Chapter 1 Natural Environment

Cover Page The handle http://hdl.handle.net/1887/32763 holds various files of this Leiden University dissertation Author: Karambinis, Michalis Title: The island of Skyros 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 Aegean Sea, between the islands of islands of the Archipelago, being the fifteenth largest Euboea and Lesvos, and the Sporades and Cyclades 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 CHIOS 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 VALAXA 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 water. 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 island 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.

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