Στα ίχνη της θεάς: Terracotta Figurine Production at Petsas House, Mycenae in LH IIIA2

When Heinrich Schliemann began excavations on the acropolis at Mycenae in 1874 and 1876, recovering terracotta female and bovine figurines was not merely a welcome by-product of his work — it was a primary objective. Convinced that these clay "idols" were early manifestations of Hera and her sacred cow, Schliemann's interpretations set the terms for figurine studies at the site for generations. This paper uses the remarkable assemblage of nearly 1,100 terracotta figurines recovered from Petsas House — a ceramic production and storage workshop on the lower slopes of Mycenae dating to LH IIIA2 — to revisit and substantially reframe those interpretations. Rather than treating figurines as inherently religious objects that sanctify their contexts, the authors approach them as commodities manufactured to meet consumer demand, produced in the same workshops, with the same clays and techniques, as the pottery with which they were found. Close typological study of the female Phi and Psi types and the bovine Linear and Spine types reveals progressive stages of standardization and stylization that run in parallel with developments in vessel forms — particularly the carinated kylix and carinated bowl — suggesting that shifts in figurine production reflect broader changes in industrial organization and consumer preference at the site. Craftsperson attribution analysis further identifies distinct groups of figurines unified by consistent construction and decorative choices, pointing to batches produced by individual artisans or working pairs. Taken together, the evidence positions Petsas House as a manufacturing (and distribution?) hub for a diverse range of terracotta products — from mass-produced standard types to bespoke commissions — and opens new avenues for understanding the social and economic dynamics of Mycenaean palatial society from the ground up.