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New Excavations in Northwestern Greece: the Neolithic Settlement of Avgi, Kastoria

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New Excavations in Northwestern Greece: the Neolithic Settlement of Avgi, Kastoria Prehistory and Protohistory New excavations in Northwestern Greece: The Neolithic settlement of Avgi, Kastoria G. Stratouli, T. Bekiaris, N. Katsikaridis, D. Kloukinas, G. Koromila and S. Kyrillidou with contributions by N.H. Andreasen, E. Kalogiropoulou, D. Kotsachristou, Y. Maniatis, E. Margaritis, O. Metaxas, K. Papayianni, T. Theodoropoulou and V. Tzevelekidi Corresponding Author: Georgia Stratouli Ephorate of Antiquities Kilkis [email protected] 1. Introduction Neolithic Avgi (Figure 1) is one of several Neolithic sites that have been recently investigated in northern Greece. During the last decades, there has been an outburst of excavations in Western and Central Macedonia, Greece that are changing our knowledge of the Neolithic period, to the point that it has no precedent in the history of research for any other region of Greece.1 These are intensive, large-scale excavations, with meticulous documentation of the stratigraphic information, and systematic collection of findings of all sorts.2 Many follow internationally- standardised sampling protocols and have a highly interdisciplinary rationale, with an emphasis on the collection of bioarchaeological, geoarchaeological, and micro-environmental proxies. The first visible result is high-quality excavation research, only a fragment of which is unfolded here. The Neolithic settlement of Avgi is located at c. 740m asl, in a hilly terrain of clayey deposits (Figure 2), c. 10km southwest of Lake Orestis and the city of Kastoria, close to the modern town of Argos Orestiko. The occupation dates to the Middle and Late Neolithic, c. 5,700/5,500-4,500/4,300 cal BC, and exhibits clear patterns of a dispersed or ‘flat extended’ settlement3 across a total estimated area of c. 5.5-6.0 ha. The site has been investigated for the past eighteen years.4 The interdisciplinary nature of the research programme,5 the extensive area excavated, the state of preservation of architectural features and the rich datasets of bioarchaeological finds allow for a thorough study of material culture, subsistence practices and landscape management, built environment and use of space, as well as of multiple social dynamics involved. They offer insights into different aspects of the Neolithic community, and the opportunity to examine these within the wider cultural context of northern Greece and the southern Balkans. In particular, the information provided enhances our understanding of the Neolithic environment and lifeways in Western Macedonia and beyond. 1 Kotsakis 2013; 2014a; Grammenos 2010. 2 Kotsakis 2014b: 710. 3 cf. Andreou and Kotsakis 1987, 1994; Kotsakis 1999. 4 cf. Stratouli 2004a, 2004b, 2005, 2007, 2012a, 2012b, 2012c, 2013; Stratouli and Bekiaris 2008; Stratouli et al. 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014a. 5 For an overview regarding the archaeological programme at Neolithic Avgi as well as for the preliminary results of individual studies visit the official website (www.neolithicavgi.gr). Journal of Greek Archaeology 5 (2020): 63–134 G. STRATOULI, T. BEKIARIS, N. KATSIKARIDIS, D. KLOUKINAS, G. KOROMILA AND S. KYRILLIDOU Figure 1. Map of Northern Greece, showing the location of Avgi. Figure 2. The site and its immediate landscape (Photo: George Vlachou). 64 NEW EXCAVATIONS IN NORTHWESTERN GREECE: THE NEOLITHIC SETTLEMENT OF AVGI, KASTORIA In this paper we aim to summarise and synthesise the results of the archaeological work conducted at Neolithic Avgi to date. We discuss the chronology of the site, in the light of new radiocarbon evidence, and review the excavation data within the scope of the chronostratigraphic scheme that was developed by the contextual correlations and radiocarbon dating of the occupational remains. In our synthesis, we present primary data deriving from the contextual analysis of several categories of the archaeological material, most of which are unpublished. Contributions from several team members briefly discuss subsistence practices based on the study of plant and faunal remains, as well as different aspects of various material culture categories. 2. History of research The archaeological site was discovered in the mid-1990s as a result of non-systematic surveys conducted by the local Ephorate of Antiquities and the excavation team of the nearby Neolithic site of Dispilio.6 The abundance and distribution of surface finds, particularly pottery fragments, burnt daub fragments and grinding tools, indicated a significant Neolithic occupation c. 500m north of the modern village of Avgi. The archaeological research in the wider region of Kastoria has brought to light a number of Neolithic sites (Figure 3), notably, the lakeside settlement of Dispilio,7 the riverside site of Kolokynthou,8 the site of Kastro Nestoriou9 at c. 900m asl, the riverside site of Koromilia,10 as well as a cave in the nearby gorge.11 The excavations onsite commenced in 2002 and continued for six consecutive field seasons until 2008. They were conducted by the former ΙΖ΄ Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, under the directorship of Dr Georgia Stratouli. A total area of 2000 m2 was uncovered (Figure 4). Due to its large extent, the site (Figure 5) Figure 3. Google Earth map of the Kastoria region, showing the major neolithic sites. 6 Stratouli 2013; Touloumis 2002: 93. 7 Hourmouziadis 2002. 8 Tsouggaris et al. 2004. 9 Tsouggaris 1999: 25-26. 10 Stratouli et al. 2014b. 11 Trantalidou et al. 2005, 2010. 65 G. STRATOULI, T. BEKIARIS, N. KATSIKARIDIS, D. KLOUKINAS, G. KOROMILA AND S. KYRILLIDOU Figure 4. The excavations at Neolithic Avgi (Photo: George Vlachou) Figure 5. The site, the ditches and the excavated area (Plan: Tasos Bekiaris). was divided into three Excavation Sectors (Western, Central and Eastern Sector), and different Excavation Areas (Areas 1-8, Areas N5 and E5) within each sector (Figure 6). The excavation grid was a system of 4x4m arbitrary trenches, with 4x1m baulks in between. The first soundings were carried out in 2002 and were followed by rescue excavations during the subsequent two years.12 During these early stages, the focus was on the protection of the site from further destruction due to mechanical ploughing, and on the documentation of its chronological range and major stratigraphy. To obtain a more accurate estimate of its size, trial trenches were excavated at different locations across the site. In 2004 and 2005 Dr Grigoris Tsokas, Professor of Exploration of Geophysics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and his team conducted conducted a geomagnetic survey, in an area of c. 3.5 ha.13 Τhe geophysical survey provided a better- grounded view of the extent of the site and the density of structures within it (Figure 7). The 12 The results of the first seasons were published in Stratouli 2004a, 2004b, 2005, 2012a, 2012b, 2012c. 13 Tsokas et al. 2005. 66 NEW EXCAVATIONS IN NORTHWESTERN GREECE: THE NEOLITHIC SETTLEMENT OF AVGI, KASTORIA Figure 6. The excavated part of the site, the different sectors and areas (Plan: Tasos Bekiaris). Figure 7. The results of the geophysical survey. 67 G. STRATOULI, T. BEKIARIS, N. KATSIKARIDIS, D. KLOUKINAS, G. KOROMILA AND S. KYRILLIDOU Figure 8. Public actions of the Archaeological Project Neolithic Avgi. Top left: Georgia Stratouli, the Project’s director, presents the excavation to the locals. Top right: Experimental grinding by Elementary School students in the context of the Educational Programme ‘Learning about food preparation at the Neolithic Settlement of Avgi’. Bottom left: Presentation of the Educational Programme ‘At the Dawn of the First Farmers’ at the yard of the excavation’s laboratory at Avgi, Bottom right: Simulation of a prehistoric excavation for Pre-school kids (Photos: Tasos Bekiaris). magnetic anomalies, probable burnt remains of earthen structures and imprints of cuttings, were quite dense at the centre of the settlement and rather dispersed at its periphery. In 2005, the excavation methodology was enhanced, by the application of high-resolution micro-analytical techniques14 to the study of the stratigraphy, and the excavation of building remains in 1x1m micro-grids in 2006-2008. From 2005 to 2008, the project was funded by the European Programme INTERREG IIIA/Cards Greece-Albania, whilst from 2006 to 2008 by the Programme ‘PINDOS’. This funding critically enabled the more systematic and interdisciplinary nature of the research and the integration of new techniques.15 Three extended field seasons in May-October 2006-2008 were followed by more or less consecutive study seasons in 2009-2019 that focused on the analysis of selective archaeological assemblages.16 Research on several categories of archaeological, bioarchaeological and geoarchaeological material,17 has offered valuable contextual insights, into the material culture and technologies, onsite activities and spatiotemporal patterns in the use of space, dietary practices, social networks, management of natural resources, and burial practices, all of which considerably enrich the archaeological record of northern Greece and the Greek Neolithic. Throughout the course of the programme, public and community archaeology initiatives have constituted an integral part of its objectives (Figure 8). Priority was given to the dissemination of the results of the archaeological research to a wider public and to the active engagement of the local community into the archaeological process. Two small exhibitions of representative finds and photographic material were organised at the Documentation Centre of the excavations
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