Kynthos

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Coordinates: 37 ° 23 ′ 45.2 "  N , 25 ° 16 ′ 20.7"  E

Map: Greece
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Kynthos​
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As Kynthos ( Greek Κύνθος ) is a small fortification of the Early Bronze Age Cycladic culture on the same mountain on the Cycladic island of Delos referred. At least two phases of settlement can be proven, without any visible traces of violence, Kynthos was abandoned during the Early Cycladic III A period. The ceramic finds are in the Dilos Archaeological Museum .

Archaeological excavations

During the excavations of the École française d'Athènes under the direction of J. Albert Lebègue , the summit area of ​​the mountain was also examined from 1873. However, the main focus was on the ancient sanctuaries. The excavation results were published in an extensive monograph in 1876. The remains of a prehistoric settlement were found in 1916 during excavations under the direction of André Plassart at the ancient sanctuary of Zeus Kynthios and Athena Kynthia from the 3rd century BC. Discovered, the excavations completed in 1921 and the results published in 1928. The building structures identified by Plassart were difficult to understand at the end of the 1970s, walls had collapsed and the site was largely overgrown. The description of Plassart in connection with the excavation results by Eva-Maria Bossert on Syros and John Langdon Caskey on Kea enabled a better understanding of early Cycladic settlements and individual functions. In 1980, Joseph Alexander Macgillivray was able to prove two settlement phases based on building structures, construction details and ceramic studies; according to Plassart, a third is said to exist. There are no signs of later repopulation in the late Bronze Age.

location

Mount Kynthos, in the foreground ancient ruins

The fortified settlement of Kynthos lies on a hilltop that is difficult to reach, the 112 m dominating elevation of Kynthos from Dilos . The remains of the fortifications extend over an area of ​​400 m² on the summit plateau of the mountain. The complex is partly overbuilt by the ancient sanctuary of Zeus Kynthios and Athena Kynthia .

investment

The fortified settlement of Kynthos is one of the most important representatives of the Kastri group . Settled for the first time in the early Cycladic II period, a well-organized settlement consisting of a little more than 12 rooms was built in three construction phases in Early Cycladic III A. Significant remains of buildings have been found on the north, west and south-west sides of the hilltop and partly under the Hellenistic ruins. The complete Bronze Age floor plan is not known from the ancient sanctuary that was partially built over it.

The small rooms lying close together at the periphery formed an outer wall. The floor level of the building is about 4 m below the highest elevation. The two-shell masonry was built from large, flat stone slabs in more or less regular layers. The filling of smaller stones was mixed with stone tools and shards of the earlier settlement phase.

Access to the prehistoric settlement was presumably via a steep cliff from the southwest side, similar to the later course of the stairs to the sanctuary. The approximately 3 meter long entrance area θ tapers from 1.5 to 1 meter. In general, located on the south side rooms are ζ and η due to their location and solid construction as Bastion viewed. The possible function as a watchtower was also suggested. The two lanes ε and μ led from the entrance area into the inner settlement area. The narrow, narrowing lane ε led to the rooms γ and δ to the south. They formed the southwest border of the settlement. Because of the fragments of storage vessels , stone slabs and millstones that were found, room γ and room ι to the north are regarded as storage rooms. The function of κ directly north of the entrance area is unexplained. From the entrance area, alley μ leads north and merges into area μ '.

Space ψ and foundations of the northeast corner of the peribolus

Three stratigraphic layers have been identified in the north-western area . After the numerous shards and stone tools, room λ probably served as living space. The north and west sides of the rooms π, ρ and σ connected to the north with a rectangular floor plan are missing. The remains of a strong wall from north to south under the rooms ρ and σ are attributed to the fortification of an older construction phase. The northern settlement area is almost completely destroyed. The only recognizable structures in the northeastern settlement area with the apsidal houses φ, χ and ψ were probably used for residential purposes. The remnants of the walls ν, ξ, ο and ω are interpreted as retaining walls for formerly higher rooms. The affiliation of the wall structures α and β in the south of the settlement is unclear, as prehistoric and archaic fragments were found mixed up.

Finds

Since Plassart's ceramic finds could no longer be assigned to the sequence of layers, Macgillivray differentiated three ceramic groups based on shapes and stratified material from other sites. Group A is based on similarities in shape and surface treatment with the FK-II ceramics from Agia Irini II on Kea and Phylakopi A2 on Milos. The sauce boats , glazed bowls and bowls show parallels with localities in central and southern Greece and could indicate contacts with these areas.

Incised spherical pyxis (FK IIIA), Delos Archaeological Museum

The forms of group Β are assigned to the period Early Cycladic IIΙ Α and are particularly known from Agia Irini III and from Kastri on Syros. In addition to possibly local Cycladic shapes such as the dome bowl, incised pyxis and the jug, East Aegean-West Minor Asian shapes such as the “Trojan” mug with handle, the bell-shaped cup and the conical, straight-walled bowl are also represented. The occurrence of ceramic forms of group Β on the Cyclades in Attica, Euboea, Boeotia and Thessaly indicates an Anatolian influence in the Aegean during FK III.

Forms that could not be assigned, especially utility ceramics, were placed in group A / B. Stone pallets, rub stones, stone pestles and obsidian blades are also among the finds.

meaning

The establishment of fortified settlement sites of the late Kastri group in FK II on difficult to reach heights with only one access was often associated with a change of settlement. The extremely steep, high and rocky location made it possible to control marine and coastal areas and was the most important factor in the defense strategy. The very dense building structure of rooms or houses with an irregular floor plan and narrow, winding alleys on Mount Kynthos offered space for a maximum of 50 residents or up to ten households. Like Korfari ton Amygdalion , Kynthos formed a compact complex, but was permanently populated. The creation of water and food supplies at the often waterless locations was necessary in the event of a siege, which is particularly indicated by the large number of shards of storage vessels .

The location in the summit area is typical of the early Bronze Age fortifications on the Cyclades. Thereby standing rocks and boulders were included in the course of the fortress wall. The fortress walls in the characteristic dry stone construction were integrated into the interior of smaller settlements. Access was almost always through a symmetrical gate lane with bastions, larger structures such as Markiani on Amorgos or Kastri on Syros were additionally secured by a staggered defense system consisting of a main wall with horseshoe-shaped bastions and a front wall. In smaller settlement areas such as Kynthos and Korfari ton Amygdalion, closely spaced rooms with reinforcement on the outside of the building form the fortress wall.

literature

  • André Plassart: Les Sanctuaires et les cultes du Mont Cynthe . Exploration Archéologique de Délos. E. De Boccard, Paris 1928, 1st Sommet du Cynthe La première occupation du site. Description of the rest of the cabanes primitives, p. 11-50 ( online ).
  • Joseph Alexander MacGillivray: Mount Kynthos in Delos. The Early Cycladic Settlement . In: Bulletin de correspondance hellénique . tape 104 , no. 1 , 1980, p. 3-45 ( online ).
  • Vaia Economidou: Cycladic Settlements in the Early Bronze Age and their Aegean Context . 1993, p. 92-99 (Ph.D. Dissertation, University College London ).
  • Mariya Ivanova: Fortified settlements in the Balkans, in the Aegean Sea and in Western Anatolia, approx. 5000–2000 BC Chr. Waxmann Verlag, 2008, ISBN 978-3-8309-1937-7 , pp. 480 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ J. Albert Lebègue: Recherches sur Délos . Ed .: E. Thorin. 1876, p. 129-174 ( online ).
  2. ↑ Macgillivray 1980, pp. 12, 45.
  3. ↑ Ivanova 2008, p. 186 f.
  4. ↑ Economidou 1993, p. 92 f.
  5. ↑ Plassart 1928, p. 12 .; Macgillivray 1980, p. 7.
  6. ↑ Plassart 1928, p. 14.
  7. ↑ Economidou 1993, p. 95.
  8. ↑ Plassart 1928, p. 17 f.
  9. ↑ Macgillivray 1980, pp. 4-7.
  10. ↑ Macgillivray 1980, p. 12 .; Jörg Rambach: Cyclades II. The early Bronze Age - grave and settlement findings. Habelt, Bonn 2000, ISBN 3-7749-2831-2 , p. 333.
  11. ↑ Macgillivray 1980, p. 16.
  12. ↑ Macgillivray 1980, p. 25.
  13. ↑ Macgillivray 1980, p. 44.
  14. ↑ Plassart 1928, pp. 23–33.
  15. ↑ Cyprian Broodbank: At Iceland Archeology of the Early Cyclades. Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-521-52844-5 , p. 86.
  16. ↑ Ivanova 2008, p. 192., 195.
  17. ↑ Ivanova 2008, pp. 193-195.

Remarks

  1. ↑ 400 m² in Ivanova 2008, p. 294 .; 506 m² in Economidou 1993, p. 130.