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The handle http://hdl.handle.net/1887/32763 holds various files of this Leiden University dissertation

Author: Karambinis, Michalis Title: The island of from Late Roman to Early Modern times : an archaeological survey Issue Date: 2015-06-24 Chapter 1 Natural Environment

The island of Skyros is located approximately in the nautical miles away. It belongs to the medium sized middle of the , between the islands of islands of the Archipelago, being the fifteenth largest and Lesvos, and the and Aegean island, 215 square kilometres in size. It has island groups (Fig. 1.1). The closest port connecting an elongated shape with a maximum length of 29 km it with the Greek mainland is Kymi in Euboea, 22 from north-northwest to south-southeast and a maxi-

LEMNOS

S DE RA SPO

SKYROS LESVOS Kymi EUBOEA BOEOTIA

ATTICA

CYCLADES

Fig. 1.1: Skyros in the Aegean context

15 THE ISLAND OF SKYROS FROM LATE ROMAN TO EARLY MODERN TIMES

mum of width 14 km (Melentis 1973, 298; Philippson land, no higher than 2 metres above sea level, separat- 1959, 53). Two sea arcs penetrating from the west ed by the steep hills of Profitis Ilias and Klari. Each and east sides of the island and ending at the gulfs of these two zones ends in two inlets, one extending of Kalamitsa and Achili respectively, create the short- from Aspous to Acherounes for a distance of 4 km, est part of Skyros, an isthmus 3 km long, giving the the other extending 3 km from Achili to Kalamit- impression of a bipartition of the island (Fig. 1.2). In sa (Fig. 1.3). The ground of these two longitudinal fact, we shall see that Skyros is divided in three parts, plains consists mainly of sea sand and alluvial depos- the north-west, south-east and the middle, with sharp its. This, in addition to the numerous marine shells morphological differences among them, especially found at a depth of 6 metres, confirms the theory that between the north-west and south-east parts, probably this part of present-day island was once submerged the result of Skyros being three different islands orig- and then reclaimed, joining in this way the previously inally, which merged at some point (Melentis 1973, two separate islands (Philippson 1959, 55; Melentis 299). 1973, 299). This fact has resulted in a considerable The coastline of the island is very diverse as gain of land with a strong agricultural potential, espe- well. The west coast meets the sea smoothly, form- cially for the south plain (Achili to Kalamitsa), taking ing numerous bigger and smaller inlets. Several is- into account the abundant water supply, coming from lets are located alongside the west coast, which have a series of springs situated alongside the north edge of been cut off from the main island. On the other hand, the south part of Skyros.1 By contrast, the north plain the east coast is more linear with very few inlets and of land from Aspous to Acherounes, due to the less steep cliffs at its southern extremity, exposed to the flat perspective and the lack of water, coming mainly open sea. Especially southwards of Achili and until from the spring of Andoniou at the south edge of the Tris Boukes bay, as many have noticed, the coast north-west part of the island, was always dedicated to is “...of a most forbidding aspect, presenting to the arboriculture. eye a succession of stupendous cliffs, broken only by deep ravines...” (Graves 1849, 157) (Fig. 1.7). It The North part of the island seems that the west coast of the island is relatively easier to approach and to have retained its original To the north of the isthmus plain, there lies the north- form (Philippson 1959, 54). This notable difference west part of the island, locally known as Meroi, (ana- between the two coastlines is encountered on other gram of the Greek word iremo for peaceful; Xanthou- islands as well, such as the rest of the Northern Spo- lis 1984, 11). As its name implies, it is smooth, with rades and the Cyclades (Philippson 1959, 54). This lowland plains alternating with hills covered with has been the result of geological and climatological forests of pines and cedars. Together with the middle, phenomena which have taken place in the Aege- this is the best cultivated part of the island and the an Sea overall. Tectonic and glacial-related effects most populated (Fig. 1.4). have created a relative and continuing sea level rise The central and west part of it extends in a and landmass sinking in the Aegean during the re- mountainous area consisting of low and medium cent millennia (Bintliff 2012, 15; Lambeck 1996). A height hills, with Afanes of Olimbos (399 m) being typical example of this phenomenon regarding Sky- the highest. The mountainous area is interrupted by ros is the submergence which has taken place on the several plateaux with the largest being Chartsa, Aliko, north-northeast coast of the island, at least from Pala- Koumari, Trifadi and Keramotes, and by the small mari Bay to the Bay of Magazia (Pavlopoulos et al. plain of Ferekambos. The area is covered by a dense 2004, 1051-2; Perisoratis & Vidakis 2003). pine and cedar forest, covering the last agricultural ‘windows’ of the north part of the island, because of The middle part of the island the abandonment of the land by the locals after the

The middle part of the island, the isthmus which joins 1 Setting off southwards from Achili Bay to the gulf of Kala- the other two larger parts, the north-west and the mitsa we encounter the springs of Nifatsi, Agnes, Slinas, Flea, Loutro, Soteras, Platania, Dhounia, Ayios Mamas reaching Nifi south-east, covers an area of no more than 8 square at the southern spot. On the opposite side of these springs, on kilometres and consists of two narrow, fertile zones of the hill of Klari, one more small spring, Ayios Pavlos is located.

16 1 - NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

PODIES

C. Kartsino C. Markesi

T R A Palamari Bay C H I

C. Glossa

KOTSILES K S A E O S M T B B O I M O M L MA S A O VR ER Ayia Paraskevi O Atsitsa Bay K 367 UN A Paraspisi S AFANES Kifisos R. ES Magazia Bay T 403 PAD RIF TS AD A I Anavalsa Skyros (Chora) RI A A M S Achladonas U T Vourlos KO R A S H O C Ayios B M Alortho Pouri Demetrios KA KO RE LI FE OROS A NOTES Papagrigori 315 375 Aspous Bay MARMARA Achili Bay KOULOURI Andoniou I N I Agnes Aliko Bay 394 A L IS IL A G FIT IAS RO Slinas Nifatsi Dekatria P 294 Flea Ayios Fokas Bay I 331 R K Ayios I L Loutro Pavlos A

K Pefkos Bay

Soteras Platania Acherounes Bay Dhounia RINIA K O C Kalamitsa Gulf Ayios Mamas H I L Nifi A S 769

VOKOLINAS ARI

ARTEMISI

Tris Boukes Bay ES AD AG AR C. Lithari

PLATEIA

Peak SARAKINIKO Spring

Main arable land

N 0 5km

Fig. 1.2: Map of Skyros

17 THE ISLAND OF SKYROS FROM LATE ROMAN TO EARLY MODERN TIMES

Fig. 1.3: The isthmus of Kalikri from Profitis Ilias. At the background the mountainous southern part of the island.

1960s – 70s2. Beyond the central mountainous forest- The north-east extremity of the island has a horn ed area, at the north edge of the island, lies the largest shape and is covered by a flat area, dominated by the plain of Skyros, Trachi, today the biggest part of it Chora of Skyros and its acropolis/Kastro on an ex- is occupied by a large military base, found in 1976. tremely steep cliff, 179 metres above sea level that Alongside the north-east coastline of the island, the opens eastwards to the Aegean Sea. West of Chora, area is covered by arid low hills, partially eroded, ex- in a hinterland ravine on the old route leading from posed to the strong north-east winds. the main port of the island, Kalamitsa, to Chora, lies the main spring of the north part of Skyros, Anavalsa, which supplies the inhabitants of the town with wa- ter. This spring is the source of the only river of the island, Kifisos, which falls into the bay of Magazia, watering in its path the gardens of Atspades at the hol- low between the feet of the west hills and the Chora. North of Chora lies the plain of Kambos, with strong agricultural potential, cultivated until recently, today the site of intensive building activity (Fig. 1.5).

Fig. 1.4: View of the north-west coastline of the is- land covered with pine and cedar forest.

2 The lack of cultivated land because of the big forest, has in the past obliged the inhabitants of Skyros to proceed to deforestation, a phenomenon widely common in the Mediter- ranean (Bintliff 1977, 35). This phenomenon persisted on the island up to the 1960s-70s, until the time the consequences of the international industrial explosion arrived on Skyros and the tourist development of the island began, resulting in the degradation of the, previously, original domains, agriculture being the first. Thus, after the decades mentioned above, the contrary phenomenon took place, thus, the reforestation of Fig. 1.5: Kambos, the plain of Skyros closest to Cho- land which previously have been deforest. It is very character- istic that present-day oral information by locals refers to previ- ra; today under hectic building activity. The Chora just ously cultivated land by their grandfathers, which is completely discernible at the right of the figure, climbed on its reforested today. This phenomenon explains, as we shall see below, why several sites which present indications of human rocky acropolis. At the background the mountainous settlements, are found today in areas completely forested. southern part of the island.

18 1 - NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

The South part of the island

The south-east part of the island (called by the locals Vouno for mountain), is dominated by the mountain of Kochilas. It is an arid and completely mountainous area, presenting a more intense relief, with karstic formations such as caves and depressions, divided by deep ravines covered with low vegetation resistant to drought, such as maple and prickly oak (Fig. 1.6). There is where the highest peak of the island is found, Panoftis (769 m). This extensive mountainous area, more or less half of the island in size and used al- most exclusively as pasture, is interrupted only by the Fig. 1.6: Landscape of the southern part of the island plateaux of Tsorous, Vokolinas, Ari, Artemisi, and the (Y. Karambinis). largest, Aragades, at the southern extremity of the is- land, the cultivation of which was ongoing until quite recently (Fig. 1.7). The south-east part of Skyros to- day is uninhabited, except for small hamlets close to the central part. The complete lack of human activity (in the form of settlements), in combination with the particularity of the landscape, has resulted in the dec- laration of part of this side of the island as a protected area by Natura 2000.

Geology

The geology of Skyros is well known from several publications (Philippson 1901, 113-23; Philippson 1959, 53-60; Papastamatiou 1959, 219-37; Melentis Fig. 1.7: Cape Lithari; the southern extremity of 1973, 298-322; Perissoratis & Vidakis 2003, 1-25). the island. At the left the largest plateau of Skyros, The island consists largely of limestones, schist, al- Aragades, cultivated until recently (Y. Karambinis). luvial deposits and products of their corrosion, such as red soils (terra rossa). Moreover, a thick layer of phylite slates, beginning from the north extremity of the island (Ayios Petros), extends to the central moun- ly, from Antiquity to modern times. Tufa quarries are tainous area of the north-west part, ending at the gulf identified at the sites of Markesi, at the coast between of Kalamitsa (Melentis 1973, 299-300). Eroded phil- the sites of Palamari and Polichri, at the site of Pouria lets called melagi by the locals, were used widely for while a fourth quarry is located at the site of Alortho sealing house roofs, as well as for mortar in wall and pouri. All of them were in use in ancient times, while pavement constructions, until the arrival of cement on this at Pouria was the only one which continued to be the island some decades ago (Melentis 1973, 302; Ar- used till early modern times, because of its vicinity to naoutoglou 1982, 26). On the north-east coastline of the town (Defner 1923, 109). the island sand, bluestone, conglomerate, beach rocks Apart from that, a great deposit of marble is and tufa are dominant (Melentis 1973, 305; Perissora- identified on the west coast of Skyros, beginning from tis & Vidakis 2003:4). In more detail, tufa is identified the foreland of Oros, passing from the mountainous from cape Kartsino to Achili bay, with an interruption area of Dekatria and Papagrigori to Pefkos bay. The at the site of Magazia. Due to the great quantity of the marble deposit continues on the south-west part of deposit and the relatively easy access by the sea, tufa the island, from the foreland of Marmara, covering was used widely as construction material, perpetual- the area of Tris Boukes bay, while marble deposits

19 are identified on the islands alongside the west coast at the plateau of Chartsa and Koumari, at the sites of (Valaxa, Rinia, Koulouri and ) (Lazos et Atsitsa, Paraspisi and Katasarasi and at the east bor- al. 1989, 15-20). There are three types of Skyrian der of the mountainous area, on the plain of Ferekam- marble: a) polychrome carbonate breccia (breccia di bos and under the peak of Mavrounas (Papastamatiou Settebasi), b) a variety of the polychrome carbonate 1959). Despite the great deposits of iron, only a few breccia consisting mainly of the bigger granulation small ancient mines have been identified, for example (semesanto), and c) a white, white-grey or white-yel- at Koumari or at Koprisies, a confirmation of Pliny’s low marble (Lazzarini 2007, 161; Lazos et al. 1989, reference to metallus scyreticum (NH, XX, 106; XIII 10). Albeit white marble was used locally since Ar- and XXXI, 29; Lazzarini 2007, 161). However, their chaic and Classical times (Lazzarini & Cancelliere systematic exploitation began only in 1897, when 2000, 57), their excessive exploitation has taken place the Skender brothers established a mine at the sites during the Roman-Late Roman period, with reuse of of Atsitsa and Paraspisi. In 1907, the company of some of the ancient quarries, from the late 19th centu- Lavrio continued the exploitation of the deposit until ry until WWI, in the period between 1960 and 1976 1913 and it was never exploited since (Papastamatiou and finally today, with two marble quarries still ac- 1959, 1,4; Konstantinidis 1901, 37-8). tive (Lazzarini 2007, 162, 164; Lazos et al. 1989, 3). Numerous marble quarries are identified on the west Climate coast of the island, at the sites of Ayios Panteleimon, Dekatria, Papagrigori, Aliko, Tris Boukes, Koprisies, The climate of Skyros is the same as for the rest of and on the islets of Rinia, Koulouri, and Valaxa, most the eastern Mediterranean and more specifically of of them having been used throughout the Roman-Late the Aegean sea: mild, humid winters, characterised Roman period (Lazzarini 2007, 166-8; see more in by few to medium rains and strong north-northeast Chapter 10.3). winds; dry, hot summers, with cold north air (melt- The central mountainous area of the north-west emi), from mid July onwards until the end of August; part of the island contains a great iron deposit, mainly rare brief, very heavy rains, usually occur in August, concentrated towards the western part. Thus, begin- modifying the summer climate of the island. ning from the west, iron deposits have been identified

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