Primitive Athens as described by Thucydides

The author reinterprets Thucydides' brief description to argue that early Athens was essentially the Acropolis and its immediate approaches rather than a broad urban area. She assembles archaeological evidence and Dörpfeld's interpretations of recent excavations to identify a prehistoric circuit wall, approaches to the citadel, and a compact settlement pattern. Detailed chapters map sanctuaries and cult places both within the citadel and in nearby lowlands, relating myth, hero cults, and ritual features to topography and material remains. The result is a concise topographical and religious reconstruction that challenges traditional conceptions of primitive urban organization.