Greece (Achaea)
Aigeira is a Greek city in Achaea, in the Peloponnese. "The archaeological evidence from the acropolis shows the settlement dating more or less continuously from the Neolithic period. A reassessment of the evidence from the acropolis has questioned the interpretation that its foundation dates from the second half of the 7th century as a temple that Pausanias (7.26.5) attributes to Artemis and Iphigeneia, as well as the identification of an early 8th-century structure as a temple. This evidence relates rather to continuous settlement. Walls are certainly attested at Aigeira by the 2nd century BC, and their circuit includes an acropolis wall enclosing 35 ha; recent investigations suggest that the city walls existed before the Hellenistic period." (Hansen, 2004:479-80)
Forms of occupation of the ásty
There are no finds inside Building "A" that could prove its use for religious practices: the tripod could be interpreted either as a gift offered to the "chieftain" or as a cult object. The evidence suggests that the acropolis took on a sacred function, becoming a sanctuary, only in the 7th century BC, when the temple was built (Mazarakis Ainian, 1988:110)
On the acropolis of Aigeira there are two buildings – called Building or "Temple A" and "Temple B" – which Mazarakis Ainian places in a category of Early Iron Age buildings (1100–700 BC) called "Chieftains' Houses". The ruler of the settlement would have lived there, combining religious functions, so that rituals could – presumably – be performed in his own house or in front of it. Its large size compared with the other houses, its construction "in antis" and the finds inside would indicate the function of this house. Building "A", dated between the 10th and 8th centuries BC, a modest construction "in antis", has been interpreted as a predecessor of "Temple B", built in the 7th century over part of the ruins of building "A". A 9th-century bronze tripod was found in it, and around the building there were several structures interpreted as residences of other members of a dominant group at the site.
