I’ve got a video in the works on archaeological sites that appear to be associated with performance. But I need a little help… Anyone here know of any ancient sites (earlier than 500 BCE) that clearly have spaces reserved for public performance? Thanks in advance! - ThreadSky

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kyleathomas.bsky.social • 42 days ago

I’ve got a video in the works on archaeological sites that appear to be associated with performance. But I need a little help…

Anyone here know of any ancient sites (earlier than 500 BCE) that clearly have spaces reserved for public performance?

Thanks in advance!

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dougeacho.bsky.social•42 days ago

kinda tight conditions: AFAIK, ancient Egyptian dramatic performances (in temples) wouldn't count as "public" in the Attic antiquity sense; meanwhile we know of staged perfs in Zhou China and late Vedic India but those would have been wooden stages, not surviving 2025 "sites"

kyleathomas.bsky.social•42 days ago

Thanks Doug! Yes, I’ve found that scholars largely agree that ancient Egyptian ritual performance was confined to a select group (i.e. non-public). I’m aware of the Vedic documentary history suggesting public performance, but not of Zhou China. Are we *assuming* that wooden stages were utilized?

dougeacho.bsky.social•42 days ago

that's definitely an assumption! I really don't know and it would be fun to be wrong

kyleathomas.bsky.social•42 days ago

Thanks nonetheless! I’m struck by how scholarship is framed according to assumptions of performance-specific architecture based upon readings of documentary drama. In some cases—like the Vedic texts—there’s enough to suggest the likelihood of them. But that’s rare in ancient documentation of space.

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