A Doric column capital from the Argive Heraion, capital C, has been widely regarded as belonging to a very early (7th- or early-6th-century B.C.) stage in the development of the Doric capital. The author argues here from technical evidence that the capital instead dates to the Roman period and that it was created as a replacement element for a repair to the 6th-century B.C.
Tilton illustrated a Doric capital, capital C, which has an unfluted neck and broad, rounded echinus (Figs.
"The 'Earliest' Doric Capital at the Argive Heraion," AJA 94, 1990, p.
In addition, the absence on capital C of a groove at the top of the echinus, or annulets or other type of decorative zone at the bottom of the echinus, gives the impression that the capital belongs to a very primitive stage of development before such features had become a general characteristic of Doric capitals. (5)
The consequences of identifying capital C as part of a Roman replacement column of the North Stoa are significant to our understanding of two separate issues: the early development of Doric capitals and the later history of the Argive Heraion.
230) had noted the irregularity of the capital and concluded that it should be placed among the earliest-known Doric capitals, which he also dated to approximately the middle of the 7th century.
