557-566

Rescue excavation at Gazoros, Serres prefecture

• Βάλλα, Μαγδαληνή

The discovery of some graves in the course of agricultural work in a field in thecommunity of Gazoros was followed by excavations in October and November1997. Ten pit- and cist-graves were found and excavated. Apart from one, of thelate sixth or early fifth century BC, they either had no grave goods or had beendesecrated. They belong to the large necropolis of ancient Gazoros, a city which isbelieved to have stood in the locality of Ayos Athanassios, near modern Gazoros.Habitation on the site (Late Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, and from the Archaic tothe Roman period without a break) is attested by surface finds from the settlementand its cemeteries.The excavations brought to light part of a prehistoric settlement of the BronzeAge with the discovery of part of a pile dwelling and hearth, with a small storage pitand refuse pits outside it. The surface investigations that followed in the area of thecemeteries of ancient Gazoros showed that the settlement occupied a flat area ofabout six hectares. It was possible to locate the existence of the settlement only byexcavating, because the quantity of surface finds was very small, even in the best ofcircumstances, and there are areas with no architectural remains.

• History and Archaeology

• Ανασκαφές (Αρχαιολογία)

Σέρρες, συνέδρια