Excavations at Larisa am Hermos, Series I.
1902-1940
Physical Description:
1 Linear Feet
(3 boxes)
Scope and Contents note
The site of Larisa on the Hermos, near Buruncuk in western Turkey, was initially excavated by Lennart Kjellberg and Johannes
Boehlau in 1902. The pair conducted further joint Swedish and German excavations at the site from 1932-1934. These excavations
revealed structures from three main building phases, dating from the sixth through the fourth centuries B.C. Of special interest
to scholars were the many fragments of architectural terracottas.
This series contains a limited amount of general documentation about Kjellberg's excavations and substantial visual documentation
of the terracottas. Akerstrom received this material after Kjellberg died during the preparation of the final Larisa excavation
report.
box 1, folder 1
Kjellberg field notes, reports and correspondence,
1902-1935, undated
General Physical Description note: 64 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Typescript copies of entries from Kjellberg's day books of the excavation, for the period from 31 Jan to 24 Apr 1902. The
later excavations are represented here with reports on the 1932 season. Also included are financial reports and a small amount
of correspondence between Kjellberg and Boehlau, Theodor Wiegand and Åkerström.
box 1, folder 2
Kjellberg publication materials,
undated
General Physical Description note: 6 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Includes an unpublished forward to the excavation report and an early publication plan.
Architectural terracottas from Larisa,
circa 1940
Scope and Contents note
The architectural terracottas from Larisa constitute a large body of material, almost 500 fragments, and include elements
of raking and lateral simas, geison revetment plaques, akroteria and waterspouts, bearing both painted and molded, figural
and ornamental decoration. The Greek cities of Asia Minor employed a decorative system of roofing with more ornamentation
than was standard on the mainland and the Larisa fragments, being amongst the earliest examples of this practice, have helped
scholars understand the varying regional roofing styles used by the Greeks.
Kjellberg originally intended to publish this material himself and left a partial manuscript on his death in 1936. Kjellberg's
son, Ernst, hoped to finish his father's work but died himself in 1938, at which point the responsibility for the material
was handed over to Åke Åkerström. Åkerström revised and completed the manuscript and published
Die architektonischen Terrakotten (Stockholm, 1940), as volume II in the excavation report,
Larisa am Hermos. Die Ergebnisse der Ausgrabungen 1902-1934.
Documentation and notes
Scope and Contents note
The documentation of the terracottas preserved in the archive is almost entirely visual. The majority of the images are photographs,
generally mounted, either individually or in groups, with occasional drawings added. Only a limited numbers of notes and measurements
are included.
box 1, folder 3
II,
General Physical Description note: 45 items
box 1, folder 4-5
III,
General Physical Description note: 66 items
box 1, folder 6
IV,
General Physical Description note: 54 items
box 1, folder 7
V,
General Physical Description note: 23 items
box 1, folder 8
VI,
General Physical Description note: 12 items
box 1, folder 9-11
VII,
General Physical Description note: 156 items
box 2, folder 1-2
VIII,
General Physical Description note: 118 items
box 2, folder 3
IX,
General Physical Description note: 7 items
box 2, folder 4
X,
General Physical Description note: 3 items
box 2, folder 5
Ornamental friezes,
General Physical Description note: 40 items
box 2, folder 6
Akroteria,
General Physical Description note: 60 items
box 2, folder 7-8
Waterspouts,
General Physical Description note: 72 items
box 3, folder 1
High-relief figures,
General Physical Description note: 15 items
box 3, folder 2
Miscellaneous fragments,
General Physical Description note: 64 items
box 3, folder 3
Stockholm fragments,
General Physical Description note: 13 items
Scope and Contents note
Two sets of fragments, presumably from Larisa, donated to the Nationalmuseum by Lennart Kjellberg. This material was published
in detail by Åkerström in
Architektonische Terrakottaplaten in Stockholm (Lund, 1951).
box 3, folder 4
Proofs (?) of the published plates,
General Physical Description note: 76 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Heavily annotated, with reconstructions of missing elements sketched in.
Research and publications, Series II.
1904-1987, undated
Physical Description:
5.6 Linear Feet
(12 boxes)
Scope and Contents note
Åke Åkerström's research materials and publications comprise this series. Both the research and publication material show
the breadth of Åkerström's interests, ranging from Bronze Age Greece to Roman Italy and beyond. It should also be noted that
some of the materials included here originally came to Åkerström from Lennart Kjellberg and perhaps from Axel Persson. Åkerström's
research materials make up the largest portion of his papers. These include general archaeological research materials, such
as his photographic archive of sites and antiquities and his extensive note file, as well as more specific research on selected
topics. The limited publication material found here relates primarily to the images for his books and articles.
Research materials,
1904-1984, undated
Photographic archive,
1928-1947, undated
Scope and Contents note
The majority of the images are photographs or postcards, mounted several to a board, but there is also a sampling of loose
photographs and postcards, and an occasional drawing. Many of the photographs have identifying information on the board. The
images are organized by medium and culture. The majority of the photographs are undated; only a few have dates along with
Åkerström's captions.
Site views, architecture and architectural sculpture,
1928-1947, undated
Etruria,
1928-1947, undated
Scope and Contents note
Includes images of maps and plans of Etruria and Etruscan sites, tomb plans and elevations. Also included are images of artifacts:
architectural elements, pottery, metalwork, painting, terracottas, sculpture. There is strong coverage of Etruscan tomb architecture,
reflecting Åkerström's dissertation. Many of the mounting boards found here were reused from work at Berbati and still carry
Berbati negative numbers and captions on the verso.
box 4, box 5
Photographs,
1928-1947, undated
General Physical Description note: 209 items
box 17, folder 1
Negatives,
undated
General Physical Description note: 30 frames
box 6, folder 1-4
Greece,
1936, undated
General Physical Description note: 71 items
Scope and Contents note
The sites documented include the major sites of Athens, Delos, Delphi, Olympia, as well as smaller sites like Aegina, Asine,
Bassai, Isthmia, Kalauria, Knossos, Livadia, Mycenae, Mystra, Nauplion, Perachora, Pylos, Rhodes, Sparta, Sunion and Tiryns.
Also included are early excavation photographs of Asine and Rhodes, which may have come from the Persson material (See Series
IV).
box 6, folder 5-8
Magna Grecia and Roman Italy,
1931-1936, undated
General Physical Description note: 63 items
Scope and Contents note
The Greek sites in Italy documented here include Agrigento, Selinus, Segesta and Paestum. The major Roman sites of the city
of Rome and Pompeii are included, as well as smaller sites like Alatri, Elba, Frascati, Naples, Nemi, Rieti, Subiaco and Tivoli.
Also included are two clippings with photographs of the Nemi ships.
box 6, folder 9
Turkey,
undated
General Physical Description note: 11 items
Scope and Contents note
The sites documented include Istanbul, Izmir, Pamukkale, Belevi and Pergamon.
box 6, folder 10
Great Britain,
undated
General Physical Description note: 14 items
Scope and Contents note
Includes images of the Roman remains at Chedworth and Bath, as well as later monuments in Salisbury and Caerleon.
box 6, folder 11
Miscellaneous and unidentified sites,
1928-1931, undated
General Physical Description note: 6 items
Scope and Contents note
Includes panorama of excavations at Cyrene in 1928.
box 7, folder 1-4
Sculpture,
1936, undated
General Physical Description note: 131 items
Scope and Contents note
Greek, Hellenistic and Roman works.
box 7, folder 5-6
Vase-painting,
undated
General Physical Description note: 62 items
Scope and Contents note
Primarily Attic black-figure and red-figure pottery, but also includes Geometric and Cypriot wares.
box 7, folder 7
Mosaics, stucco and metalwork,
undated
General Physical Description note: 8 items
box 8, box 9, box 10
Note file,
undated
General Physical Description note: 4523 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Extensive note file constructed from slips of paper cut or folded to a standard size; the file retains Åkerström's arrangement
by topic. Those topics, based on both topographical and typological divisions, reflect Åkerström's wide-ranging research interests.
The file covers the standard Greek, Roman and Etruscan cultures, but also includes Mycenaean, Cypriot and Hallstatt culture.
Artistic media covered in the file include general art, architecture, sculpture, vase-painting and terracottas, as well as
broad topics such as religion, topography and history. The slips carry notes, bibliography and drawings of artifacts. The
extensive coverage of Caeretan hydriae and Klazomenian sarcophagi found here is related to Åkerström's work on the architectural
terracottas in Asia Minor.
box 11
Map of Greece,
undated
General Physical Description note: 1 item
Scope and Contents note
Oversize map of Greece at 1:400,000 constructed from smaller map segments.
Topical research materials,
1904-1984, undated
box 12, folder 1
Antiquities in the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm,
undated
General Physical Description note: 29 items
Scope and Contents note
Photographs of sculpture and vases attached to inventory cards.
box 12, folder 2
Cypriot inscriptions,
undated
General Physical Description note: 7 photographs
box 12, folder 3-6
Greek Geometric and Orientalizing pottery,
undated
General Physical Description note: 511 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Contents of a loose-leaf notebook assembled by Åkerström; includes research notes and drawings.
box 12, folder 7-8
Klazomenian vases,
1904, undated
General Physical Description note: 85 items
Scope and Contents note
Contents of a loose-leaf notebook assembled by Åkerström, including mounted photographs, notes and manuscripts. Part of the
material, especially the mounted photographs, appears to have been created by Åkerström. However, other material found here
including a brief manuscript and a letter, comes from Lennart Kjellberg, a portion of whose scholarly estate came to Åkerström
in connection with the Larisa material (See Series I). Also included are notes and photographs of Klazomenian sarcophagi.
Mycenaean pottery,
1972-1974, undated
box 12, folder 9
Notes and research,
1972-1974, undated
General Physical Description note: 10 items
Scope and Contents note
Includes heavily annotated copies of articles on the chronology of Late Helladic pottery by Oliver Dickinson, paste-ups for
figures in unidentified publication (?) and photocopies of tomb plans.
box 17, folder 2
Negatives,
undated
General Physical Description note: 5 frames
box 12, folder 10
Mycenaean pottery in Egypt,
1977-1984,
General Physical Description note: 9 items
Scope and Contents note
Materials documenting Åkerström's exchanges with Vronwy Hankey regarding Mycenaean pottery found in Egypt; includes offprints,
copies of talks given by Hankey, and a letter from Hankey to Åkerström.
box 13, folder 1
Urartian bronzes from Altin Tepe,
undated
General Physical Description note: 19 photographs, 7 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Photographs, notes, and drawing.
box 13, folder 2
Miscellaneous research,
1929-1973
General Physical Description note: 20 items
Scope and Contents note
Includes material on the tumulus at Belevi, lion imagery in Homer, Persian history, photographic documentation of unidentified
metal finds, notes from a trip to Yugoslavia.
Publications and writings,
circa 1940-1987, undated
Der geometrische Stil in Italien,
circa 1940-1943
Scope and Contents note
Images, primarily copy photography, of pottery and metalwork; associated with Åkerström's research for
Der geometrische Stil in Italien (Lund, 1943).
box 13, folder 3
Photographs,
General Physical Description note: 9 items
box 17, folder 3
Negatives,
General Physical Description note: 29 items
box 18, folder 1
Glass negatives,
General Physical Description note: 37 items
Architektonische Terrakottaplatten in Stockholm,
circa 1947-1951
Scope and Contents note
Images related to the figures in the publication and to research for
Architektonische Terrakottaplatten in Stockholm (Lund, 1951).
box 13, folder 4
Photographs,
General Physical Description note: 3 items
box 17, folder 4
Negatives,
General Physical Description note: 87 items
box 18, folder 2
Glass negatives,
General Physical Description note: 5 items
box 13, folder 5
Die architektonischen Terracotten Kleinasiens,
circa 1965-1967
General Physical Description note: 62 items
Scope and Contents note
Multiple copies of selected plates including terracottas from Larisa am Hermos, Gordion and Akalan from
Die architektonischen Terracotten Kleinasiens (Lund, 1966); also includes early version of map.
box 13, folder 6
"More Canaanite jars from Greece,"
circa 1974-1975
General Physical Description note: 12 items
Scope and Contents note
Production materials for the illustrations in the article published in
Opuscula Atheniensia 11 (1975): 185-192, including photographs of pottery at varying exposures, as well as mechanicals.
box 13, folder 7-8
Berbati II: The Pictorial Pottery,
1985-1987, undated
Scope and Contents note
Materials related to the preparation and publication of
Berbati II: The Pictorial Pottery (Stockholm, 1987)
box 13, folder 7
Notes and preliminary drafts,
1987, undated
General Physical Description note: 113 leaves
box 13, folder 8
Correspondence with Berit Wells,
1985
General Physical Description note: 6 leaves
box 13, folder 9
Linear B inscriptions at Knossos,
undated
General Physical Description note: 17 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Unpublished (?) typescript.
box 13, folder 10
Miscellaneous writings,
undated
General Physical Description note: 5 items
Scope and Contents note
Unidentified fragments of manuscripts.
Miscellaneous professional papers, Series III.
1927-1991
Physical Description:
3.5 Linear Feet
(1 box, 2 flatfile folders)
Scope and Contents note
This series contains a variety of Åkerström's miscellaneous professional papers. The largest and most significant element
in this series is the group of reports and minutes related to the workings of the Swedish Institute in Athens during the time
Åkerström was director.
box 14, folder 1-2
Swedish Institute in Athens,
1951-1958
General Physical Description note: 139 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Various institutional reports and minutes of meetings from Åkerström's time as Director.
oversize FF1**, oversize FF2**
Plans for a Yugoslavian legation building in Athens,
1938
General Physical Description note: 15 items
Scope and Contents note
Reprographic copies of plans for the construction or renovation of a building for the Yugoslavian legation in Athens.
box 14, folder 3
Photographs of colleagues,
1957, undated
General Physical Description note: 4 items
Scope and Contents note
Includes Martin Nilsson, Ludwig Curtius and Carl Blegen.
box 14, folder 4-5
Various printed matter,
1927-1991
General Physical Description note: 6 items
Scope and Contents note
Includes newspaper clippings and fascicles of serials and newsletters on archaeological topics.
Axel W. Persson papers, Series IV.
1853-1941, undated
Physical Description:
1.5 Linear Feet
(3 boxes)
Scope and Contents note
Axel W. Persson (1888-1951) was a pioneering Swedish classical archaeologist. Serving as Professor of Classical Archaeology
and Ancient History at Uppsala University from 1924-1951, after a mid-career shift from Greek philology, Persson trained a
generation of Swedish archaeologists, including Einar Gjerstad and Åke Åkerström. Persson excavated at Asine, Dendra, Midea
and Berbati in Greece and at Milas and Labraunda in Turkey.
This series contains a small collection of Axel W. Persson's papers, which had come into the possession of Åke Åkerström.
Included here are several manuscripts and typescripts, as well as photographic documentation of Persson's excavations at Dendra
and Berbati. The manuscripts and typescripts, which are arranged chronologically, appear to represent both lectures delivered
by Persson and published articles. The bracketed English translations of titles are taken from the dealer's inventory.
Publications and writings,
1853-1857, 1903-1941, undated
box 15, folder 1
"Inscriptions de Carie,"
circa 1903-1922
General Physical Description note: 80 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Drafts of sections of text, as well as notes and research, for article on the inscriptions from Mylasa, published in
BCH 46 (1922): 394-426. Also includes brief manuscript on cults of Mylasa, as well as two signatures removed from A. Hellwig,
Das Asylrecht der Naturvölker (Berlin, 1903) and annotated.
box 15, folder 2
"Stat och industri i Egypten,"
1923 Oct 30
General Physical Description note: 1 clipping
Scope and Contents note
Article published in
Svenska Dagbladet no. 295.
box 15, folder 3
"Industria i det romerska riket,"
circa 1923
General Physical Description note: 20 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Manuscript of lecture or article, possibly published as "Stat och industri i det romerska riket" in
Svenska Dagbladet Oct 31, 192, no. 296.
box 15, folder 4
Ur antikens liv och kultur,
circa 1927
General Physical Description note: 72 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Paste-ups of the figures and captions for
Ur antikens liv och kultur (Stockholm, 1927).
box 15, folder 5
"Grekiska sagor i belysning av fynd från Dendra" [Greek sagas and myths reflected in finds at Dendra],
circa 1928
General Physical Description note: 26 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Manuscript of lecture or early draft of article published as "Grekiska sagor och myter i belysning av fynd från Dendrá, "
Rig 11 (1928): 59-76.
box 15, folder 6
"Kostis Palamás,"
1929
General Physical Description note: 16 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Typescript of unpublished (?) article.
box 15, folder 7
Hantverk och industri under antiken,
1929
General Physical Description note: 20 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Incomplete set of corrected proofs and one page of notes.
box 15, folder 8
"Die spätmykenische Inschrift aus Asine,"
1932
General Physical Description note: 2 items
Scope and Contents note
Set of proofs and photograph of inscription with transliteration; for article published in
Corolla archaeologica principi heredetario regni Sueciae Gustavo Adolfo dedicata (Lund, 1932): 208-215.
box 15, folder 9
"En bestigning av Parnassen [The ascent of Parnassus],
1932
General Physical Description note: 7 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Typescript of article published in
Jorden Runt 4 (1932): 218-224.
box 15, folder 10
"Bild, liknelse och legend i det förhistoriska Grekland" [Image, metaphor and myth in prehistoric Greece],
1934 Jan 29
General Physical Description note: 25 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Manuscript of a lecture (?).
box 15, folder 11
"Grekisk helg" [Greek holidays],
1934
General Physical Description note: 6 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Typescript of article published in
Julafton 1934: 17-22.
box 15, folder 12-13
Med hacka och med spade,
1853-1857, 1929-1934
box 15, folder 12
Plates,
circa 1934
General Physical Description note: 23 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Paste-ups with captions for Plates 1-22 and 25-48.
box 15, folder 13
Research on Johan Hedenborg,
1853-1857, 1929
General Physical Description note: 80 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Research conducted circa 1929 on Johan Hedenborg, the Swedish naturalist, traveller and antiquarian; includes notes and photocopies
of Hedenborg's correspondence.
box 15, folder 14
Asine,
1938 Jan
General Physical Description note: 31 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Untitled typescript of a lecture.
box 15, folder 15
Asine: results of the Swedish excavations 1922-1930,
circa 1938
General Physical Description note: 54 items
Scope and Contents note
Figure proofs of finds from the excavation.
box 15, folder 16
"Iatros och medicus,"
circa 1940
General Physical Description note: 12 items
Scope and Contents note
Figure proofs for article published in
Lychnos 1940: 166-199.
box 15, folder 17
"Mythology and archaeological discoveries,"
circa 1941
General Physical Description note: 3 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Manuscript describing course taught by Åkerström at Berkeley during his year as the Sather Professor.
box 15, folder 18
"Asine,"
undated
General Physical Description note: 13 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Manuscript of unidentified article (?).
box 15, folder 19
"Tre veckor i Asien, ett litet resebrev" [Three weeks in Asia],
undated
General Physical Description note: 95 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Three drafts of typescript of unpublished (?) article.
box 15, folder 20
"Grekisk sång och saga som historisk källa" [Greek song and saga as historical sources],
undated
General Physical Description note: 17 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Manuscript of lecture (?).
box 15, folder 21
"Griechische Sagen im Licht der Geschichte,"
undated
General Physical Description note: 10 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Manuscript of a lecture (?).
box 15, folder 22
"Greklands förhistoriska kulturer i belysning av de stora utgrävningarna" [Prehistoric Greek cultures reflected in the great
excavations],
undated
General Physical Description note: 23 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Manuscript of lecture.
box 15, folder 23
"Den kretisk-mykenska kulturen" [Cretan-Mycenaean culture],
undated
General Physical Description note: 8 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Manuscript.
box 15, folder 24
"Det antika ödesdramat,"
undated
General Physical Description note: 8 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Typescript.
box 15, folder 25
"Frammende religioner i det romerska riket,"
undated
General Physical Description note: 17 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Manuscript.
box 16, folder 1
Survey of ancient art in Italy,
undated
General Physical Description note: 188 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Untitled manuscript.
box 16, folder 2
Dendra,
undated
General Physical Description note: 7 leaves
Scope and Contents note
Untitled typescript.
box 16, folder 3
Miscellaneous untitled manuscripts,
undated
General Physical Description note: 45 leaves
box 16, folder 4
Miscellaneous untitled typescripts and proofs,
undated
General Physical Description note: 61 leaves
Photographic documentation of excavations and artifacts,
1927-1935, undated
box 16, folder 5
Photographs,
General Physical Description note: 50 items
box 18, folder 3
Glass negatives,
General Physical Description note: 11 items
box 19
Damaged glass negatives,
General Physical Description note: 4 items
box 16, folder 6
Berbati,
1935
General Physical Description note: 4 photographs
box 16, folder 7
Miscellaneous photographs of antiquities,
undated
General Physical Description note: 17 items
box 16, folder 8
Miscellaneous material,
1927-1934, undated
General Physical Description note: 7 items
Scope and Contents note
Includes a lecture attendance list and clippings, as well as unidentified notes and images.
