A Byzantine rotary hand mill in Thorikos

The excavation of cistern n°1 has shown that the latest occupation phase in Thorikos might extend further in time than what was initially thought. Among the finds, two uncommon rotary hand mill’s fragments, belonging to the cistern’s upper layer, allow expanding upon the knowledge of this latest phase. This contribution presents several aspects of these finds, like their typology and raw material, and discusses their chronology. It also sums up archaeological data relative to Late Antique and Byzantine remains in Thorikos and Lavrio to put the finds into a broader perspective. The paper concludes that the rotary hand mill might date from the 7th-8th century AD or later and emphasizes the need to publish such kind of data systematically

Provenancing the grinding stones of Thorikos (Attica, Greece) : preliminary observations

In Antiquity, grinding stones made of volcanic rock were transported over long distances from their production places to their users. Determining their provenances provides data for the reconstruction of trade routes and may contribute to a better understanding of ancient economic choices. However, recent provenance studies of grinding stones in the Aegean are scarce, and the current state of knowledge relies heavily upon few earlier studies. In Thorikos, a silver-mining town located in south-east Attica, the regular occurrence of grinding stones made of non-local, volcanic rocks offers the opportunity to expand upon these earlier studies, both concerning the exchange of grinding stones in the Aegean and the economic choices made by their users. A combined and diachronic study of these artefacts, including future petrographic and geochemical analyses, will hopefully shed light on their typology, functions, and provenances. This paper presents the preliminary results of a macroscopic study undertaken upon 40 stone tools found in Thorikos. It examines the critical role played by the Saronic Gulf in the exportation of grinding stones to neighbouring regions and discusses the possibility of other provenances like Nisyros or Santorini

The 2012-2015 Ghent-Utrecht Surcey Project at Thorikos : preliminary observations on the post-classical occupation

Between 2012 and 2015, a team of Ghent and Utrecht Universities conducted an intensive survey of the southern slopes of the Velatouri Hill, covering the area of the lower settlement of Thorikos as well as parts of the acropolis. This project was completed in 2015, after which the inventorying and study of the 56,906 finds continued through 2016-2017. Awaiting the comprehensive publication of the entire Thorikos Survey Project, we present here some preliminary results regarding the post-Classical period, which has historically received only very limited attention. We will 1) outline the scientific aims of the Thorikos Survey Project and its methodology, and 2) focus on the Hellenistic, Roman, Late Antique, Byzantine and (Early) Modern occupation. This is a first attempt to arrive at an integrated account of all post-Classical activity on the slopes of the Velatouri until the present day. Our investigation shows that while activity decreased significantly after the Early Hellenistic period (early 3rd century BCE) owing to a general decline in mining activity, the site was periodically revisited in later times. Here we attempt to relate these fluctuations to changing settlement patterns elsewhere in Attica. Most notably, we posit that a relative increase in finds during in the Late Antique period may be connected to a limited resumption of the silver and/or lead industry in the 4th century CE