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Excavations and surface investigations on prehistoric sites on Thassos

• Παπαδόπουλος, Στρατής
• Μπεχτσή, Αικατερίνη

This paper offers an outline of the investigations carried out on Thassos in 2002: the Palaeolithic Thassos Programme and the excavations at Ayios Ioannis, Lime- naria, and three sites in the mountains near Theologos.The purpose of the “Palaeolithic Habitation and Raw Materials on Thassos” programme is to investigate the island’s “quarrying potential”. No fashioned tools were found, nor seams of opal, chalcedony, or flint. The most important find was the discovery in the area of Kastra of a site where raw materials were obtained and processed, with fashioned flakes, blades, and cores of quartz.The excavations on the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age site at Ayios Ioannis continued, and it was ascertained that the architectural remains extend to the north. The finds included stone foundations, evidence of domestic occupations with presses and benches in situ, heating structures, and storage pits. A number of geophysical surveys were carried out using a differential magnetometer. Magnetic irregularities were detected, but the excavation that followed produced no encouraging evidence of the presence of architectural remains.Excavations also continued in the prehistoric settlement at Limenaria in undisturbed levels of the Early Bronze Age. An area of just 40 sq. m yielded two rub- blestone walls built in the same manner as the Early Bronze Age masonry in the same settlement. A heating structure also came to light with a clay floor and three substrata: of sherds from large vessels, of pebbles, and of slabstones. Fishing weights, stone axes, and quantities of loom weights were also found. The pottery is decorated with sgraffito and impressed motifs. One important find is objects connected with the processing of metal.Three sites of the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age were investigated in the mountains near Theologos. A possibly pastoral settlement was excavated at Kou- koudia. It was interesting to note a circular structure 10 m in diameter bounded by upright pairs of stones. The small amount of fill inside it contained pits hewn out of the rock and containing traces of fire, animal bones, shells, a few loom weights, a striking amount of quartz, and handmade unbumished pottery.At Aï Lias a wall was excavated on the east slope, which apparently surrounded the acropolis. A probably paved entrance 1.80 m wide is visible. At Popinas Mandra we located another enclosure, 100x70 m, structurally identical to the one at Aï Lias, i.e. with upright stone blocks and a fill of spoils. All three sites were probably occasional habitations connected with fortified refuges (Aï Lias) or settlements (Kastri).

• History and Archaeology

• Ανασκαφές (Αρχαιολογία)

προϊστορία, Θάσος, συνέδρια

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