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Ayios Athanasios, 1994 : the tomb of the young warrior

Αρχαιολογικά χρονικά

• Τσιμπίδου - Αυλωνίτη, Μαρία

The investigation of the burial mounds in the area of Ayios Athanasios, 20 km. west of Thessaloniki, and their development and unification into a single archaeological park has formed part of the programme of the ΙΣΤ' Ephorate for the ‘Thessaloniki - Cultural Capital 1997' celebrations since as long ago as 1992.The large tumulus that rises on the fringe of the modern settlement was excavated in the spring of 1994.The first trial trench revealed a cist grave oriented east-west, with walls of mud-bricks, which had almost collapsed under the weight of the large covering slabs. The interior of the tomb was full of earth, but undisturbed by any later intervention. Traces of wood and iron nails indicated the existence of horizontal beams, which supported the covering slabs, while the walls were covered by makeshift plaster.A plain rectangular structure was contiguouswith the south wall of the tomb. It was probably the support for a wooden couch on which the deceased was placed with his head to the west.Three strigils, which were originally hanging on the walls of the tomb, and four iron spear-heads reveal the sex of the deceased. Two pairs of bronze spurs, which are not commonly found in tombs, possibly point to some military office held by the dead man and to his social class. The most valuable object in the burial, a silver kylix- kantharos, was placed next to the dead man’s chest, and a highly unusual ungu- entarium at his feet provides what is possibly the earliest example of decoration with incised pentagons.Finally, two ordinary unguentaria and a black-glaze skyphos complete our picture of the grave offerings, and at the same time provide the evidence for the date of the burial, roughly the late 4th or early 3rd c. BC.

• History and Archaeology

• Αρχαιολογία

τάφοι, Θεσσαλονίκη

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