Figure 20 Modern reconstruction of bronze tripod “with ears” of the eighth century BC; height 1.54 m.
Olympia, Archaeological Museum.
Source: Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Athens. Photo by G. Hellner.
TERRACOTTA Lightly fired, unglazed ceramic clay used for decorative tiles, architectural
decorations, statuary, vases, and so on (figure 55).TRIPOD A pot or cauldron resting on three legs, often presented as a prize or as a votive offering
(figure 20).This festival was particularly noted for the athletic contests that were held at the site of the sanctuary. The
ancient Greeks had a tradition according to which these contests, the Olympic games, began in the year
we number 776 BC, and a record was preserved of the names of all the victors at the games going back to
that date. According to tradition, Coroebus of Elis was victorious in the one-stade foot race at the
Olympic games in that year, and it is now traditional among scholars to consider 776 BC as the time at
which the Dark Age came to an end. The archaeological evidence, however, suggests that this date might
be a bit early. Still, there seems to be little doubt that the games do in fact date from some time in the