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The Neolithic Settlement at Strofilas, Andros Πάπυροι - Επιστημονικό Περιοδικό τόμος 8, 2019 Papyri - Scientific Journal volume 8, 2019 The Neolithic Settlement at Strofilas, Andros CHRISTINA A. TELEVANTOU, Ph.D. Director of the Excavation of Strofilas Θεσσαλονίκη 2019 – Thessaloniki 2019 ISSN:2241-5106 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License Πάπυροι - Επιστημονικό Περιοδικό Papyri - Scientific Journal τόμος 8, 2019 volume 8, 2019 www.academy.edu.gr [email protected] The Neolithic Settlement at Strofilas, Andros The Neolithic Settlement at Strofilas, Andros* CHRISTINA A. TELEVANTOU, Ph.D. Director of the Excavation of Strofilas Περίληψη Οι ανασκαφές στο οροπέδιο του Στρόφιλα στην δυτική ακτή της Άνδρου έφεραν στο φως τα ερείπια ενός μεγάλου οχυρωμένου προϊστορικού οικισμού που φαίνεται ότι ιδρύθηκε κατά την Νεώτερη Νεολιθική Ι περίοδο (5000-4500 π.Χ.) και άκμασε κατά την Νεώτερη Νεο- λιθική ΙΙ/Τελική Νεολιθική περίοδο (4500-3200 π.Χ.). Η ανάπτυξή του οφείλεται στην στρατηγική γεωγραφική θέση της Άνδρου κοντά στην Αττική και ειδικότερα τη Λαυρεωτική σε συνδυασμό με την καίρια θέση του στις διαδρομές της νεολιθικής ναυσιπλοΐας που ευνοούσε το εμπόριο (π.χ. διακίνηση μηλιακού οψιανού και μεταλλεύματος –Λαυρεωτική;-) και τη μετάδοση τεχνολογίας και ιδεών ανάμεσα στις Κυκλά- δες, την ηπειρωτική χώρα (π.χ. Αττική), την Εύβοια και το ΒΑ Αιγαίο. Η έναρξη της εκμετάλ- λευσης μεταλλεύματος στην Λαυρεωτική ισχυροποίησαν τον ρόλο του στο Αιγαίο. Σειρά στοιχείων τον καθιστούν, με τα έως τώρα δεδομένα, μοναδικό στις Κυκλάδες και στην εγγύτερη γεωγραφική περιοχή (π.χ. Εύβοια, Αττική). ● Η μεγάλη έκτασή του σε συνδυασμό με τον πυκνό πολεοδομικό ιστό και το ιδιαίτερα μεγάλο μέγεθος των κτιρίων, αψιδωτών και τετράπλευρων. ● Tα έργα συλλογικού χαρακτήρα όπως το Τείχος, το Ιερό, το Μέγαρο, καθώς και η εκτεταμένη χρήση των βραχογραφιών από την κοινότητα σε χώρους κοι- νής χρήσης. ● Η πληθώρα των υψηλής ποιότητας ευρημάτων. ● Η προηγμένη τεχνολογία (π.χ. μεταλλοτεχνία, λιθοτεχνία, ναυπηγική). ● Οι εκτεταμένες βραχογραφίες σε ανασκαμμένο περιβάλλον, με συμβολικά θέματα (π.χ. δακτυλιόσχημο θέμα, πέλματα, κοιλότητες σε διάταξη σπείρας), γραμμικά (π.χ. σπείρα, μαίανδρος), εικονιστικά (ανθρώπινες μορφές, πλοία. ζώα- κατσίκια, ελάφια, τσακάλια, ψάρια, δελφίνια κ.ά.), αφηγηματικές σκηνές (π.χ. πομπή πλοίων, κυνήγι, αγέλες τσακαλιών εναντίον ελαφιών, μητέρα-δελ- φίνι με το μικρό του, ανθρώπινη μορφή ενδεχομένως απεικόνιση θεότη- τας/πότνιας θηρών). Καταδεικνύεται ότι οι νεολιθικοί καλλιτέχνες πολύ πριν την ανάπτυξη της εικονιστικής τέχνης στις Κυκλάδες κατά την Εποχή του Χαλ- κού (π.χ. αγγειογραφία, τοιχογραφία) έθεσαν τις βάσεις του εικονογραφικού λεξιλογίου και της διαχείρισης του χώρου σε σύνθετες παραστάσεις. ● Ο έντονος ναυτικός χαρακτήρας του Στρόφιλα (ναυπηγική / ναυσιπλοΐα / εμπόριο) που τεκμηριώνεται από τις εκατόν και πλέον απεικονίσεις πλοίου στις βραχογραφίες σε κοινόχρηστους χώρους (ιερό, ανοικτός χώρος λατρεία, τείχος) ως το κυρίαρχο σύμβολο του Στρόφιλα. ● Η χρήση ενός αναπτυγμένου και ευρύτατα διαδεδομένου κώδικα επικοινω- νίας με χρήση συστήματος συμβόλων (π.χ. δακτυλιόσχημο θέμα, φαλλός, τρί- γωνα –σύμβολο εφηβαίου. πέλματα, κοιλότητες σε διάταξη σπείρας). Πρόκειται για έναν εύρωστο οικισμό με κυρίαρχο ναυτικό χαρακτήρα και πρώιμες πρωτοαστικές δομές, διαβαθμισμένη κοινωνία με κεντρική εξουσία ενός ή ομάδας ατόμων, η οποία αποφάσιζε για τα μεγάλα κοινωφελή έργα, ασκούσε τη διοίκηση για την επιβολή / 146 ISSN: 2241-5106 Πάπυροι - Επιστημονικό Περιοδικό Papyri - Scientific Journal τόμος 8, 2019 volume 8, 2019 www.academy.edu.gr [email protected] The Neolithic Settlement at Strofilas, Andros εφαρμογή κανόνων κοινωνικής οργάνωσης και συντόνιζε όλες τις παραγωγικές δραστηριό- τητες προς όφελος της κοινότητας. Αναμφίβολα ο Στρόφιλας θα διαδραμάτιζε, σε ένα μεγαλύτερο δίκτυο μικρότερων ή / και ανάλογου μεγέθους οικισμών σημαντικό ρόλο κατά την Τελική Νεολιθική περίοδο. Κυ- ρίως αποκαλύπτει μια νέα εικόνα για τον πολιτισμό στο Νεολιθικό Αιγαίο και ιδιαίτερα στις Κυκλάδες την περίοδο αυτή διευρύνοντας τους ορίζοντες της προϊστορίας και εικονογρα- φίας. Καταδεικνύει ότι από την περίοδο αυτή διαμορφώθηκε στο χώρο αυτό ένας υψηλός πολιτισμός με μεγάλες οργανωμένες ναυτικές κοινωνίες και ανάλογους οικισμούς με πρώιμες πρωτοαστικές δομές, η βάση για την μετέπειτα πολιτιστική εξέλιξη της Εποχής του Χαλκού. Λέξεις κλειδιά: Άνδρος, βραχογραφία, αψιδωτό κτήριο, γονιμότητα, δακτυλιόσχημο θέμα, ιερό, Κυκλάδες, Μητέρα Θεά, ναυπηγική, Νεολιθικό Αιγαίο, πλοίο, πρωτοαστικό, Στρόφιλας, τείχος Abstract The excavation on the plateau of Strofilas, on the west coast of Andros, have unearthed the ruins of a large prehistoric settlement which seems was founded during Late Neolithic I period (5000-4500 BC) and growth during Late Neolithic II period (4500-3200 BC). Its growth is attributable largely to the strategic location of Andros near Attica, espe- cially the Laureotika, coupled with the fact that it was an important hub and port of call on the Neolithic sea routes for the transport of goods (e.g. Melian obsidian and metal ore) and the transmission of technology and ideas between the Cyclades, the Mainland, Euboea and the northeast Aegean. The beginning of the exploitation of ore in Laureotika strengthened its role in the Aegean. On the evidence available to date, a number of factors make Strofilas unique in the Cyclades and the surrounding geographical region (Euboea, Attica). ● The large area of the settlement, along with its dense layout and large buildings. ● The communal projects, such as the Fortification, the Sanctuary, the Megaron and the extensive rock-art representations. ● The abundance of high-quality finds. ● The advanced technology (e.g. metalwork, stonework). ● The extensive rock art representations in excavated context, with symbolic motifs (ring-idol motif, human soles, cavities in spiral arrangement), linear motifs (spiral, meander), pictorial motifs (ships, animals-goats, deer, jackals-, fish, dolphins, etc.), narrative scenes (flotilla of ships, jackals hunting deer, seabed with dolphin and its calf, probably a human figure or a humanoid 'effigy', 0.45 m. high, possibly representing a deity). It seems that long before the development of pictorial art in the Cyclades, in the Middle and Late Bronze Age (pottery, wall-paintings), the Neolithic artists laid the foundations of the icono- graphic vocabulary and spatial management in composite scenes. ● The intense maritime character of the settlement (shipbuilding / seafaring / trade), which is documented by more than 100 depictions of ships in the rock art in public places (sanctuary, wall, area north of the wall), as the community’s prevailing symbol. 147 ISSN: 2241-5106 Πάπυροι - Επιστημονικό Περιοδικό Papyri - Scientific Journal τόμος 8, 2019 volume 8, 2019 www.academy.edu.gr [email protected] The Neolithic Settlement at Strofilas, Andros ● The use of a sophisticated and widespread communication code using a system of symbols (ring-idol motif, human soles, cavities in spiral arrange- ment). The evidence indicates that this was a thriving proto-urban settlement of maritime character, which undoubtedly played an important role in a wider network of smaller and/or similar-sized settlements during the Late Neolithic period. Strofilas reveals new information on the culture of the Aegean, particularly in the Cyclades, during the Late Neolithic period. It demonstrates that during this period an advanced culture took shape in the Cyclades, with large organized maritime societies and similar settlements with early urban structures, which were the basis for the subsequent cultural developments of the Bronze Age. Keywords: Andros, apsidal building, boat, Cyclades, Fortification Wall, fertility, megaron, Mother Goddess, proto-urban, ring-idol motif, Neolithic Aegean, rock-Art, sanctuary, ship, shipbuilding, Strofilas 148 ISSN: 2241-5106 Πάπυροι - Επιστημονικό Περιοδικό Papyri - Scientific Journal τόμος 8, 2019 volume 8, 2019 www.academy.edu.gr [email protected] The Neolithic Settlement at Strofilas, Andros The excavations on the Strofilas plateau on Andros unearthed a large fortified prehis- Fig. 1: Strofilas, aerial view (photo Ν. Xenikakis, 2008) Fig. 2: Strofilas’s plateau (photo C. A. Televantou) toric settlement (fig. 1-3) which changed radically until recent archaeological data for the Ne- olithic Aegean.1 Andros, strategically located near mainland Greece, especially At- tica, is a natural bridge, one of man’s first “steps” into the Aegean. It is also an important hub and port of call on the Neolithic sea routes2 for the transport of goods (e.g. Melian ob- sidian and metal ore) and the trans- mission of technology and ideas be- tween the Cyclades, the Mainland, Euboea and the northeast Aegean. Its importance grew in the Late Neolithic II/Final Neolithic period when min- ing began in the Laureotike (Meren- da, see below) (fig. 4). Furthermore, Andros, the sec- ond largest Cycladic island (374 sq. km), has important natural charac- teristics that are ideal for systematic habitation. Its rich water-table and sufficient arable land favored agricul- ture and animal husbandry, ensuring Fig. 3: Map of Andros marked with the most important survival as well as the improvement archaeological sites. * Note: The material from Strofilas presented in this article is unpublished. Any use of images requires the approval of the excavator. 1Neolithic Aegean: Dova 1997a. 1977b. Felsch 1988. Efstratiou 2013. Hadjianastasiou 1987. Kakavogianni 2008. Katsarou-Schilardi 2004. 2006. 2008.
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