and
Sports /Archaeological Receipts Fund. Photo by
Maria Sommer.
Fig. 20: Attic red-figure chous showing boys playing ball.
Measurements: H. 13.7 cm. Dating: Ca. 425 BC. Exhibited: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York, inv. no. 07.286.4.
Fig. 21: Drawing of votive relief from Echinos showing
mother presenting her baby to Artemis. Dating: 4th
century BC. Exhibited: Archaeological Museum,
Lamia, inv. no. AE 1041. Source: Neils 2003, 145,
fig. 6.
Fig. 22: Attic red-figure chous showing a father pushing a
boy on a swing. Dating: Ca. 425 BC. Exhibited: Nat.
Mus. Athens, inv. no. BZ 0319. © Hellenic Minis‑
try of Education and Religious Affairs, Culture and
Sports /Archaeological Receipts Fund.
Fig. 23: Votive relief from Brauron of family with child
approaching Artemis. Dating: Ca. 450‑400 BC. Exhibited: The Brauron Museum, inv. no. 1171. Photo
by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 24: Votive relief from Brauron of family with chil‑
dren approaching Artemis. Dating: Ca. 350 BC. Exhibited: The Brauron Museum, inv. no. 1153. Photo
by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 25: Votive relief from Brauron of family of Lycoleon
with children approaching Artemis (Brauron). Dating: Ca. 340 BC. Exhibited: The Brauron Museum,
inv. no. 1150. Photo by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 26: Votive relief from Brauron of family of Antiph‑
ates showing three generations sacrificing to Arte‑
mis. Dating: Ca. 350‑330 BC. Exhibited: The Brau‑
ron Museum, inv. no. 1151. Photo by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 27: Marble dedicatory votive statuette from Brauron
of crawling male infant. Dating: Early 4th century.
Exhibited: The Brauron Museum, inv. no. 1196.
Photo by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 28: Marble dedicatory votive statuette from Brauron
of sitting infant/toddler boy. Dating: Early 4th cen‑
tury. Exhibited: The Brauron Museum, inv. no. 1160.
Photo by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 29: Marble dedicatory votive statuette from Brauron
of boy with ball, bird and himation. Dating: Late 4th
century. Exhibited: The Brauron Museum, inv. no.
1164. Photo by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 30: Marble head of smiling girl from a dedicatory
statue (missing) found at Brauron. Dating: Late 4th8
century. Exhibited: The Brauron Museum. Photo
by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 31: Corinthian terracotta doll with painted clothes
and hat. Measurements: H. 12.3 cm. Dating: Early 5th
century BC. Exhibited: The Metropolitan Museum
of Art, New York inv. no. 44.II.8.
Fig. 32: Attic seated terracotta doll. Measurements: H.
18 cm. Dating: Ca. mid-5th century BC. Exhibited:
The private collection of Argyriadi, the Benaki
Toys Department, Phaliro, Athens, inv. 5. Photo by
Maria Sommer.
Fig. 33: Attic jointed-doll in terracotta. Measurements:
H. 19 cm. Dating: Early 4th century. Exhibited: The
private collection of Argyriadi, the Benaki Toys De‑
partment, Phaliro, Athens. Photo by Maria Som‑
mer.
Fig. 34: Attic seated terracotta doll with accessories. Measurements: 18 cm. Dating: Ca. 420 BC. Exhibited:
British Museum, London, inv. no. GR 1906 3‑14.1
to 5.
Fig. 35: Attic jointed doll in terracotta holding kroatala.
Measurements: 32. H. 19 cm. Dating: Mid-4th cen‑
tury BC. Exhibited: Museum of Arts, Bowdoine
College, Maine, inv. no. 1913.028.
Fig. 36: Hellenistic jointed doll from Tanagra. Measurements: H. 35 cm. Dating: Last part of 4th century.
Exhibited: The Nat. Mus. Copenhagen inv. no. 3738.
Photo by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 37: Attic jointed doll in terracotta with earrings,
a “crown” and strongly wavy “mid-Classical” hair
style. Measurements: H. 15.5 cm. Dating: Late 5th
century BC, perhaps around 420. Exhibited: The
Benaki Museum, the Ancient Greek Collection, inv.
no. 30829. Photo by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 38: Attic jointed doll in terracotta with “late Clas‑
sical” hair style. Measurements: Ca. 18 cm. Dating:
Perhaps the second quarter or mid-4th century BC.
Exhibited: The Nat. Mus. Athens, Room 56. © Hel‑
lenic Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs,
Culture and Sports /Archaeological Receipts Fund.
Photo by Maria Sommer.
Fig. 39: Attic marble grave stele with girl Melisto holding
a doll and dove while playing with her dog. Measurements: H. 95.5 cm. W. 49.2 cm. Dating: Ca. 340
BC. Exhibited: Cambridge, Harvard University of
Arts Museums, Arthur M. Sackle Museum Alpheus
Hyatt Purchasing and Gifts for Special Uses Funds
in memory of Katherine Brewster Taylor, as tribute
to her many years at the Fogg Museum, inv. no.
1961.89.
Fig. 40: Attic Penthelic marble grave stele with youth
with doll and goose. Measurements: H. 72.5 cm. W.
List of Illustrations
CONTENTS NOTES INDEX
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