ABSTRACT
The role of sanctuaries as repositories of treasure has been well identified. 'Museum' is a term often attributed to ancient sanctuaries (Wernicke, 1894: 103; Kent Hill, 1944: 353; Wace, 1969: 204; Alsop, 1982: 197), but the attribution refers, more often than not, to the functional aspect of being repositories of objects d'art (at least as they are categorised by contemporary scholars) and arms (Snodgrass, 1980: 63). Nevertheless, there is a more profound relationship between ancient sanctuaries and museums. They are both historical (in the long term) manifestations of the idea of the communal shrine, where communal treasure is 'set aside' as a means to create relationships with the 'sacred' and thus reinforce and legitimise the community's own judgements about aesthetics, knowledge and history. In other words, they are both repositories of collections.
