An extended Mesolithic settlement in Naxos

Part of : Mediterranean archaeology & archaeometry : international journal ; Vol.16, No.1, 2016, pages 269-271

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Pages:
269-271
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Abstract:
Over the last two decades of excavations and surveys, a Mesolithic cultural stage was discovered for the first time in the Aegean which until then had appeared in a few places in mainland Greece. The first Mesolithic site appeared in the Cyclops Cave at Youra of Northern Sporades in 1992 and then the Mesolithic settlement at Maroulas on Kythnos was excavated (1996-2005). The following excavation of the Mesolithic site in Kerame at Ikaria (2007-2008) showed that the Mesolithic culture of the Aegean extended to the eastern side of the Aegean too. The next few years, surveys in the central and southern Aegean yielded new Mesolithic sites such as the sites of Roos at Naxos and Areta at Chalki. So far, nearly all the sites are located next to the sea and seem to have been related to sea movements from island to island. Apparently, the obsidian sources of Melos must have been the main reference center for this period while secondary were the obsidian sources of Yali at Nisyros. The site Roos at Naxos is particularly important because, besides presenting all the features of a typical Mesolithic site, it expands to an area of dozens of acres, much greater than those of Maroulas at Kythnos and Kerame at Ikaria. The stone industry includes Melian obsidian and flint from Stelida quarry at Naxos. The typology of artifacts refers to stone tools that have also been found in Ikaria, Kythnos, Chalki and the earliest layer X of Knossos. Some types of implements probably indicate that the site of Roos could be dated to a later Mesolithic stage than those of Kythnos and Ikaria
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Subject (LC):
Keywords:
Flint artifacts, Melos, Mesolithic, Obsidian, Roos, Typology
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References (1):
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