Size and shape of Greek Late Neolithic livestock suggest the existence of multiple and distinctive animal husbandry cultures

In this paper we discuss domestic livestock morphometric data from the Late Neolithic Greek regions of Macedonia and Thessaly. Six sites are considered, including a substantial and previously unpublished dataset from Promachon (Macedonia). The analysis of the size and shape of the animals indicates great variation between sites and regions, suggestive of the co-existence of multiple styles of husbandry. The site of Sitagroi stands out for its large and robust cattle and sheep, probably a consequence of its environmental setting, as well as the dynamism of its cultural and economic connections. In Thessaly, despite the existence of inter-site connections documented through the material culture, different sites maintained their independence in terms of husbandry choices

The cemeteries of Abdera

During the second Greek colonization a series of Greek colonies were founded on the coast of Aegean Thrace between the Strymon and Hebros rivers. One of them was Abdera, on the coast between the mouth of the Nestos river and the lagoon of Vistonis (fig. 1). According to the literary evidence Abdera was first founded in the middle of the 7th century B.C. by Clazomenian colonists. However the life of this first colony is said to have beenvery short. It has been supposed that after the death of ..

Dikili Tash

Koukouli-Chrysanthaki Haidô, Treuil René. Dikili Tash. In: Bulletin de correspondance hellénique. Volume 111, livraison 2, 1987. pp. 616-619

ENTOΣ AMΩMHTON: AN ARGIVE-TYPE SHIELD FROM THE SANCTUARY OF OISYME

In 1987 an Archaic Argive-type shield and shield-band were discovered in the sanctuary on the acropolis of Oisyme. Such shields are found in the cemeteries of the northern Aegean, including those at Sindos and Archontiko. However, the Oisyme shield is as yet the only one to come from a sanctuary - a fact due, at least in part, to the limited exploration of early sanctuaries on the coast of Aegean Thrace. It is also the earliest known example of its type in the north-eastern Aegean. Considered alongside earlier literary evidence, such as Archilochus 5W, it helps to trace the introduction and development of the hoplite panoply in Thasos and its peraea. The shield and shield-band can be dated to c.575-550 bce on the basis of their repoussé decoration. The dies employed may have been imported from Peloponnesian (Argive or Corinthian) workshops or produced locally. They show stylistic influence from the contemporary Peloponnese, yet they have no known exact parallels. Metalworkers from the polis of Thasos and its peraea are likely to have imitated the products of southern workshops in much the same way that Thasian potters based their own early production on Cycladic, Chian and other wares. The deity worshipped in the Oisyme sanctuary was an ergane and/or a kourotrophic goddess, such as Artemis and Athena at nearby Thasos or the 'Parthenos' at neighbouring Neapolis. It is unlikely that rites of passage for hoplites were a central feature of the cult, since we lack the extensive corpus of weaponry (miniature and/or functional) typical in such cases. The limited number of weapons recovered from the sanctuary fits the established model for female poliad deities in smaller poleis. The shield was probably a personal gift, dedicated either by a retiring hoplite or as a thank offering after a military victory.0SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

"Stygeran kago pote derin Areos ekprolipousa": Anathemata oplon sto archaïko iero tes Oisymes

This paper presents a small but significant corpus of weaponry, which was brought to light in the acropolis sanctuary of Oisyme between 1987 and 1990. This corpus includes ‘Thracian’ weaponry, which predates the foundation of the Greek colony on-site. However, most weapons were recovered from an Archaic destruction layer, on which the Classical sanctuary terrace and temple were built.These weapons are primarily offensive arms (a spearhead, sword, dagger and several arrowheads), but they also include fragments of defensive armaments. Of note are the rim fragments of an ‘Argive’-type shield and the fragmentarily preserved bronze shield-band of a similar shield. Their style clearly marks them as influenced by the production of mid-6th century BC Peloponnesian (likely Corinthian) workshops. These finds can be added to the extensive corpus of imported pottery from the site, as further evidence for the inclusion of the Thasian peraea in the Archaic maritime trading networks of the Aegean.With regards to the cult, statistical analyses of weaponry from other Greek sanctuaries that were dedicated to goddesses show that the weapons found in Oisyme are insufficient for us to identify a ‘warlike’ aspect of the worshipped deity. It is unlikely that the dedication of weapons was an integral part of the local cult; for instance, there is little to no evidence for rites de passage involving young warriors. Instead, the recovered weaponry perfectly fits the established paradigm for poliad deities of small Greek poleis. The weapon dedications in Oisyme should be interpreted as personal offerings from private citizens to the patron goddess of their community, either after a victorious battle or at the end of their service as hoplites of the polis.info:eu-repo/semantics/inPres

Extractive iron metallurgy on Thasos and the East Macedonian Mainland

Investigated are the raw materials and waste products of iron smelting operations as well as analyses of iron artifacts from Thasos and the East Macedonian mainland. The methods of examination involved elemental analysis by x-ray fluorescence and atomic absorption spectrometry of ores and slags, and chemical analysis of mineralogical phases in slags by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The purpose of this study is to establish the type of iron ore sources used in particular periods, as well as to shed light on aspects of extractive iron metallurgy, namely furnace condition

La maison 1 du Néolithique et la couche de transition à l’âge du Bronze

National audienc

Nouveau programme de recherches sur l’habitat préhistorique de Dikili Tash : les objectifs généraux et la première campagne de fouilles (2008)

National audienc