Saliagos

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Saliagos (Σαλιαγκός)
Waters Mediterranean Sea
Archipelago Cyclades
Geographical location 37 ° 2 '52.9 "  N , 25 ° 5' 45"  E Coordinates: 37 ° 2 '52.9 "  N , 25 ° 5' 45"  E
Saliagos (Greece)
Saliagos
length 110 m
width 70 m
Residents uninhabited

Saliagos ( Greek Σαλιαγκός ( m. Sg. )) Is the site of one of the oldest settlements on the Greek archipelago of the Cyclades . The only 110 by 70 meters large island of Saliagos is located in the north of the sound between Andiparos and Paros together with several other uninhabited islands that have been left over from a land connection that existed until the Byzantine period and has since been flooded by rising sea levels.

The settlement is dated to the middle to late Neolithic period. In absolute dating , the radiocarbon dating samples, when applied directly, indicate a period from 4300 to 3700 BC. BC, which when using modern calibration as 5000 to 4500 BC. Is to be interpreted. The site was excavated and explored in 1964 and 1965 by John Davies Evans and Colin Renfrew of the British School at Athens .

The settlement

The building foundations have been largely destroyed, mainly due to a burial ground created in Roman times . There are still some rectangular rooms of around 2.60 by 3 m and one oval room. Relics of herds have been found in two of the rooms . Two round buildings are interpreted as granaries . The foundations were built from the island's field stone, but it is unclear what materials were used to raise the walls. There are no signs of adobe . In the west of the settlement, the buildings are leaning against a surrounding wall, which was possibly designed as a bastion .

Despite the long period of settlement, only three layers can be identified. In the uppermost, the settlement consisted only of a complex of around 15 by 17 meters.

Finds

Large quantities of ceramic fragments were found in the rubble of the foundations , the scientifically recorded fragments weigh 3.5 tons. 60 vessels could be put together completely or partially from them.

The vessels are made on the spot from the clay of the area, around 12% are specially smoothed and are interpreted as tableware. Only every tenth vessel is a closed jug or jug, the others are open bowls, plates and bowls. The colors of the clay vary from yellow and brown tones to dark gray, whereby the majority of the vessels were provided with matt white drawings. The patterns are geometric, but show a wide range of decorations. A few pieces are plastically decorated with impressed patterns or attached knobs. The ceramic styles are related to those of the mainland, hardly with other Neolithic sites on the islands.

Two fragments indicate that marble vessels were known as rare luxury goods.

The three early Cycladic idols found were also made of marble. One of them is designed as a fertility symbol in the form of a lush female figure with legs crossed. The figure has similarities on the one hand with a find in Sangri on Naxos and on the other hand with standing figures made of clay that were found on the Greek mainland, on the Peloponnese , in Thessaly and Macedonia . She shares marble as a material with the figure of a man from Knossos on Crete . They all date from the 6th millennium BC. BC and are therefore considered as a precursor even if the chain of transmission is unknown. The figure of Saliagos has no known successors. Two other idols are much more abstract and are reminiscent of the shape of a violin . They have no recognizable role models, but the relationship to the abstract idols of the Cycladic Bronze Age is unmistakable.

What is remarkable, however, is the large number and variety of obsidian tools found on Saliagos . The more than 25,000 artefacts , including over 1,100 proven blades , were made on the island itself, the obsidian used comes almost exclusively from the island of Milos , 60 km away , but occasionally also from Gyali in the Dodecanese , which indicates a trade for almost 200 km .

The obsidian tools are scrapers, points, and blades. The tips are interpreted as parts of harpoons because there is no need for arrows in the amount found.

Life and culture

Bowl on stand from Saliagos. 4th millennium BC BC, Paros Archaeological Museum

Bones and bones allow an insight into the eating habits of the Stone Age Saliagin people. Tuna predominate , which is remarkable because this fish is no longer regularly found in this part of the Aegean. Sheep and goats, and to a lesser extent cattle and pigs, provided the residents with meat, wool and milk. Emmer and barley have been found in cereals .

The burial places of the settlement have sunk in the sea, so that no grave finds could be discovered.

Culturally, Saliagos stands out from the Neolithic environment. There are isolated traces of human activity on various islands, and small amounts of similar ceramics have been found on the neighboring island of Naxos . Individual surface finds in Mavrispilia on Mykonos , Vouni on Andiparos and Agrilia in Melos are more closely related to Saliagos . Saliagos, however, was for a long time the only settlement on the Aegean Islands of the Neolithic Age for which agriculture is proven. Ftelia on Mykonos was described for the first time in 1992 and the first excavations in the form of exploratory cuts took place in 1995. The site is now recognized as the second settlement of the Saliagos culture.

It is noteworthy that the culture of Saliagos has found no continuation. The settlement of Kephala on Kea in the transition between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age developed completely independently. The only exception are the already mentioned marble idols in violin form, the tradition of which is unknown.

literature

Web links

Commons : Saliagos  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ On dating: Evans, Renfrew 1968, pp. 88–91.
  2. ↑ Adamatios Sampson: The Neolithic settlement at Ftelia, Mykonos . University of the Aegean, 2002, ISBN 960-87197-0-4 , p. 155.
  3. ↑ Evans, Renfrew 1968, p. 82.
  4. ↑ Evans, Renfrew 1968, p. 86 f.