A multi-dimensional space: Olympia and its environs

Results of the campaigns 2015 to 2017 and first historical conclusions

Résumé

This contribution presents the first results of a project that has been running since 2015, the core of which is the so-called Olympia Area Survey. Within this framework the site of Olympia was for the first time systematically set in context with its (geo)archaeological environment and its historical relevance for the development of the region’s cultural landscape has been highlighted accordingly. The work has provided a clear overall impression of the settlement structures: intensive use and dense human occupation combined with extreme fragmentation. Within this environment, the sanctuary of Olympia formed a highly specific centre. This centrality is also reflected by the ancient perception of space and by the ›espace vécu‹. The sanctuary was in many ways intertwined with its environment through ritual practices and mythical narratives. A special, sacred landscape charged with ›lieux de mémoire‹ evolved around the sanctuary. At the same time, these interconnections significantly contributed to the social and political integration of the region and hence also of the political union of Elis into the fabric of the Panhellenic world.