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Ancient Akanthos : the city and the cemetery

• Τρακοσοπούλου-Σαλακίδου, Ελένη

The cemetery of ancient Akanthos is being excavated regularly every year, while just some trial trenches have been carried out in the area of the ancient city. Akanthos, an Andrian colony founded, in the middle of the 7th century B.C. occupies the southeastern hills of the modern town of Ierissos. Two great parts of the Hellenistic city-wall and an open to the sky rectangular area, identified with the courtyard of a public building of the Hellenistic period, have only been excavated in the area of the city. The cemetery, located in the coastal area of modern Ierissos, was constantly used from the Archaic to the post-Byzantine period. The great density of the graves, organized in three levels, is remarkable. Three building-grounds containing 755burials were excavated in 1987. Thus, the number of burials excavated since 1973 is now 4745.The graves date from the 6th century B.C. down to the Imperial years of the Roman period. Inhumation is the dominant burial custom, while pit-grave is the common grave; however, clay sarcophagi, tile-covered graves and burials inside big pithoi and pointed amphorae are also present. The grave-goods mainly comprise pottery used in everyday life, perfume-bottles and terracotta figurines. The pottery is basically Attic or Corinthian, while local vases are also found.

• History and Archaeology

• Ανασκαφές (Αρχαιολογία)

νεκροταφεία, τάφοι, Άκανθος, συνέδρια

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