Themegaron (/ˈmɛɡəˌrɒn/;Ancient Greek:μέγαρον,[mégaron],pl.:megara/ˈmɛɡərə/) was thegreat hall in very earlyMycenean andancient Greekpalace complexes.[1] Architecturally, it was a rectangular hall that was supported by four columns, fronted by an open, two-columnedportico, and had a central, open hearth that vented though anoculus in the roof.[2]
Themegaron also contained thethrone-room of thewanax, or Mycenaean ruler, whose throne was located in the main room with the central hearth.[3] Similar architecture is found in theAncient Near East, though the presence of the openportico, generally supported by columns, is particular to theAegean.[4]Megara are sometimes referred to as "long-rooms", as defined by their rectangular (non-square) shape and the position of their entrances, which are always along the shorter wall so that the depth of the space is larger than the width.[5] There were often many rooms around the centralmegaron, such as archive rooms, offices, oil-press rooms, workshops, potteries,shrines, corridors,armories, and storerooms for such goods as wine, oil, and wheat.[6] Evidence suggests that themegara of ancient Greece were often created using the construction techniques ofwattle-and-daub andpisé.[7]
Themegaron is thought to have been used for sacrificial processions,[8] as well as for royal functions and court meetings.[4] However, parts of the megaron functioned as living spaces and were used as residences before the eighth century BC.[9]
Numerous sources indicate that themegaron was used in two central ways: first and foremost, it was used for religious ceremonies, while also being used to support residents as a dwelling space. Additionally, according to Valentin Müller,[10] there is evidence for 32 different types ofmegaron throughout Greece and parts of Europe and Russia. Their use varied significantly depending on the time periods and locations in which they were built. Remnants of structures related to the traditional Greekmegaron style buildings can be found in Thessaly dating back to theNeolithic Era. Müller asserts that these are some of the first knownmegaron, classifying them with the designation "Type 1"megarons. These initial structures were somewhat similar in design to those found in ancient Greece, but different in their material and roofing style and complexity. Müller has classified and archived a number ofmegaron "typing's" which existed through the first, second and third periods of history, and shows how a number of ethnic groups participated in creating the original and archetypal model which later evolved into the classical Greekmegaron structure.[10]
The Greekmegaron style building was initially structurally designed to allow for religious ceremonies to be held in the central room of the building, while the other rooms supported residence dwelling. However, during the eighth century BC, the base layout of themegaron evolved into what is understood to be the traditional structural design: where the central configuration of the building became more strictly associated with worship. The inhabited sections of the structure grew as a subsidiary structure from the traditionalmegaron design, and became what was later known as anoikos inancient Greece.[9]
Rectilinear halls were a characteristic theme of ancient Greek architecture.[11] The Mycenaeanmegaron originated and evolved from themegaroid, or large hall-centered rectangular building, of mainland Greece dating back to theLate Neolithic andEarly Bronze Age.[1][11] Furthermore, it served as the architectural precursor to theGreek temples of theArchaic andClassical periods.[12] With respect to its structural layout, themegaron includes a columned entrance, apronaos and a centralnaos ("cella") with early versions of it having one of many roof types (i.e., pitched, flat, barrel).[5] The roof, specifically, was supported by wooden beams[13] and since the aforesaid roof types are always destroyed in the remnants of the earlymegaron, the definite roof type is unknown.[5] The floor was made of patterned concrete and covered in carpet.[14] The walls, constructed out ofmudbrick,[15] were decorated with fresco paintings.[12] There were wood-ornamented metal doors, often two-leaved,[16] and footbaths were also used in themegaron as attested in Homer'sOdyssey where Odysseus's feet were washed byEurycleia.[17] The proportions involving a larger length than width are similar structurally to earlyDoric temples.[18]
The construction of themegaron style structure differs depending on the location and the specific example. Recent excavations of the small town ofKarataş, Turkey, has led to the discovery of structural evidence that survived the ages, allowing archeologists and scholars to piece together theories as to how they were created. Some of the most prominent theories to come from this unearthing are the "Wattle-and-Daub" and "Pisé" construction techniques.[19] In the ancient remains of the Karataş houses, archeologists analyzed the surviving foundations and walls of themegaron framework and observed that within each brick foundation were tightly packed tree saplings. Themudbrick surrounding these saplings provided for a dense and well taught structural foundation in which themegaron could be assembled. In other instances, the inner wood-work of the foundation was held in place with soil and rock, rather than mudbrick. Archeologist are unsure whether to call this a pure "Wattle-and-Daub" technique, or rather Pisé, as there is no indication that the inner saplings were woven together in order to help keep the wall's shape, or if the walls were rather held together by the surrounding mud, as done in typical Pisé fashion.[19]
There are a number of different theories about the architectural design ofmegaron roofing; consequently there is much contention as to what type of roofing was actually used inancient Greece. Some scholars suggest that the traditionalmegaron roof wasflat, while others, prominently Baldwin Smith and Dinsmoor respectively, believe there is more evidence towards apitched orgabled design.[20] A lot of these theories have gained popularity and are widely accepted in the effort to reconstruct the ancientmegaron; however, some scholars such as Carl W. Blegen have argued that both the arguments presented by the lead supporters for the pitched and gabled roofs (Smith and Dinsmoor) provide insufficient evidence for determining what the actual roofing might have looked like and asserts that more pertinent studies need to be done before any conclusive judgements can be made.[20] As it stands, conceptualization of themegaron style roofing rendered an overall inconclusive understanding among the archeological community and has led to nothing but speculation.
A famousmegaron is in the large reception hall of the king in the Bronze Age palace ofTiryns, the main room of which had a raised throne placed against the right wall and a centralhearth bordered by four Minoan-style woodencolumns that served as supports for the roof.[5] TheCretan elements in the Tirynsmegaron were adopted by the Mycenaeans from the palace type found inMinoan architecture.[5]Frescoes fromPylos show figures eating and drinking, which were important activities inGreek culture.[8] Artistic portrayals of bulls, a common zoomorphic motif in Mycenaean vase painting,[21] appear on Greekmegaron frescoes, such as the one in the Pylosmegaron, where a bull is depicted at the center of a Mycenaean procession.[8] Other famousmegara include the ones at the Mycenaean palaces ofThebes andMycenae.[22] Different Greek cultures had their own uniquemegara; for example, the people of theGreek mainland tended to separate their centralmegaron from the other rooms whereas theCretans did not do this.[23]
Notable information about themegaron ofMycenae has been reported by archeologist Hugh Plommer on his findings of a fully intact carved block from themegaron of Mycenae. His publication notes specificin situ measurements, photographs, physical details and descriptions of the stone left behind, along with a brief history of what had happened to the digging site, and even a supposition of the block's use – possibly the remnants of a fallenabacus from the porch of themegaron. The carved fragment of themegaron which he recovered was reportedly "broken into more than forty fragments",[24] and was made from what he assumed to be a sort of reddishsandstone. This archeological fragment is particularly revealing of the history of themegaron of Mycenae, as much of the stone was also reportedly blackened around its edges, indicating that at some point there was a fire which raged through the building. After much archeological analysis, Plommer concluded that the abacus of themegaron was likely "80 cm" in both length and width, creating a solid square base linking the roof to the supporting pillar.[24]
One source written by Valentin Müller claims that there are 32 recorded types ofmegaron found throughout Greece and parts of Europe. These structures are understood as variations of the Greekmegaron style building, as they are similarly defined by their design as a "long room"[10] where two parallel walls of the structure are equal in length to each other, and longer than the other two walls. Refer to "Fig 1 – Types ofMegera with Dates"[10] for a full list ofmegaron types as determined by Müller.