Lerna Excavation Records
Overview - Επισκόπηση
Collection Number: GR ASCSA ExcRec 002
Name(s) of Creator(s): John L. Caskey (1908-1981)
Title: Lerna Excavations Archive
Date [bulk]: 1952-1957
Date [inclusive]: 1952-1997
Language(s): English
Summary: The excavations at the site of Lerna in the Argolid were conducted by the American School of Classical Studies under the direction of J. L. Caskey 1952-1957. The Lerna Excavations Archive contains excavation notebooks, correspondence, annual excavation reports, material from post-excavation study seasons, drafts of publications, drawings and photographs.
Quantity: 13.5 linear meters
Immediate Source of Acquisition: ASCSA
Information about Access: The collection has been catalogued and is available for research after consultation with the ASCSA Archivist and the Director of the Lerna Excavations Records
Cite as: American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Archives, Lerna Excavations Archive (Αμερικανική Σχολή Κλασικών Σπουδών στην Αθήνα, Αρχείο Ανασκαφών Λέρνας)
Notes: The preliminary catalogue was prepared by Evi Sikla (April 2005) and revised by Natalia Vogeikoff-Brogan (September/October 2006)
For more information, please contact the Archives at:
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens
54 Souidias Street, Athens 106 76, Greece
phone: +30 213 000 2400 (ext. 425)
Contact via E-mail
CONTAINER LIST
BOX 1
General correspondence (John L. Caskey’s)
Folder 1 1952-1957 Correspondence with the magazine “The Stylon News”, Greek newsclippings on the Lerna excavations.
Folder 2 1953-1960 Correspondence, miscellaneous. A list of the Lerna excavations field and pottery notebooks is included.
Folder 3 1955-1956 American Philosophical Society (funding for Lloyd Cotsen).
Folder 4 1955-1960 Correspondence on various archaeological topics including discussions about pottery with F. Schachermeyer, V. Miloijcic, J. Mellaart, and G. Bass, about architecture with W. Graham, and about architecture of Los Millares in Spain with H. Hencken.
Folder 5 1957-1964 Correspondence on various archaeological topics including discussions on pottery with W. McLeod, on stone arrowheads with C. Renfrew.
Folder 6 1978 Inventory of the Lerna excavations records in the Argos apotheke in October 1978.
BOX 2
Procedure of post-excavation study at Lerna
Folder 1 Procedure of post-excavation study by supervisors, guidelines for excavation reports.
Folder 2 Procedure of pottery selection and study, 1952-1960
Folder 3 Lerna pottery shapes.
Annual excavation reports, working copies of J. L. Caskey
Folder 4 Area A, 1952-1954, EGC (initials of excavator) Reports, 2nd copy.
Folder 5 A Trenches, 1957 Report, 2nd copy.
Folder 6 Areas AR, G, 1954-1955 Reports, 2nc copy.
Folder 7 Trenches AP and BE pit, 1957, EGC Report, draft and 2nd copy.
Folder 8 Areas B, BA, BB, 1952-1954, MCH and SC combined Report, draft and 2nd copy.
Folder 9 Areas BC-BD, BD pit, HTW?, HTS,1957, MHW Report, 2nd copy.
Folder 10 Trench DE, 1956, Report and 2nd
Caskeys’ preliminary study of stratigraphy and dating of pottery lots
Folder 11 Phasing – Sections, 1952-1957, JLC’s summaries.
Folder 12 Lerna III, IV, V – Assignment of pottery lots.
Folder 13 Lerna III, IV, V – Assignment of pottery lots.
Folder 14 Lerna IV, V – Assignment of pottery lots (with note “for B. C. Banks”)
Folder 15 Mixed deposits (Lerna II+III, III+IV, IV+V, mixed, lots of V+VI/VII)
BOX 3
Publication plan and assignment of excavation material to authors
Folder 1 1974-1977 Publication scheme and assignments
Folder 2 1978 Publication scheme and assignments, revised, formats for volumes, catalogues.
(Studies organized per period)
(Neolithic Lerna (Lerna I-II)
Folder 3 Lerna, Areas I, J, draft manuscript and notes on Neolithic stratigraphy and deposits.
Folder 4 Lerna II, Area J, draft manuscript
Folder 5 Lerna, Areas other than J – JA, draft manuscript
Folder 6 Lerna II, Areas B, HTJ, HTN, BI, JC, pottery, draft
Folder 7 Lerna I , Typed draft
Folder 8 Lerna II, Area J, typed draft
Folder 9 Lerna II, Areas other than J, typed draft
Folder 10 Lerna I – II, JLC’s working notes and drawings on stratigraphy (1965?)
Folder 11 Neolithic stratigraphy, copies of notes by E. C. Banks, 1977-1978
Folder 12 Lerna I - II, Pottery shapes and wares, 1974
Folder 13 Copies of notes on pottery by E. C. Banks, 1974
Folder 14 Correspondence between J. Caskey and E. Banks on pottery analysis, 1976
Folder 15 Report of K. Vitelli’s work on the pottery, 1976; copy of “Lots and percentages of Lerna II wares compiled for Vitelli by E.C. Banks, Summer 1976” (found with other photocopies stored in Athens and added to this folder)
Folder 16 Lerna I – II, Lists and typology of miscellaneous objects by E.G.Caskey
Folder 17 Lerna I – II, Lists and typology of miscellaneous objects by E.G.Caskey
BOX 4
Neolithic Lerna (Lerna I-II)
Folder 1 E. C. Banks, Lerna Neolithic Small Objects, typed manuscript, 1972
Folder 2 E.C. Banks, Draft of the article on Neolithic ‘Tangas’ (published in Hesperia 47, 1978) 1976
Folder 3 Correspondence between J. Caskey and L. Talalay on Neolithic figurines, 1977
Folder 4 Copies of E. Banks notes and drafts on Neolithic graves
Folder 5 Lerna, Neolithic volume: publication plan, preliminary notes
Folder 6 Neolithic volume, bibliography for (typed manuscript of S. Weinberg’s article in CAH)
Folder 7 Neolithic volume, parallels from other sites – correspondence, notes, photographs
BOX 5
Early Helladic II Lerna (Lerna III)
Folder 1 Lerna III, General phases, 1st copy (for MHW, June 2, 1981)
Folder 2 Lerna III, General phases, 2nd copy
Folder 3 Lerna III, Pottery deposits, 1st copy
Folder 4 Lerna III, Closed groups, 2nd copy
Folder 5 Lerna III, Working lists (of stratigraphy and deposits), MHW
Folder 6 Lerna III, Bothroi
Folder 7 Lerna III, House of Tiles, stratigraphy and architecture, MHW, copy
Folder 8 Lerna III, House of Tiles, architect’s worksheets, 1954-1956
Folder 9 Lerna III, Pottery shapes (drawings)
Folder 10 Lerna III, Various notes on pottery and other objects
Folder 11 Lerna III, Sealings, Pithos Bands, MHW. Correspondence with J. Caskey and B. Banks included, 1953-1963
Folder 12 Lerna III, Pithos Bands, drawings of sealings not included in the publication
Folder 13 Correspondence of J. Caskey with V. E. J. Kenna on the Lerna sealings
BOX 6
Early Helladic III Lerna (Lerna IV)Folder 1 Lerna IV, General phases (stratigraphy, pottery, other objects)
Folder 2 Lerna IV, General phases, 2nd copy
Folder 3 Lerna IV, Closed deposits, 2nd copy
Folder 4 Lerna IV, Closed deposits, 2nd copy
BOX 7
Early Helladic III Lerna (Lerna IV)
Folder 1 Lerna IV, Bothroi A3a - BBf, 2nd copy
Folder 2 Lerna IV, Bothroi BC - J
Folder 3 Lerna IV, Bothroi BC - J, 2nd copy
Folder 4 Lerna IV, Bothroi A - BA, BB, 2nd copy
BOX 8
Early Helladic III Lerna (Lerna IV)
Folder 1 Lerna IV, Pottery: shapes and wares
Folder 2 Lerna IV, Pottery: correspondence between J. Caskey and J. Rutter, typescript of Rutters’s “The Kastri Group, Lerfkandi, I and Lerna IV”.
Folder 3 Lerna IV, Pottery: correspondence between J. Caskey and J. Rutter, typescript of Rutter’s “The Common vessel shapes of Lefkandi I and Lerna IV and the origins of EH III ceramics”, lists with important Lerna IV lots and their phasing by Rutter in 1980- 1981.
Folder 4 Lerna IV, Pottery: correspondence between J. Caskey and J. Rutter, grant proposals.
Folder 5 Lerna IV, Architecture by phase.
Folder 6 Lerna IV, Drawings of tiles by J. Pfaff used in the book, except for T1, T34
Folder 7 Lerna IV, Drawings of tiles as submitted by author (figs. 63-72, 85-122, 123-141).
BOX 9
Middle Helladic Lerna (Lerna V)
Folder 1 Lerna V, General phases, original (2nd copy taken by C. Zerner)
Folder 2 Lerna V, Pottery groups (2nd copy taken by C. Zerner)
Folder 3 Lerna V, Pottery, including Bass’s observations
Folder 4 Lerna V, Bothroi (2nd copy taken by C. Zerner)
Folder 5 Lerna V, Architecture (contains only an original plan of House 98A, period V, phase A)
Folder 6 Lerna V, Graves
Folder 7 Lerna V, Graves, 2nd copy
BOX 10
Late Helladic I Lerna (Lerna VI - shaft graves period)
Folder 1 Lerna VI, Graves and bothroi
Folder 2 Lerna VI, Pottery
Folder 3 Lerna IV, Pottery
Folder 4 Loose pages with photocopies of pottery lists found with rest of Lerna VI material, but it is not certain that they concern Lerna VI pottery.
Late Helladic III Lerna (Lerna VII)
Folder 5 Lerna VII, Correspondence between J. Caskey and M. H. Wiencke mostly, but also B. Banks and T. Blackburn on the publication of Mycenaean Lerna, typescripts of Wiencke(1975-1977)
Folder 6 Lerna VII, Copy of typescript of Wiencke’s article in Hesperia 67, 1998.
Folder 7 Lerna VII, Graves, copy of typescript on the Mycenaean graves.
Folder 8 Lerna VII, Good copies of the drawings for the article in Hesperia 67, 1998.
Folder 9 Lerna VII, Area D, typescript with notes.
Classical Lerna
Folder 10 Classical Lerna, Architectural fragments (typescript), wells, pottery.
Folder 11 Classical Lerna, Architectural fragments (typescript), 2nd copy.
Folder 12 Medieval Lerna, Notes (typed) and drawing on the fort.
BOX 11
(Studies of Lerna material organized per subject )
N.-G. Gevjall, The Fauna, Princeton 1969 (Lerna, Volume I)
Folder 1 Caskey’s lists with deposits that contain animal bones, 1958; correspondence with D. Reese on his study of Lerna material (Reese’s report included), 1981.
Folder 2 Photocopies of Gevjall’s cards with his analysis of the animal bone deposits.
Folder 3 Photocopies of Gevjall’s cards with his analysis of the animal bone deposits.
Folder 4 Photocopies of Gevjall’s cards with his analysis of the animal bone deposits.
BOX 12
J. L. Angel, The People of Lerna, Princeton 1971 (Lerna, Volume II)
Folder 1 1956-1966 Correspondence of J. Caskey with J. L. Angel on the study of the material.
Folder 2 1957-1960 Caskey’s lists of skeletal material, graves lists, locations, associated objects.
Folder 3 Original plates for volume II with identifications of illustrated material on their back
Scientific analyses of organic and inorganic materials
Folder 4 1957-1965 Organic (plant) materials for analysis (M. Hopf)
Folder 5 1958-1977 Samples from Lerna and Eutresis for Carbon-14 dating.
Folder 6 1958-1962 Inorganic (including plaster, pottery) materials for analysis
Folder 7 1976-1990s? Correspondence regarding the analysis of obsidian; Report on petrographic and neutron activation analysis of pottery and on analysis of plant remains, bones, shells.
Folder 8 1976-1978 Pottery for Neutron Activation Analysis (M. Attas)
Folder 9 1978 Analysis of miscellaneous stone objects (Vitaliano)
Folder 10 1981-1982 Analysis of metal objects (N. Gale)
Miscellaneous artifacts in stone, bone, clay
Folder 11 Correspondence of J. Caskey with E. Banks on her dissertation “The Early and Middle Helladic Small Objects from Lerna”, Cincinnati 1967, part of draft manuscript, mostly catalogues of objects.
Folder 12 Report on Lerna clay, bone and stone objects that may have been used in spinning, weaving, etc., Jill Carington Smith, undated.
Folder 13 1980 Typology of Lerna bone and antler objects, Olga H. Krzyszkowska.
BOX 13
Pottery (inscribed, painted)
Folder 1 1957 “A Family of Two-Handled Bowls from Lerna”, manuscript with 11 original drawings, G. F. B. (George F. Bass?).
Folder 2 Original drawings of patterns on large jar L 287, William P. Donovan.
Folder 3 1961 William P. Donovan, “A Study of Early Helladic Pottery with Painted Decoration”, Cincinnati 1961, manuscript, notes, original drawings and photos.
Folder 4 1960-1974 Correspondence of J. Caskey with W. P. Donovan on his dissertation and publication plans.
Folder 5 1954-1971 Potmarks on Lerna pottery, correspondence
Folder 6 Inventory of the inscribed pottery pieces by Helen Vasiliou, 1955, original photos included.
Folder 7 Inscribed pottery of Lerna V and VI, typescript by W. McLeod, 1960, additional data of 1961.
Folder 8 1960-1975 Potmarks on Lerna pottery, correspondence with W. McLeod on his study.
Folder 9 Potmarks on Lerna II, III, IV pottery.
Folder 10 1970 Addendum to McLeod’s catalogue of potmarks by E. T. Blackburn.
Folder 11 1972 Lists of photos with inscribed pottery.
Folder 12 1978 Correspondence between J. Caskey and W. McLeod and typescript on potmarks of Lerna V and VI.
BOX 14
Lithic artifacts
Folder 1 1956 Working lists of chipped and polished stone implements, Perry A. Bialor
Folder 2 1959-1966 Correspondence of J. Caskey with P. A. Bialor on the study of the Lerna lithic artifacts.
Folder 3 1963 Preliminary observations on the chipped and polished stone implements, P. A. Bialor.
Folder 4 1964 Draft manuscript and notes on the chipped stone implements, P. A. Bialor.
Folder 5 Photographic record of the chipped stone implements, P. A. Bialor, undated (1964?) – 23 photographs (identification written on the back), some of polished implements, are included.
Folder 6 Draft manuscript and notes on the polished stone implements, P. A. Bialor, undated (1964?) – a list of the implements sampled by M. Pawlikowski in June 1992 is included.
Folder 7 1964 “Lithic Industries of Prehistoric Lerna in the Argolid”, manuscript with J. Caskey’s (?) notes, P. A. Bialor, September 1964.
Folder 8 1976 Correspondence of J. Caskey with Harriett Blitzer on her “Report on the Chipped Stone Inventory at Lerna”, the report is included.
Folder 9 1977-1978 Correspondence of J. Caskey with Curtis Runnels on the stone implements of Lerna, his dissertation proposal and his paper “Economic Man and Andesite exploitation in the Prehistoric Aegean.”
Folder 10 1978 “Millstones at Lerna. A Preliminary Report”, C. Runnels.
Folder 11 1985 “The Bronze Age Flaked Stone Industries from Lerna: A Preliminary Report” , Hesperia 54, 1985, C. Runnels.
BOX 15
Lithic Artifacts
Folder 1 1984-1985 Original data on Lerna chipped and ground stone: data sheets on Lerna III, IV, V tools, one stack of note cards, one notebook with inventoried tools, including the Lerna III, IV, V weights.
Folder 2 Contexts (area, lot) of chipped and ground stone.
Folder 3 1983, 1985 Contexts – one notebook with Lerna III contexts of lithics (1984), one notebook with measurements and contexts of Lerna V lithics.
Folder 4 1983 “Lerna IV catalogue of ground stone” typed draft.
Folder 5 Original drawings of Lerna III, IV, V stone tools.
BOX 16
Publications
Folder 1 List of publications on Lerna excavations and of the published photographs up to 1980.
Folder 2 Annual excavation report for 1952-1953 and the original illustrations published in Hesperia.
Folder 3 Annual excavation report for 1954 and original illustrations published in Hesperia.
Folder 4 Annual excavation report for 1955 and original illustrations for the published in Hesperia.
Folder 5 Annual excavation report for 1956 and original illustrations for the published in Hesperia.
Folder 6 Annual excavation report for 1957 and original illustrations for the published in Hesperia.
Folder 7 Annual excavation report for 1958-1959 and original illustrations for the published in Hesperia.
Folder 8 Copies of the reports published in the AJA, BCH, JHS, Fasti Archaeologici, 1952-1959.
BOX 17
J. L. Caskey and E. T. Blackburn, Lerna in the Argolid: A Short Guide, ASCSA, University of Cincinnati and the 1997 revised edition
Folder 1 1976-1977 Correspondence, documents and drafts of the guidebook.
Folder 2 1976, 1980 Correspondence, documents and drafts of the guidebook.
Folder 3 1977 Plans for the guidebook.
Folder 4 Plans and photographs for the guidebook.
Folder 5 1977 Final draft and original photos for the guidebook, 1977. Nine (9) copies of the 1977 guidebook included.
Folder 6 1995-1997 Correspondence on, documents and drafts of the revised guidebook published in 1997.
Folder 7 1996-1997 Correspondence on, documents and drafts of the revised guidebook published in 1997.
Folder 8 1997 Correspondence on, documents and drafts of the revised guidebook published in 1997.
BOX 18
Excavation Notebooks
Lerna I Trenches C, (1952), E, F, G, H (1953)
Lerna II Trench A (1952, 1953)
Lerna III Trench B (1952)
Lerna IV (1952)
Lerna V Area B (1953)
Lerna VI Area A (1953)
Lerna VII Area B4, B5 (1953)
Lerna VIII Areas A, D, Trenches I-N, I-S, NR, NS (1953, 1954)
Lerna IX General notes by J.L.Caskey, Trench GA (1953)
Lerna X Area A (1953, 1954, 1955)
Lerna XI Area B (1954)
Lerna XII Area BA, BB (1954)
Lerna XIII Area G (1954)
Lerna XIV Area D (1954)
Lerna XV Trench J (1954, 1955)
Lerna XVI Area B (1954)
BOX 19
Excavation Notebooks
Lerna XVII Area G (1954)
Lerna XVIII Trenches K, L, M (1954), N1, N2 (1955), Wells BA1, D2, A1 (1955), Section P (1955), Area TT1, TT2 (1958), Trench R (1958)
Lerna XIX Area D (1954, 1955)
Lerna XX Area BA, BB (1954, continued from Lerna XII)
Lerna XXI Area B (1954)
Lerna XXII General (1955)
Lerna XXIII Area G (1955)
Lerna XXIV Area D (1955)
Lerna XXV Area B (1955)
Lerna XXVI Area J, JA (1955)
Lerna XXVII Area G (1955)
Lerna XXVIII Area B (1955)
Lerna XXIX Area BC (1955)
Lerna XXX Area G (1955)
Lerna XXXI Area J, JA (1955), JB (1956)
Lerna XXXII General (1956)
BOX 20
Excavation Notebooks
Lerna XXXIII Area DE (1956)
Lerna XXXIV Area BD (1956)
Lerna XXXV Area BE (1956)
Lerna XXXVI Area JA, JB (1956)
Lerna XXXVII Area DC1, DB1, HTJ (1956)
Lerna XXXVIII Area BD, BC (1956)
Lerna XXXIX Area DE (1956)
Lerna XL Area A (1956, 1957)
Lerna XLI Area BE (1956)
Lerna XLII Area JA, JB (1956), J (1958)
Lerna XLIII Area BC, BD (1956)
Lerna XLIV General (1957)
Lerna XLV Area BF (1957)
Lerna XLVI Area BC, HT.S, HT.N (1957)
Lerna XLVII Area BH, BI (1958)
Lerna XLVIII General (1958)
Lerna XLIX Area HT.V-HT.Z (1958)
BOX 21
Excavation Notebooks (PAA-PAK)
BOX 22
Excavation Notebooks (PAL-PAS)
BOX 23
Excavation Notebooks (PA-PJ)
BOX 24
Excavation Notebooks (PK-PT)
BOX 25
Excavation Notebooks (PU-PZ)
BOX 26
Inventories (pottery, objects; and photos)
BOX 27
Annual Excavation Reports by Area
Folder 1 Area A, 1952, 1953, 1954 A Trenches, 1957
Folder 2 Area B, 1952, 1953, 1954 / BA-BB, 1954 / B-BA-BB, 1952-1954 / B, 1955 / Trenches HTJ, DC1, DB1 (Lerna XXXVII), 1956
Folder 3 Area BC, 1955 / BC-BD, 1956 / BC, 1955-1956 / BD, 1956 / BC-BD, 1957 / BF, 1957
Folder 4 BD pit, 1957 / BE pit, 1957 / Trench AP, 1957 / Trench HTN, 1957 / Trench HTS, 1957
Folder 5 Area BE, 1956 DE, 1956
Folder 6 Area D, 1952, 1953, 1954, correlated report 1953-1954, 1955, 1955 phasing
BOX 28
Annual Excavation Reports per Area
Folder 1 Area G, 1953-1954, 1955 / Area AA, 1955
Folder 2 Area J, 1954 / JA, 1955 / JA-JB, 1956 / J-JA-JB, 1955-1956 correlated report
Folder 3 Area J, 1955 / Area P, 1955
BOX 29
Copies of original field drawings
BOX 30
Copies of original field drawings
BOX 31
Various photos and photographic records (including photos of the opening of the House of the Tiles’ shelter)
Also on the shelves:
Dissertations relating to Lerna and Publications on Lerna
W. P. Donovan A Study of Early Helladic Pottery with Painted Decoration, PhD Diss., University of Cincinnati 1961
E. Banks The Early and Middle Helladic Small Objects from Lerna, PhD Diss., University of Cincinnati, 1967
E. Banks The Early and Middle Helladic Small Objects from Lerna, PhD Diss., University of Cincinnati, 1967
E. T. Blackburn Middle Helladic Graves and Burial Customs with Special Reference to Lerna in the Argolid, PhD Diss., University of Cincennati, 1970
K. Vitelli The Greek Neolithic Patterned Urfirnis Ware from the Franchthi Cave and Lerna, University of Pennsylvania, 1974
M. Attas Analyse par Activation Neutronique de la Ceramique de Lerne (Grece) A L’ Age de Bronze Ancien: Productions locales et Echanges commerciaux, PhD Diss., Universite de Paris-Sud, Centre d’ Orsay, 1980
Articles on Lerna materials published in various periodicals bound in four (4) volumes
N.-G. Gevjall, The Fauna, Princeton 1969 (Lerna, Volume I)
J. L. Angel, The People of Lerna, Princeton 1971 (Lerna, Volume II)
M.H. Wiencke, The Lerna Sealings, CMS V, 1975 (offprint)
M.H. Wiencke, The Lerna Sealings, CMS V, 1975 (offprint)
J.B. Rutter, Ceramic Change in the Aegean Early Bronze Age, Occasional Paper 5, UCLA, 1979 (offprint)
M.H. Wiencke, Mycenaean Lerna, Hesperia 67, 1988 (offprint, 2 copies)
To be processed:
Forty-eight folders with photocopies of the forty-nine excavation notebooks (Lerna I – XLIX) – the last folder contains both Lerna XLVIII and XLIX
Photos, negatives, slides, films, Cds
Excavation catalogue and its copies