Lesbos

The article analyses the ancient legendary tradition mentioning the events which were credited both by the ancient authors and modern scholars as a reason for the appearance of the Aiolian Greeks in Lesbos. The author has demonstrated that the development and transformation of local Lesbian legendary and genealogical accounts and their integration into panhellenic tradition started from the late the 7th − early 6th cent. BC.

The article is devoted to the assemblage of finds from the well excavated by the State Hermitage archaeological mission under the direction of K.S. Gorbunova in 1963–1964 on the Berezan island. Transport amphorae are represented by the Samian, Lesbian and Klazomenian production. In addition, fragments of handles belonging to Cypriot basket-handle amphorae appear in the same deposit. The filling of the well contained the significant number of complete and fragmented tableware vessels of the Corinthian, Chian, Attic, North and South Ionian production.

The evidence of the written sources both of the Hittite documents  synchronous to the described events and the tradition of the Mycenaean leaders’  visits of Lesbos preserved in the narrative of the later Greek authors is analyzed  in the article. As a result the obtained information testifies to the fact that Lesbos  during the Late Bronze Age was famous as a cultic centre.