Αρχαιολογικές έρευνες στην Λαυρεωτική για την ανακάλυψη μεταλλευτικών έργων και μεταλλουργικών εγκαταστάσεων των προκλασικών χρόνων
Part of : Αρχαιολογικά ανάλεκτα εξ Αθηνών ; Vol.XXII, No.1, 1989, pages 71-88
Issue:
Pages:
71-88
Parallel Title:
Archeological exploration in the Laureotike area to discover mining works and metallurgical installations of prehistopic period
Section Title:
Αρχαιολογικά χρονικά
Author:
Abstract:
In the Bertseko Valley in Laureotiki, directly west of the village of Kamariza, in the district identified with ancient Maronea, a large number of rectangular washeries was discovered, parallel to each other and laid out one next to the other in close order. They were all cut into the rocky terrain along both banks of a large stream that started at Kamariza and ran into the bay of Legraina. Today the stream is a dry torrent bed, but in ancient times it was clearly a small river. In shape and function these are the forerunners of the Laureotiki washeries of the Classical period and obviously were constructed in the valley because the stream provided a permanent water supply, which would have been indispensable for their operation. Five of the washeries were excavated and from the pottery scattered in the area they appear to belong to the first decades of the 5th c. BC. In the south section of the west slope of the same valley remains were also discovered of many furnaces for smelting the argentiferous ore. They are all plainly visible on the surface of the ground. Most of the furnaces, as the surface pottery shows, are contemporary with washeries, but others belong to post-Classical periods and appear to have been used for smelting the Classical slag (Strabo, IX, 1.23), which abounded in the area. These finds show that two large industrial installations were operating in the Bertseko Valley at the beginning of the 5th c. BC, in one of which the cleaning of the silver ore was carried out, and in the other the smelting of the ore for the production of the metal. The large number of washeries and furnaces makes it clear that both installations had very large productive capacities and there is thus no doubt that a methodical excavation of them would uncover monuments and evidence that would enable us to better understand the development of the metallurgical technology of the Classical Athenians, as well as an important segment of their economic history during the critical period of the first decades of the 5th c. BC. These two industrial installations are in all probability connected with one of the most brilliant pages of ancient Greek history, since in them, according to all the evidence, the cleaning and smelting of the ores discovered at neighbouring Maronea in Laureotiki were carried out. It was with the silver extracted from these ores that the Athenians built the famous 200 triremes with which they defeated the Persians in the historic naval battle of Salamis in 480 BC.
Subject:
Subject (LC):
Keywords:
μεταλλουργία, Ροδόπη
Notes:
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