The gods were a major part of unearthing everyday life ancient greece. The gods played a significant role in politics and religion, including influencing human behavior. For instance, the original story of creation was based on the titans and Zeus’ war against them. By the time Homer and Hesiod were writing (8th century BCE), this had changed into the more familiar story of the Olympian gods with Zeus as their chief.

A daily ritual in the ancient Greek home involved offering a small gift or prayer to a family god before leaving for work or school. It was believed that these offerings protected the family from bad energies and brought luck. In some homes, a statue of Hermes was kept near the entrance to represent his duties as the god of travel.

Time Travel through Textiles: Unveiling the Daily Lives of Ancient Greeks

In the early days of her career, Mylona was fascinated by the folds and crenulations of fish vertebrae she saw in her archaeological finds. She was a zooarchaeologist—a specialist who studied the way humans hunted, husbanded, and ate their animals through careful study of bones and shells.

Mylona’s focus on fish was important to her research because it provided a more intimate look into people’s lives than other remains, like those of cattle or sheep. By examining the bones of fish, she could glean a better picture of the day-to-day activities and emotions of ancient Greeks. These discoveries helped her to understand why vase painters moved away from depicting warriors arming or fighting and toward scenes of music making, funeral preparations, and wedding celebrations.