The geological structure of Kastas hill archaeological site, Amphipolis, eastern Macedonia, Greece

This paper presents research results on the geological structure of Kastas hill in Amphipolis, as well as the broader area. They consist of geological and geomorphological observations at Kastas and 133 hills and the surrounding areas, on their geological structure, the stratigraphy and the paleoenvironment. Kastas hill is the site of the largest burial mound discovered in Greece to date. The slopes of its embankment were recorded and modelled in detail using near field photogrammetry. The problem of distinguishing between in situ geological formations and ex situ anthropogenic deposits is also addressed. The bulk volume of Kastas hill consists of natural sediments; these sediments are exposed as successive alternating beds of grayish loose and cohesive sands with scattered pebbles and locally with cobbles. Clayey beds up to ~20-30 cm thick intercalate between the sands. At the top of the hill the anthropogenic deposits are typical of Macedonian tumuli, with soil and clay alternations for sealing and stabilizing them. Paleosoil horizons were observed both in natural sediments and within anthropogenic substrates. Two horizons were sampled for dating by different methods (OSL – optical stimulated luminescence and 14C – Accelerated Mass Spectroscopy). Their dating shows the development of successive deposits during the Iron, Archaic and Classical ages. The AMS dating of a charcoal which is closely associated to the construction of the main monument yielded an age of Cal. BP 2310 = Cal. 360 BC. 

Early Miocene gastropod and ectothermic vertebrate remains from the Lesvos Petrified Forest (Greece)

The Lesvos Petrified Forest (western Lesvos, Greece) has long been famous for its plant fossils. Recently, one proboscidean (from the Gavathas locality) and seven micromammalian species (from the Lapsarna locality) were described; these were the first animals to be found in the Early Miocene subtropical forest. For the first time, a fauna of gastropods and ectothermic vertebrates from the Lapsarna locality is now available. This fauna derives from lacustrine sediments under the pyroclastic material that contains the petrified plants. Based on fragmented mollusc remains, isolated fish pharyngeal teeth and utricular otoliths (lapilli), fragmented amphibian vertebrae and a tooth-bearing element, and reptile fragmented dentaries, teeth, osteoderms and vertebrae, the presence of eight freshwater and three terrestrial gastropod species, three freshwater cyprinid species, and two amphibian and five reptile taxa has been confirmed. Stratigraphical and radiometric data suggest an age older than 18.4 ± 0.5 Ma (latest Early Miocene), in good agreement with the faunal composition. This paper is the first report of the concurrent presence of three cyprinid fish species in a Greek Early Miocene locality, as well as the first documentation of an Early Miocene proteid amphibian in southeastern Europe. The present findings represent one of the best- documented Early Miocene gastropod and fish faunas in the Aegean/southern Balkans, thus adding to our knowledge of Early Miocene amphibians and reptiles from that region and providing valuable information on the local subtropical ecosystem

LITHOSTRATIGRAPHIC BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC AND PALAEOGEOGRAPHIC STUDY OF THE NEOGENE-QUATERNARY SEDIMENTARY DEPOSITS OF CHALKIDIKI PENINSULA, MACEDONIA, GREECE

THE STRATIGRAPHY (LITHO- BIO- CHRONO-) AND THE PALAEOGEOGRAPHY OF THE NEOGENE-QUATERNARY SEDIMENTS OF CHALKIDIKI PENINSULA IN CENTRAL MACEDONIA/ GREECE, ARE STUDIED. THESE SEDIMENTS OCCUR IN THE WEST PART OF CHALKIDIKI, IN KASSANDRA PENINSULA, IN THE ISTHMUS OF SITHONIA AND IN THE ISTHMUS OF AGHION OROS. NUMEROUS NEW FOSSILIFEROUS SITES WITH MOLLUSKS, MAMMALS AND MICROMAMMALS WERE FOUND AND THEIR FAUNAS WERE DETERMINED AND DESCRIBED. THE SEDIMENTARY DEPOSITS WERE STUDIED IN DETAIL, MAPPED, SEPARATED IN FORMATIONS AND DATED. AREA OF WEST CHALKIDIKI-KASSANDRA PENINSULA . ANTONIOS FM: FLUVIAL SEDIMENTS (?L/M TO U. MIOCENE). TRIGLIA FM: CONTINENTAL SEDIMENTS RED-BEDS (U. MIOCENE: VALLESIAN- LOWERMOST TUROLIAN). (SHORTENED)ΤΑ ΝΕΟΓΕΝΗ ΚΑΙ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΟΓΕΝΗ ΙΖΗΜΑΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΧΑΛΚΙΔΙΚΗΣ ΧΕΡΣΟΝΗΣΟΥ ΠΟΥ ΕΜΦΑΝΙΖΟΝΤΑΙ ΣΤΙΣ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΕΣ ΔΥΤΙΚΗΣ ΧΑΛΚΙΔΙΚΗΣ-ΚΑΣΣΑΝΔΡΑΣ ΙΣΘΟΥ ΣΙΘΩΝΙΑΣ, ΙΣΘΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΟΡΟΥΣ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΘΗΚΑΝ ΑΠΟ ΛΙΘΟ- ΒΙΟ- ΧΡΟΝΟΣΤΡΩΜΑΤΟΓΡΑΦΙΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΠΑΛΑΙΟΓΕΩΓΡΑΦΙΚΗ ΑΠΟΨΗ ΚΑΙ ΧΑΡΤΟΓΡΑΦΗΘΗΚΑΝ. ΕΝΤΟΠΙΣΤΗΚΑΝ ΠΟΛΛΕΣ ΝΕΕΣ ΑΠΟΛΙΘΩΜΑΤΟΦΟΡΕΣ ΘΕΣΕΙΣ ΜΕ ΑΣΠΟΝΔΥΛΑ, ΣΠΟΝΔΥΛΩΤΑ, ΜΙΚΡΟΘΗΛΑΣΤΙΚΑ ΚΑΙ ΕΓΙΝΕ ΣΥΣΤΗΜΑΤΙΚΗ ΠΕΡΙΓΡΑΦΗ ΤΩΝ ΠΑΝΙΔΩΝ ΤΟΥΣ. ΤΑ ΙΖΗΜΑΤΑ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΘΗΚΑΝ ΔΙΑΧΩΡΙΣΤΗΚΑΝ ΣΤΟΥΣ ΕΞΗΣ ΣΧΗΜΑΤΙΣΜΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΧΡΟΝΟΛΟΓΗΘΗΚΑΝ: ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗ ΔΥΤΙΚΗΣ ΧΑΛΚΙΔΙΚΗΣ-ΚΑΣΣΑΝΔΡΑΣ. ΣΧΗΜΑΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΑΝΤΩΝΙΟΥ: ΧΑΛΑΡΑ ΚΡΟΚΑΛΟΠΑΓΗ (;ΚΑΤΩΤΕΡΟ/ΜΕΣΟ ΕΩΣ ΑΝΩ ΜΕΙΟΚΑΙΝΟ). ΣΧΗΜΑΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΤΡΙΓΛΙΑΣ: ΕΡΥΘΡΟΣΤΡΩΜΑΤΑ (ΑΝΩΤΕΡΟ ΜΕΙΟΚΑΙΝΟ: ΒΑΛΛΕΖΙΟ-ΚΑΤΩΤΑΤΟ ΤΟΥΡΟΛΙΟ). ΣΧΗΜΑΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΤΡΙΛΟΦΟΥ: ΑΠΟΛΙΘΩΜΑΤΟΦΟΡΑ ΛΙΜΝΑΙΑ ΙΖΗΜΑΤΑ (ΑΡΓΙΛΟΙ, ΑΜΜΟΙ, ΨΑΜΜΙΤΕΣ, ΑΣΒΕΣΤΟΛΙΘΟΙ) ΜΕ ΠΑΝΙ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΘΥΟΣ (ΑΝΩΤΑΤΟ ΜΕΙΟΚΑΙΝΟ: "ΠΟΝΤΙΟ" ΤΟΥΡΟΛΙΟ). (ΠΕΡΙΚΟΠΗ