MAZI ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT 2016: REGIONAL SURVEY AND SETTLEMENT INVESTIGATIONS IN NORTHWEST ATTICA Sylvian Fachard, Alex R. Knodell, Kalliopi Papangeli Introduction The main goals of the third season of the Mazi Archaeological Project were (1) to extend and complete the field survey of the Mazi Plain (chiefly in Areas e and d), (2) to document in greater detail the sites of Kato Kastanava and Eleutherai, and (3) to conduct geophysical investigations in and around the settlement of Ancient Oinoe. The campaign took place between June 13 and July 15, under the direction of S. Fachard, A.R. Knodell and K. Papangeli. The team involved some 35 individuals, including senior collaborators, graduate and undergraduate students, and specialists, mostly from Greece, Switzerland, and the United States.1 The co-directors are grateful to the Ministry of Culture for its confidence and support over the course of the project (2014-2016). We also express our gratitude to S. Chrysoulaki (Ephor of West Attica, Piraeus, and the Islands) and to K. Reber (Director of the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece), as well as to the institutions that provide support in the form of financial and other resources: the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Loeb Classical Foundation, the Institute for Aegean Prehistory, Carleton College, University of Geneva and its Fond Général, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece, and the Ephorate of West Attica, Piraeus, and the Islands. The 2016 field season of MAP involved multiple components, simultaneously conducting intensive and extensive pedestrian survey, digital and traditional methods for 1 These individuals represent seventeen institutions in five different countries: Sue Alcock (University of Michigan), Brandon Baker (University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill), Michelle Berenfeld (Pitzer College), Chloe Bergstrand (Carleton College), Maura Brennan (University of Cincinnati), John Cherry (Brown University), Alex Claman (Carleton College), Christian Cloke (University of Maryland), Sarah Craft (Florida State University), Liza Davis (University College London), Marie Drielsma (University of Geneva), Lindsey Fine (Cambridge University), Mitch Groninger (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), Jean-Quentin Haefliger (University of Geneva), Christine Hunziker (University of Geneva), Thomas Kerboul (University of Geneva), Tobias Krapf (Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece), Evan Levine (Brown University), Xavier Mabillard (University of Lausanne), Maeve McHugh (University College Dublin), Julia Miller (Carleton College), Jacob Morton (University of Pennsylvania), Sarah Murray (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), Brian Niedert (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), Nefeli Piree Iliou (University of St. Andrews), Tim Poenitz (University of Geneva), Miriam Rothenberg (Brown University), Rebecca Salem (University of Nebraska–Lincoln) Catie Steidl (Brown University), Eirini Svana (Ephorate of Antiquities of West Attika, Piraeus, and Islands), Evgenia Tsalkou (Ephorate of Antiquities of West Attika, Piraeus, and Islands), Polytimi Valta (Ephorate of Antiquities of West Attika, Piraeus, and Islands), Jackson Vaughn (Texas Tech University). documenting archaeological features, cleaning operations at sites of particular significance, geophysical survey, and artifact analysis and study.2 Most significantly, this season saw the completion of the fieldwalking component of the project, including documentation of all archaeological features within this zone and (at a minimum) preliminary analysis of all ceramic and lithic materials collected (overseen by C. Cloke and J.F. Cherry, respectively) (Figure 1). The intensive survey expanded upon the 2014-2015 work of the project to focus on the middle of the plain (Area d) and the Kastanava valley, yielding new information regarding the main periods of occupation and completing the coverage of this phase of the project.3 The extensive survey explored large areas of the wooded slopes overlooking the plain to the north and south, as well as the surroundings of the Kastanava valley. Digital initiatives in high-resolution mapping and three-dimensional recording of archaeological features (led by Sarah Murray) continued through the investigation of several sites, especially at Kato Kastanava (discovered in 2015) and Eleutherai. Our permit in 2016 allowed us to clear vegetation and surface soil at locations of particular interest, in order to better reveal the form and function of the exposed architecture. Targeted cleaning at the prehistoric site of Kato Kastanava yielded ambiguous results, especially in terms of the architectural remains, some of which are clearly modern; however, the analysis of the pottery and the lithics confirmed the presence of a Late Neolithic/Early Helladic settlement at the site. Cleaning conducted at the Eleutherai fortress facilitated the exhaustive documentation of the walls, allowing for the production of the first comprehensive plan of the site. Further cleaning on the slopes of the hill confirmed the existence of Mycenaean graves and a Classical dam, and allowed for a stone-by-stone drawing of one of the two Late Roman basilicas at the site. Finally, geophysical exploration (led by G. Tsokas) was conducted at the ancient Athenian deme site of Oinoe, mainly in the lower town and on the supposed path of 2 The following individuals were responsible for organizing various aspects of the project and produced detailed reports that were invaluable contributions to the preparation of this overall report: Christian F. Cloke (pottery study), Sarah Murray (DGPS mapping and photogrammetry), Tobias Krapf and Tim Pönitz (cleaning operations at Kato Kastanava), Rebecca Salem (architectural tile); further pottery study and drawings were undertaken by Christine Hunziker and Maura Brennan. Reports on the work of each of the three survey teams were prepared by team leaders: Maeve McHugh and Evan Levine (Team 1), Catie Steidl and Thomas Kerboul (Team 2), and Sarah Craft and Tim Pönitz (Team 3). The geophysical survey team from the University of Thessaloniki was led by Gregorios N. Tsokas, working with George Vargemezis, Elias Fikos, Aristeides Nivorlis, and Panagiotis Tsourlos. 3 On 2014 and 2015 field seasons see, respectively: Fachard, Knodell, Banou 2015; Knodell, Fachard, Papangeli 2016. 2 the western fortification wall, as well as at a Mycenaean site north of Oinoe, discovered in 2014. Priorities for future work include specialist study of certain artifact assemblages, further architectural documentation and geophysical survey at sites and features of particular interest, and, if possible, a limited program of test trenches to supplement the work of the survey. We hope to undertake most of this work during a study season in 2017 and from there move swiftly toward final publication. Intensive Survey One of the most important achievements of the 2016 field season was the completion of the intensive surface survey, in which all “walkable” and accessible territory in the study area has now been subject to intensive fieldwalking in survey units covered by transects at 10 m spacing (Table 1). Not only is this the first survey in Attica to achieve this level of coverage, it also makes the Mazi Plain one of the most comprehensively documented regions in all of Greece, since our sampling strategy was to aim for as near to comprehensive coverage as possible. We are already able to show broad patterns of ceramic and lithic distribution across the entire landscape (Figures 1 and 2). Fieldwalking in 2016 was undertaken by three field teams working in different areas: in Area d we surveyed the middle of the Mazi Plain, including the vicinity of Modern Oinoe; in Area e work in the southwest corner of the plain focused on the Kastanava valley; a third team worked to close gaps in parts of the survey area left uncovered in previous years, especially in Areas a and c, and undertook targeted gridded collection at sites of particular interest (Aghios Dimitrios and Kato Kastanava). # of Survey Total Area Average SU Survey Area # of Features Units covered (ha) Size (ha) Area a (2014) 400 204 .51 77 Area b (2015) 441 169 .38 82 Area c (2015) 626 257 .41 48 Area d (2016) 695 222 .32 115 Area e (2015) 800 308 .39 2304 and 2016) Total 2962 1160 .40 552 4 This number includes 37 features from Kato Kastanava, which were given the designation kk instead of e, as in F_kk001. 3 Area d The center of the Mazi Plain (designated as Area d) was the principal focus of the intensive survey in 2016. The majority of this area was surveyed by Team 2, with some work in the southern part by Team 1 and in the northwest by Team 3 (Figure 3). The main feature of note in the survey area is the modern town of Oinoe, which occupies the southeastern part of Area d, and includes some dispersed neighborhoods to the north.5 Finds across this zone were relatively few, with more survey units with zero finds than anywhere else in the survey area. However, several significant concentrations areas and discoveries deserve attention. Aghios Dimitrios In the northeast corner of Area d, just north of the Modern church of Aghios Dimitrios, a new Byzantine-period site was discovered, consisting of several built structures and a dense pottery scatter (Figure 4). The structures and terraces are arranged along a hillside, west and across a ravine from the apparently contemporaneous settlement at Kondita (investigated in 2015). The two settlements are intervisible and less than .5 km apart. Intensive survey