Skarkos

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The settlement of Skarkos ( Greek Σκάρκος ( m. Sg. )) Is located on a hill in Kambos, the most fertile area of ​​the Greek Cycladic island of Ios, about one kilometer northeast of the port.

Excavations

From 1986 to 1995, under the archaeological direction of Marisa Marthari, a Bronze Age settlement was established from around 2700 to 2400/2300 BC. Excavated. The settlement extends over 1.1 hectares and is still the largest and best preserved settlement of the early Cycladic Keros-Syros culture , which was inhabited by 200 to 300 people. For the first time, closed house complexes were uncovered, suggesting that the settlement was abandoned as a result of a disaster - probably an earthquake.

The hill of Skarkos

Skarkos is built on terraces that follow the natural relief of the hills. The rectangular, stone-built residential buildings consist of a ground floor, an upper floor and an enclosed courtyard. They are preserved up to a height of 3 to 4 m. The planning system of Skarkos is similar to that of Poliochni on Limnos from the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. BC comparable. Streets 1 to 2 m wide and public spaces were laid out. The functions of the houses and the economic situation of society could be traced on the basis of the architecture and the numerous small finds such as ceramics , tools, animal bones. The finds of millstones , fireplaces, animal bones from sheep and goats as well as snails explain that activities related to food preparation were performed on the ground floor of the houses and in the courtyards.

The living and storage rooms for ceramics and goods were on the upper floor. Numerous pithoi from 1 to 1.30 m in height were intended for the storage of grain and also indicate the intensive agricultural use of the area. In addition to agriculture, cattle breeding, fishing and trading in obsidian and metals were carried out. Accumulations of obsidian flakes were found in a room on the upper floor and this was therefore interpreted as a workshop. So-called pottery brands indicate the specialized handicraft and the barter trade.

Stone tools for the manufacture of marble vessels , figures and bone carvings as well as metal processing can also be traced in the settlement. The use of mortars to pulverize blue ( azurite ) and red pigments for cosmetics and to decorate marble statues is noteworthy. The blue pigment was found in bone tubes. Clay seals indicate the control of agricultural production and the organization of the distribution of goods. The possession of such clay seals indicates economic prosperity and social differentiation in the community.

Award

The excavation of the archaeological site of Skarkos were with the European Prize for Cultural Heritage (European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards) due

"The outstanding quality of the conservation work, especially because of the minimal and extremely careful interventions that do not affect the unique landscape,"

excellent.

literature

  • 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 . (Preview)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cyprian Broodbank: At Iceland Archeology of the Early Cyclades . Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-521-52844-5 , pp. 220 . (Preview) (English)

Coordinates: 36 ° 43 ′ 54.1 ″  N , 25 ° 16 ′ 56.6 ″  E