ABSTRACTS - The American School of Classical Studies at Athens

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Yannis Lolos, Assistant Professor of Archaeology, University of Thessaly Archaeological Surface Survey in the Territory of Sikyon: City and Countryside The extensive archaeological survey realized in ancient Sikyonia between 1996 and 2002 revealed hundreds of sites dispersed in an area of around 360 km 2 , which assist us at reconstructing the human presence and activity in the domain of ancient Sikyon from the Middle Neolithic to the Ottoman period. Since 2004, the city of Sikyon, established at the beginning of the Hellenistic period at the plain of Vassiliko, has been at the center of our research, in cooperation between the University of Thessaly and the LZ E.P.C.A., the Institute of Mediterranean Studies and the University of York. The research on the ancient urban space, extending at an area of about 2.500 km 2 , combines an intensive survey, a geophysical survey as well as a geo-archaeological survey, in an effort to reconstruct the history of habitation and activity on that plain from prehistoric times until the 19 th century. Until now, we have gained a multitude of information concerning the organization and development of urban space throughout the centuries and this information is complementary to the data from the research within the domain of the ancient city. Vasilis Papathanasiou, Archaeologist, LZ΄ Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities A Mycenaean and Classical Cemetery at Ancient Sikyon This presentation constitutes a first approach towards the rescue but also the systematic research of intact cemeteries of the Mycenaean period (LH IIB-LH IIIB2) and of the Classical period, excavated between 2003- 2007, on the occasion of the project of the Course and Opening of the New Double Track High Speed Railway between Corinth and Kiato at the cost of the Hellenic Railways Organization (ERGOSE). We will be examining stratified burial ensembles of the Mycenaean period which were discovered for the first time in the valley of ancient Sikyon, during the investigation of two parts of a cemetery, at ‘Palaiochori’ site of East Tragana, which yielded in total (30) thirty chamber and double pit graves. The chamber tombs were carved into the natural ground of the area (marble schist). The grave offerings and the funerary customs offer us important information on the prehistoric settlement. Grave offerings include pottery (false-neck amphorae, kylix, alabasters, kyathia, pithoi-amphorisks, etc), figurines and bronze objects.
The presence of evidence of ancestral cult, which had taken place during the late geometric period and continued until the early Hellenistic period in most of the funerary chambers should be stressed in particular. As regards the cemetery of the classical period, our knowledge on the burial practices of that time and the beliefs on the afterlife are enriched by the revelation of 42 simple pit graves, with or without a covering slab stone, dated at the 5 th and 4 th c. B.C. The cemetery was defined at its SW by a retaining wall. The pit-tombs were opened inside the natural rock (marble schist). Oriented to the NE-NW and E-W, they contained skeletal remains, intact or fragmentary, from adult burials of women and teenagers buried at an intensely crouched position but also lying down. The deceased were accompanied by one or more grave offerings, placed not only within the pits, but also on top of it. Among them we find clay vessels, figurines and bronze objects. Calliopi Krystalli-Votsi, Director Emerita, Greek Ministry of Culture Foteini Balla, Archaeologist, University of Athens Ancient Sikyon: Revealing Part of the Hellenistic Cemetery During the opening of the Corinth-Patras National Road in 1986, part of a cemetery was revealed at the ‘Chtiri’ site of in Ancient Sikyon, under the supervision of the 4 th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of Argolid and Corinthia. The archaeological research centred around a funerary monument, with traces of a dromos at its façade, while 35 tombs and traces of incineration were traced and dated mainly to the Hellenistic period. The main type of burial is the grave covered with tiles. The deceased would lie usually to an extended position and would be accompanied by an important number of grave offerings, mainly vases and more rarely figurines and metal or bone objects. The funerary monument, built with local sikyonian limestone according to the pseudo-isodomic system, is formed by three spaces of the same width and «houses» a total of 6 of the excavated tombs. The typology of the tombs, the grave offerings and the elements that survived from the burial customs of the cemetery seem to be consistent with corresponding elements coming from contemporary burial groups in the northern Peloponnesus (for instance, Ancient Corinth, Achaia). The further
Page 1 and 2: ABSTRACTS Stavros Oikonomidis, Arch
Page 3 and 4: important cases are the early proch
Page 5 and 6: Αmalia Giannopoulou, Vivi Evaggelo
Page 7 and 8: Panagiota Kassimi, Substitute Head,
Page 9 and 10: attle took place somewhere east of
Page 11 and 12: Richard Tomlinson, Professor Emerit
Page 13 and 14: today’s channel, between modern-d
Page 15 and 16: larger survey zone in the Korphos r
Page 17 and 18: Where would such a facility have be
Page 19 and 20: Elena Korka, Head of the Directorat
Page 21 and 22: smoothings on its stalagmite and st
Page 23 and 24: Torsten Mattern, Professor, Institu
Page 25 and 26: R.Αngus K.Smith, Assistant Profess
Page 27 and 28: intensive archaeological survey foc
Page 29 and 30: Vasco Hachtmann, Institute for Pre
Page 31 and 32: Christos Pitteros, Substitute Head,
Page 33 and 34: a distance of 8.5 km to its West. T
Page 35: Dimitra Sarri, Archaeologist, LZ΄
Page 39 and 40: Αthanasios Tsiogas, Archaeologist,

ABSTRACTS - The American School of Classical Studies at Athens

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?