Akovitika

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Akovitika
Ακοβίτικα
Akovitika (Greece)
Bluedot.svg
Basic data
Country GreeceGreece Greece
region Peloponnese
Regional district Messinia
local community Kalamata
Parish Kalamata
Local community Asprochoma
Geographic coordinates 37 ° 2 '  N , 22 ° 5'  E Coordinates: 37 ° 2 '  N , 22 ° 5'  E
Residents 609 (2011)
LAU-1 code no. 4401010502

Akovitika ( Greek Ακοβίτικα ( n. Pl. )) Is a settlement of the local community Asprochoma about three kilometers west of the city center of Kalamata . The archaeologically verifiable oldest settlement of Messenia from the Bronze Age and a local, ancient sanctuary of the sea god Poseidon are located immediately to the west of the settlement area on the Aris River.

location

Akovitika is located near the coast of the Messenian Gulf in the south of the community of Asprochoma and borders directly on the western districts of Kalamata. The place extends on both sides of the Ethniki Odos 7 for about three kilometers. The railway line between Kalamata and Patras with the open-air museum Kalamata Municipal Railway Park limits the place to the north.

Archaeological finds

Bronze age

During flood protection measures on the Aris River in 1969, Bronze Age remains were discovered southwest of Akovitika and investigated until 1971. Two Early Helladic (FH II) Megara from the 3rd millennium BC were identified. Excavated. Apparently the older Megaron B was replaced by the younger Megaron A because the former threatened to be flooded. A clay seal found here allows dating to the period FH II.

Antiquity

About 200 meters closer to the coast, the remains of an ancient temple were excavated in 1968 by the Greek archaeologist Petros Themelis . The oldest structurally verifiable temple was built in the early 6th century BC. Built over the fire remains of a previous building. The incomplete excavation does not allow an exact interpretation of the building history. The sanctuary was abandoned towards the end of the classical era .

The oldest finds, especially pottery, can be dated to the Protogeometric Period . The finds include bronze and iron miniatures such as anchors and rudders, a trotting bronze horse from the Geometric era, a late Geometric and an archaic Kouros statuette , two archaic bronze bull figurines and a 14 centimeter long hippocampus .

A dedicatory inscription to Pohoidan (ΠΟΗΟΙΔΑΝ) from the 5th century BC. BC testifies that the sea god Poseidon was worshiped here (SEG 25.431b).

Pohoidan (Ποhοιδάν) is the name of the sea god Poseidon , which is only used in Laconia and Messenia . Since the name was usually Poteidān (Ποτειδάν) in the Doric dialect , it is assumed that the laconic-Messenian form continues the Mycenaean name Poseidāhōn (po-se-da-o), with the laconic dialect invading the intervocal / s /. This is explained by the fact that the Helots were the descendants of the Bronze Age population, suppressed by the immigrant Dorians , who continued to cling to the cult of Poseidon. This also fits the fact that the helots in the Poseidon shrine on Cape Tainaron had sacred asylum rights.

Modern times

Akovitika was recognized in 1940 as a settlement of the then rural community Asprochoma, which has formed a local community in the Kalamata district of the Kalamata municipality since the administrative reform in 2010 .

Akovitika population development
1940 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011
136 147 121 136 317 169 225 609

Inscription of Damonon

The Poseidon shrine in Akovitika, which was abandoned early, is nowhere mentioned in ancient literature.

In a dedicatory inscription of Damonon found in the temple of Athena Chalkioikos in Sparta , dating from the 5th century BC. The festival is called Pohoidaia (ΠΟΗΙΔ stammt), on which a chariot race took place and which was celebrated in Theuria (IG V.1 214, lines 18-23). It is generally believed that this refers to the ancient city of Thouria , which was eight kilometers north of Akovitika. Since Strabo calls the Messenian Gulf “Thuriatic Gulf” (8.4.5), it can be assumed that the area of ​​this city extended to the sea and that the sanctuary belonged to this city. If so, it would be the only written testimony from the Temple of Poseidon.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Results of the 2011 census at the National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ) ( Memento from June 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (Excel document, 2.6 MB)
  2. ^ Helène Whittaker: Religion and Society in Middle Bronze Age Greece. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge / New York 2014, ISBN 978-1-107-04987-1 , p. 49.
  3. ^ CD Buck: The Greek Dialects. Bristol Classic Press, London 1998, ISBN 1-85399-556-8 , § 59.1, 61.4.
  4. ^ Paul Cartledge: Hellenistic and Roman Sparta. 2nd Edition. Routledge, London / New York 2002, ISBN 0-415-26356-5 , p. 83.
  5. ^ Karl-Wilhelm Welwei : Sparta: Rise and Fall of an Ancient Great Power. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-608-94016-2 , p. 39 f.
  6. ↑ Κεντρική Ένωση Δήμων και Κοινοτήτων Ελλάδας (ΚΕΔΚΕ) Ελληνική Εταιρία Τοπικής Ανάπτυξης και Αυτοδιοίκησης (ΕΕΤΑΑ) (ed.): Λεξικό Διοικητικών Μεταβολών των Δήμων και Κοινοτήτων (1912-2001). 1 (Τόμος Α, α – κ), Athens 2002, ISBN 960-7509-47-1 , p. 146 .; Δίβρη - Πρινόφυτον, Μετονομασίες των οικισμών της Ελλάδας (Greek)
  7. ↑ Population of Akovitika 1940–2011 Greek Statistical Office ELSTAT, Digital Library ; Census 2011 (Greek)

literature

Web links