The Sanctuary of Despotiko in the Cyclades. Excavations 2001–2012
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https://publications.dainst.org iDAI.publications ELEKTRONISCHE PUBLIKATIONEN DES DEUTSCHEN ARCHÄOLOGISCHEN INSTITUTS Dies ist ein digitaler Sonderdruck des Beitrags / This is a digital offprint of the article Yannos Kourayos – Kornelia Daifa – Aenne Ohnesorg – Katarina Papajanni The Sanctuary of Despotiko in the Cyclades. Excavations 2001–2012 aus / from Archäologischer Anzeiger Ausgabe / Issue 2 • 2012 Seite / Page 93–174 https://publications.dainst.org/journals/aa/123/4812 • urn:nbn:de:0048-journals.aa-2012-2-p93-174-v4812.0 Verantwortliche Redaktion / Publishing editor Redaktion der Zentrale | Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Weitere Informationen unter / For further information see https://publications.dainst.org/journals/aa ISSN der Online-Ausgabe / ISSN of the online edition 2510-4713 Verlag / Publisher Hirmer Verlag GmbH, München ©2017 Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Zentrale, Podbielskiallee 69–71, 14195 Berlin, Tel: +49 30 187711-0 Email: [email protected] / Web: dainst.org Nutzungsbedingungen: Mit dem Herunterladen erkennen Sie die Nutzungsbedingungen (https://publications.dainst.org/terms-of-use) von iDAI.publications an. 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All materials including texts, articles, images and other content contained in this document are subject to the German copyright. The contents are for personal use only and may only be reproduced or made accessible to third parties if you have gained permission from the copyright owner. Any form of commercial use is expressly prohibited. When seeking the granting of licenses of use or permission to reproduce any kind of material please contact the responsible editors of the publications or contact the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut ([email protected]). Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) Yannos Kourayos – Kornelia Daifa – Aenne Ohnesorg – Katarina Papajanni The Sanctuary of Despotiko in the Cyclades Excavations 2001–2012 Introduction At the center of the Cyclades lies a small cluster of islands that includes Paros, Antiparos, and the uninhabited islands of Despotiko, Tsimintiri and Strongylo, all forming a minor archipelago dominated by Paros and Siphnos (fig. 1)1. It lies in a good strategic position, right on the commercial sea routes linking mainland Greece with the eastern Mediterranean, Egypt and Sicily. As well as 2 1 Bursian 1862–1872, 482. Paros also Despotiko has recently attracted greater archaeological interest, since 2 For selective presentation of the a sanctuary, previously unknown to modern scholars, was found there, that Parian history and archaeology with flourished during the Archaic and Classical periods (7th–5th cent. B.C.). The extended bibliography see Rubensohn 1949; Philippson 1959, 118; Skilardi Archaeological site is located on a peninsula, at the most direct point of contact 1981; Zapheiropoulou 1997; Kourayos across the straits to Antiparos (fig. 2). It took its name Mandra (μάντρα) from 2004c; Zapheiropoulou 2005; Ohnesorg a modern animal pen which occupied it, and was displaced in 2002 (fig. 3)3. 2005; Kourayos 2008b; Aliprantes 2010; The island measures 7.65 square kilometers and has a terrain dominated Kourayos 2011. 4 3 Photos of the ›Mandra‹: Kourayos by rocky mountains, steep coastlines and few accessible beaches . The east 2004a, 59 f. figs. 3. 4; Kourayos 2005b, coast of Despotiko together with the southwest coast of Antiparos and the 41 fig. 3; Kourayos 2009, 29. 39. 42–46. islet of Tsimintiri form the enclosure of a bay, which offers protection from 4 For an outline of Despotiko’s the prevailing northerly winds. The shallow channels between Tsimintiri and geomorphology and geology see Draganits 2009. Despotiko and likely Antiparos must have been above water in antiquity form- 5 Bent 1885, 194. − The graves were ing a low isthmus connecting these two or three islands. The marble inscrip- eventually excavated by Kourayos, only to tion naming »Hestias Isthmias« on the Classical ›altar‹ of Hestia found in 2003 be found to have been looted: Kourayos in the sanctuary, suggests that the ancient name of the site could have been – Detoratou 1999, 819 f. with fig. 72; Kourayos et al. 2003. Isthmia. Tsimintiri got its name from the presence of Early Cycladic graves 6 Smith 1854, »Prepesinthus«, where on its west coast (κοιμητήρι in Greek, a graveyard or cemetery), which were reference to ancient literary sources for mentioned in the 19th cent. by the English traveller Theodore Bent5. Here also the name of the island is given: from foundations of walls were traced and Building A was partly excavated in 2011. Strabo in Geographika (Str G 485) and Plinius in Historia Naturalis (Plin. HN On the other uninhabited island, Strongylo, which lies to the west of Des- IV 66). potiko and to the east of Siphnos, the remains of a post-Byzantine structure 7 Ragousi – Kontogiorgou 2000. immediately at the eastern rocky shore have been found, which is partly built 8 In 1675, Daniel, the notorious from ancient architectural members. Pieces of two unfluted columns probably 17th century French pirate, knight of the Order of Malta, faced Turkish ships in a come from Building A of the Despotiko sanctuary, see infra. naval battle off Despotiko, which he used Despotiko has been identified as ancient Prepesinthus, following the lists of as a hide-out. Defeated Daniel set his ship Cycladic islands recorded by Strabo and Pliny6. Aside from these geographical on fire and disembarked on Despotiko, lists, there is no textual description of the island or mention of any settle- with his crew, promising the locals a lot of money if they saved him. Instead of ment or historic event in antiquity. In early modern times the island’s name helping him, they turned him over to was Sigilo, as recorded by European travellers and maps of the 15th, 16th and the Turks. When this became known to 17th cent.7. During this period, Despotiko, like all other Cycladic islands, suf- other pirates, like Orange, Honorat and fered pirate attacks. In 1675 the island’s only settlement, most likely at the site Hugo de Crevellier, they attacked the sole 8 settlement of Despotiko, sacked it and of the sanctuary, was entirely destroyed by French pirates . In 1756 Despotiko massacred the locals. was sold to Tzortzis Bao of Mykonos and Petros Mavrogenis of Paros. It is AA 2012/2, 93–174 94 Yannos Kourayos – Kornelia Daifa – Aenne Ohnesorg – Katarina Papajanni Fig. 1 Map of the Aegean Islands (scale 1 : 2 500 000) Fig. 2 The Sanctuary of Despotiko from West (in the background Antiparos), aerial view AA 2012/2, 93–174 AA 2012/2, 93–174 The Sanctuary of Despotiko in the Cyclades 2001–2012 95 Fig. 3 Despotiko, the site Mandra. Building A, porches with later walls, from south an oral tradition that the modern name of the island (Despotiko) was given the Greek title of these lords, Δέσποτες. Today the island is home only to a shepherd and his goats. Despotiko was archaeologically first explored by the above-mentioned Theodore Bent9. In the late 19th cent. Christos Tsountas excavated Early Cy- cladic cemeteries at Zoumbaria and Livadi10. In order to prevent illegal activities, a rescue excavation was carried out at Zoumbaria in 1959 by Nikos Zapheiropoulos, which revealed twenty more Early Cycladic tombs11. That year Zapheiropoulos also conducted a brief 9 Bent 1885, 200: The English traveller two brothers, Andronico and Stefano; by the women of Antiparos …«. claimed that he conducted a brief excava- they have a mandra, or hut, where they 10 Tsountas 1898. For the prehistoric tion at the northeast part of the island. He look after their flocks. They are the sole occupation of these islands see Renfrew wrote: »… I excavated the foundations of occupants of this island and the only 1972, 517 f.; Broodbank 2000, 222 f. a temple …«, but with no other details other building besides their hut is a 11 Zapheiropoulos 1960. – Kourayos on the site and results of this investiga- little Byzantine church, the remains of a and his team surveyed the hill of tion. He continued: »On Despotiko live monastery which at one time was kept up Zoumbaria some years ago and identified AA 2012/2, 93–174 AA 2012/2, 93–174 96 Yannos Kourayos – Kornelia Daifa – Aenne Ohnesorg – Katarina Papajanni excavation at the Mandra site. He uncovered various walls which he errone- ously interpreted as parts of a Roman structure reusing marble blocks of the Archaic period. Inside and around the structure he found various marble ar- chitectural members, which he attributed to an Archaic Doric temple, though he was unable to identify its position. He also recovered the torso of a marble kouros now in the Paros Archaeological Museum12. In 1980 Gottfried Gruben, Manfred Schuller, Karl Schnieringer and Aenne Ohnesorg visited the site. The stone walls of the animal pen had been ex- tended, using building materials recovered from the ancient structures, and the antique site had been covered by soil. They recorded several architectural pieces, which they attributed to an Archaic structure. Schuller dated the ar- chitectural members to the end of the Archaic period13. In 1996 Yannos Kourayos first visited the site, and in 1997 rescue excava- tions were initiated under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture (21st Ephor- ate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, fig.