Abstrakt
It is the main purpose of this paper to present the large amount of new findings from the Greek sanctuaries: In particular there are archaic armour scales of Assyrian type, which for the first time provide a direct evidence for the dedications of the East-Greek mercenaries at home, in Ionia. Central for the examination is the nature of this archaeological record, because they represent primarily personal items dedicated in panhellenic cult places.
Thus, considering the function of the Greek sanctuaries as a central meeting place of worship and the community, the high social status of these objects will be visible. On the other hand, regarding the known "materiality of object" approach (Dietler 2010), the analysis of this objects allowed a new interpretation of mercenaries' role as a transmitter of knowledge, technology and ideas in the archaic Mediterranean.