Byzantine Attica. An Archaeology of Settlement and Landscape (4th-12th centuries), 2024
This book offers an archaeological, geographical and historical discussion of human settlement an... more This book offers an archaeological, geographical and historical discussion of human settlement and activity in the Greek region of Attica during Early and Middle Byzantine times (4th to 12th centuries). In contrast to the Byzantine monuments in urban Athens, the remains of Byzantine life in rural Attica outside the renowned city have not enjoyed much scholarly attention until now. For the first time Byzantine Attica sets out to present a true regional study of Attica as a key area for understanding the transformation of the ancient Roman world to its Medieval successor in the eastern Mediterranean. Located at a crossroads for land and maritime communications, this region had a heritage of a complex administrative organization as well as multifaceted cultural and religious traditions as it participated in the broader historical developments of the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages in the Aegean and beyond. Moreover, from a scholarly perspective Attica stands out due to the intensive field research which has taken place in the region, starting in the 19th century and culminating since the 1960s in both systematic studies and a multitude of rescue excavations. The never before methodically inventoried data of this research form the backbone of the present volume. However, this study offers more than a groundbreaking gazetteer of Early and Middle Byzantine sites in Attica, as it also discusses settlement patterns, road communications, defensive works, religious activities and burial habits in the region between the the 4th and 12th centuries. As a major contribution to the understanding of human activity in Attica after Antiquity, this book shows the potential of longue durée regional studies for the history and archaeology of the Byzantine period in the eastern Mediterranean.
Early Christianity in Athens, Attica and adjacent areas. From Paul to Justinian I (1st - 6th c. AD), 2023
The subseries 'Early Christianity in Greece' (ECG), of which this is the first volume to be publi... more The subseries 'Early Christianity in Greece' (ECG), of which this is the first volume to be published, is part of the series 'Ancient Judaism and Early Christian ity' (AJEC). Within ECG, this book strives to present the extant literary, epigraphical, and archaeological evidence on the rise, expansion, and characteristics of Christianity in Athens, Attica, and adjacent areas until the end of the reign of Justinian I in 565. It focuses on and presents the available evidence from the area as accessible, complete, and as practically as possible, based on literary sources, archaeology, and epigraphy.
Byzantine Greece: Microcosm of Empire? Papers from the 46th Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies, 2024
Early Byzantine Attica has attracted the attention of archaeologists, historians and art historia... more Early Byzantine Attica has attracted the attention of archaeologists, historians and art historians for numerous decades. Research has focused on the urban arrangement of the Athenian Agora, defence, and Early Christian basilicas. Recently, a large number of intensive excavations and surface archaeological surveys have offered an influx of evidence regarding settlement. The present chapter is based on a systematic collection of the available archaeological and historical evidence regarding Early Byzantine settlement in Attica. Regional studies have often acknowledged the necessity to focus on all different levels of settlement, versus only the 'city', or the bipolar scheme 'city-village', in order to understand the functional relationships between administration, economy, and the natural environment.
12th Congress AIECM3 on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics, pp. 450-458, 2021
This paper presents finds from a rescue excavation at Orionos Street (2007) in the coastal city o... more This paper presents finds from a rescue excavation at Orionos Street (2007) in the coastal city of Chalkis on the island of Euboea. Remains of building structures were unearthed, which seem to have functioned as a dump for several workshops during Byzantine times. The excavated material included large amounts of ceramic finds, potter’s tools, overfired sherds and wasters, as well as significant quantities of bone, shell, metal and glass finds. These finds were processed between 2013-2016. The initial research has already yielded interesting insights in the development of local pottery production in Chalkis during Middle and Late Byzantine/Frankish times (ca. 10th-13th c.).
Y. Waksman (ed.), Multidisciplinary approaches to food and foodways in the medieval Eastern Mediterranean Archéologie(s) 4, MOM Éditions, Lyon, pp. 255-273, 2020
The medieval city of Corinth (Greece) was one of the first to be studied in relation to the compa... more The medieval city of Corinth (Greece) was one of the first to be studied in relation to the comparative study of food and foodways. These studies have so far been carried out by the American School of Classical Studies and are focused on the area of the Forum, which was occupied by a commercial and domestic quarter during the 12th, 13th and early 14th centuries. The Forum has provided evidence for occupation by Frankish as well as Greek populations. Today it is possible to compare the Forum evidence with ceramic finds recovered from rescue excavations by the local Archaeological Department of the Greek Ministry of Culture in various quarters of the city. This contribution is a first attempt towards this end. It presents ceramic finds of the 12th and 13th centuries found in the Koutsougera plot, at the western border of the area “Kraneion”, east of the Forum. There is no historical evidence that attests to the ethnic identity of the residents of this area, thus all conclusions rely on archaeological evidence. The first results show that the residents of this area made choices similar to those of the Forum residents in regard to the purchase and use of pottery. At the same time, however, there are marked differences, which the present paper attempts to explore.
What's New in Roman Greece? Recent Work on the Greek Mainland and the Islands in the Roman Period., 2019
Our present understanding of Roman Greece owes a lot to the vast amounts of data that has been co... more Our present understanding of Roman Greece owes a lot to the vast amounts of data that has been collected and analysed in connection to archaeological surveys. Located on a fortified triangular plateau on the southern shore of the Corinthian gulf, the naturally delineated and largely undeveloped urban area of modern Sikyon presented ideal conditions for an archaeological survey of the Hellenistic and Roman city. Located only about 20 km up the coast, Sikyon was the closest substantial ancient polis to Corinth. As a result of this proximity, both cities had a relationship characterized by their shared, oft-entangled histories, especially as regards the Roman conquest of peninsular Greece. Indeed, the deficiency, or at very least, the severe reduction of Corinth’s political and economic influence in the century following its destruction by the Romans in 146 BC, led to a redefinition and even expansion of the economic and political roles of the cities in the NE Peloponnese – the main economic artery into and out of southern Greece. As one of these cities, Sikyon was a non-exceptional place: it was not a regional capital, nor was it sacked or colonized by the Romans. Still, the combination of very high-resolution survey data, stratified finds from excavations, historical texts, numismatics, and the epigraphical record from Sikyon affords us a rare and valuable window through which to explore an ordinary Greek city during Late Republican and Early Imperial times. This paper draws mainly on our analysis of ceramics of Early and Middle Roman date (ca. 1st BC-4th AD) from The Sikyon Survey Project (University of Thessaly, 2004 - present) – one of the largest intensive urban surveys ever conducted in the Mediterranean – and from finds uncovered during rescue excavations within the intramural area of the ancient city. As such, we are able to present a long-term diachronic picture of the city as a whole, calibrated through the chronologically stratified remains of Roman Sikyon. Through this multifaceted approach, this paper presents four main topics: the layout and spatial delineation of the Roman city of Sikyon; an economic picture of the city as relates to ceramics production and trade; daily life in Roman Sikyon; and some preliminary regional observations and implications of our data from Sikyon, both in terms of the economies of the Corinthian Gulf, and in the NE Peloponnese more generally.
Η ανασκαφή Η θέση Πρινιάτικος Πύργος βρίσκεται κοντά στο Ίστρον, στον μυχό του κόλπου του Μιραμπέ... more Η ανασκαφή Η θέση Πρινιάτικος Πύργος βρίσκεται κοντά στο Ίστρον, στον μυχό του κόλπου του Μιραμπέλλου της ανατολικής Κρήτης (Εικ. 1). Γνωστή αρχαιολογικώς από τις αρχές του 20ού αι., ανασκά φηκε εκ νέου από το Ιρλανδικό Ινστιτούτο Ελληνικών Σπουδών (2005-2011). Ο αρχικός στόχος της ανασκαφής ήταν η αποκάλυψη των μινωικών στρωμάτων. Ωστόσο τα ανώτερα στρώματα έφεραν στο φως Πρινιάτικος Πύργος, ένα λιμάνι της ανατολικής Κρήτης. Οι μαρτυρίες των αμφορέων της μεταβατικής περιόδου (7ος-9ος αι.): Μία πρώτη προσέγγιση Abstract Crete, an island located centrally in the eastern Mediterranean, was lost from the Byzantines to the Arabs in the 820s and remained under Arab control until 961. The traditional view is that, even before this period, namely in the later 7th and the 8th centuries, maritime trade had collapsed due to the Arab attacks. Recent research at the site of Priniatikos Pyrgos, a harbour on the north coast of eastern Crete in the Gulf of Mirambello, revealed finds which strongly contradict this traditional view. Excavation by the Irish Institute of Hellenic Studies (2006-2010) unearthed architectural remains of rooms adjacent to each other, associated with very large quantities of amphorae which can be securely dated from the later 7th to the early 9th century based on typological parallels, a coin and a lead seal of the 8th century. The large quantity of amphorae appears to be associated with the specific role of the site, and especially with the excavated buildings. It is noteworthy that the amphorae are typologically coherent, but their fabrics show great variety. This suggests that the amphorae originate from various areas, which have to be sought both in and outside Crete. Based on the above, the harbour at Priniatikos Pyrgos appears to have been involved in seaborne trade during the later 7th, the 8th and the early 9th century, the period traditionally believed to be characterized by cessation of maritime trade. Priniatikos Pyrgos, however, was not an exception: similar cases have been discussed recently based on finds from Naxos, Chios, islands of the Dodecanese such as Kos, and other sites of the Aegean. These finds set eastern Crete within the network of regions which remained economically active, and on which the Byzantine Empire relied economically for its own survival. Λεξεισ Κλειδια: Κρήτη, Άραβες, 8ος αιώνας, βυζαντινοί αμφορείς, βυζαντινή κεραμική, Ίστρον, κόλπος Μιραμπέλλου, Άγιος Νικόλαος, εμπόριο, θαλάσσιες επικοινωνίες
J. Crow and D. Hill (eds.), Naxos and the Byzantine Aegean: Insular Responses to Regional Change, 2018
A small church was excavated on top of the islet Dhaskalio, off Keros, in 1963. Excavation in 200... more A small church was excavated on top of the islet Dhaskalio, off Keros, in 1963. Excavation in 2006-2008 yielded ceramic and glass finds datable towards the end of the Early Byzantine period, which attest to the period of use of the church. The paper presents these finds and discusses the role of the church on this barren and remote island, including its possible function as a marker for navigation.
Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στην Πελοπόννησο (ΑΕΠΕΛ 1), 2018
Δημοσίευση κεραμικής της μεσοβυζαντινής περιόδου από το οικόπεδο Γ. Κουτσούγερα (ανασκαφή 25ης ΕΒ... more Δημοσίευση κεραμικής της μεσοβυζαντινής περιόδου από το οικόπεδο Γ. Κουτσούγερα (ανασκαφή 25ης ΕΒΑ) και σχολιασμός.
J. Vroom, Y. Waksman and R. van Oosten (eds.), Medieval Masterchef. Archaeological and Historical Perspectives on Eastern Cuisine and Western Foodways. , 2017
This contribution reports on the tableware, dating to the 13th-14th centuries, found within a wel... more This contribution reports on the tableware, dating to the 13th-14th centuries, found within a well which belonged to a Medieval house in the Athenian Agora, excavated by the American School of Classical Studies. This context is approached both from a typological point of view, as well as from the point of view of Medieval cuisine. As it is the first report on Late Medieval ceramics from the Agora, it offers an insight on local domestic and culinary customs.
In LRCW4 Volume 1: Late Roman Coarse Wares, Cooking Wares and Amphorae in the Mediterranean. Archaeology and Archaeometry. The Mediterranean: a Market without Frontiers. Natalia Poulou‐Papadimitriou, Eleni Nodarou and Vassilis Kilikoglou (eds.) BAR 2616, pp. 91-102., 2014
The Sikyon Survey Project (University of Thessaly, 2004-2013) is a fully integrated multi-discipl... more The Sikyon Survey Project (University of Thessaly, 2004-2013) is a fully integrated multi-disciplinary research programme designed to study the human presence and activity on the plateau of Ancient Sikyon. The main aim of the project is to address questions concerning the Hellenistic and Roman city of Sikyon. The intensity of the survey has allowed us to address a broad set of diachronic issues, including use of space, use of resources, hierarchy of habitation, technology, and trade. The Sikyon Survey Project employs an integrated approach to ceramic studies, including typological shape analysis and both macroscopic and petrographic fabric analysis. One of the most significant aspects of our dataset is the late Roman ceramics. This 4th-7th c. material appears to indicate an advance in local pottery technology, a greater variation in locally produced ceramic types, and a distinction between local / regional and imported ceramic products. Moreover, as these types occur commonly in the northeast Peloponnese, the refined typology of the Sikyon material will contribute to our understanding of the broader regional ceramic assemblages. Finally, this material has shed light on the evolution of the urban topography of ancient and post-antique Sikyon.
Early Christian churches of the Attic countryside have been studied thoroughly regarding their ar... more Early Christian churches of the Attic countryside have been studied thoroughly regarding their architecture, sculptural elements and liturgy. However, these studies often did not take into consideration their setting in the natural landscape and settlement pattern. The present paper examines these monuments in combination with evidence about habitation, road networks, pagan and Christian religion, and defence. A number of these churches was erected in urban and semi-urban centres, which functioned as hubs of regional commerce, while a further group was founded in rural areas. Some of these churches stand near regional roads, while others may be connected to sites with strategic significance. Replacement of pagan sanctuaries appears to have been the exclusive raison d’être only for a small number among the Attic churches; this provides us with a different picture than the one encountered within the city of Athens, where the majority of known Early Christian churches are converted temples. The present study aims to compare the evidence from Attica with other regions of the Early Byzantine Empire. To this end, regional studies which combine architectural research on churches and settlement history are of major significance.
This is a study of Byzantine intramural and extramural cemeteries which have been revealed throug... more This is a study of Byzantine intramural and extramural cemeteries which have been revealed through rescue excavations in the city of Athens. The article starts by presenting their location, size, chronology, and proximity to churches or habitation quarters. Subsequently, the author discusses the evidence produced by these cemeteries about (i) the role of the so-called 'Post-Herulian Wall', (ii) Christianisation of Athens, (iii) Slavic invasions and (iv) the city during the 'Dark Ages'.
Byzantine Attica. An Archaeology of Settlement and Landscape (4th-12th centuries), 2024
This book offers an archaeological, geographical and historical discussion of human settlement an... more This book offers an archaeological, geographical and historical discussion of human settlement and activity in the Greek region of Attica during Early and Middle Byzantine times (4th to 12th centuries). In contrast to the Byzantine monuments in urban Athens, the remains of Byzantine life in rural Attica outside the renowned city have not enjoyed much scholarly attention until now. For the first time Byzantine Attica sets out to present a true regional study of Attica as a key area for understanding the transformation of the ancient Roman world to its Medieval successor in the eastern Mediterranean. Located at a crossroads for land and maritime communications, this region had a heritage of a complex administrative organization as well as multifaceted cultural and religious traditions as it participated in the broader historical developments of the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages in the Aegean and beyond. Moreover, from a scholarly perspective Attica stands out due to the intensive field research which has taken place in the region, starting in the 19th century and culminating since the 1960s in both systematic studies and a multitude of rescue excavations. The never before methodically inventoried data of this research form the backbone of the present volume. However, this study offers more than a groundbreaking gazetteer of Early and Middle Byzantine sites in Attica, as it also discusses settlement patterns, road communications, defensive works, religious activities and burial habits in the region between the the 4th and 12th centuries. As a major contribution to the understanding of human activity in Attica after Antiquity, this book shows the potential of longue durée regional studies for the history and archaeology of the Byzantine period in the eastern Mediterranean.
Early Christianity in Athens, Attica and adjacent areas. From Paul to Justinian I (1st - 6th c. AD), 2023
The subseries 'Early Christianity in Greece' (ECG), of which this is the first volume to be publi... more The subseries 'Early Christianity in Greece' (ECG), of which this is the first volume to be published, is part of the series 'Ancient Judaism and Early Christian ity' (AJEC). Within ECG, this book strives to present the extant literary, epigraphical, and archaeological evidence on the rise, expansion, and characteristics of Christianity in Athens, Attica, and adjacent areas until the end of the reign of Justinian I in 565. It focuses on and presents the available evidence from the area as accessible, complete, and as practically as possible, based on literary sources, archaeology, and epigraphy.
Byzantine Greece: Microcosm of Empire? Papers from the 46th Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies, 2024
Early Byzantine Attica has attracted the attention of archaeologists, historians and art historia... more Early Byzantine Attica has attracted the attention of archaeologists, historians and art historians for numerous decades. Research has focused on the urban arrangement of the Athenian Agora, defence, and Early Christian basilicas. Recently, a large number of intensive excavations and surface archaeological surveys have offered an influx of evidence regarding settlement. The present chapter is based on a systematic collection of the available archaeological and historical evidence regarding Early Byzantine settlement in Attica. Regional studies have often acknowledged the necessity to focus on all different levels of settlement, versus only the 'city', or the bipolar scheme 'city-village', in order to understand the functional relationships between administration, economy, and the natural environment.
12th Congress AIECM3 on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics, pp. 450-458, 2021
This paper presents finds from a rescue excavation at Orionos Street (2007) in the coastal city o... more This paper presents finds from a rescue excavation at Orionos Street (2007) in the coastal city of Chalkis on the island of Euboea. Remains of building structures were unearthed, which seem to have functioned as a dump for several workshops during Byzantine times. The excavated material included large amounts of ceramic finds, potter’s tools, overfired sherds and wasters, as well as significant quantities of bone, shell, metal and glass finds. These finds were processed between 2013-2016. The initial research has already yielded interesting insights in the development of local pottery production in Chalkis during Middle and Late Byzantine/Frankish times (ca. 10th-13th c.).
Y. Waksman (ed.), Multidisciplinary approaches to food and foodways in the medieval Eastern Mediterranean Archéologie(s) 4, MOM Éditions, Lyon, pp. 255-273, 2020
The medieval city of Corinth (Greece) was one of the first to be studied in relation to the compa... more The medieval city of Corinth (Greece) was one of the first to be studied in relation to the comparative study of food and foodways. These studies have so far been carried out by the American School of Classical Studies and are focused on the area of the Forum, which was occupied by a commercial and domestic quarter during the 12th, 13th and early 14th centuries. The Forum has provided evidence for occupation by Frankish as well as Greek populations. Today it is possible to compare the Forum evidence with ceramic finds recovered from rescue excavations by the local Archaeological Department of the Greek Ministry of Culture in various quarters of the city. This contribution is a first attempt towards this end. It presents ceramic finds of the 12th and 13th centuries found in the Koutsougera plot, at the western border of the area “Kraneion”, east of the Forum. There is no historical evidence that attests to the ethnic identity of the residents of this area, thus all conclusions rely on archaeological evidence. The first results show that the residents of this area made choices similar to those of the Forum residents in regard to the purchase and use of pottery. At the same time, however, there are marked differences, which the present paper attempts to explore.
What's New in Roman Greece? Recent Work on the Greek Mainland and the Islands in the Roman Period., 2019
Our present understanding of Roman Greece owes a lot to the vast amounts of data that has been co... more Our present understanding of Roman Greece owes a lot to the vast amounts of data that has been collected and analysed in connection to archaeological surveys. Located on a fortified triangular plateau on the southern shore of the Corinthian gulf, the naturally delineated and largely undeveloped urban area of modern Sikyon presented ideal conditions for an archaeological survey of the Hellenistic and Roman city. Located only about 20 km up the coast, Sikyon was the closest substantial ancient polis to Corinth. As a result of this proximity, both cities had a relationship characterized by their shared, oft-entangled histories, especially as regards the Roman conquest of peninsular Greece. Indeed, the deficiency, or at very least, the severe reduction of Corinth’s political and economic influence in the century following its destruction by the Romans in 146 BC, led to a redefinition and even expansion of the economic and political roles of the cities in the NE Peloponnese – the main economic artery into and out of southern Greece. As one of these cities, Sikyon was a non-exceptional place: it was not a regional capital, nor was it sacked or colonized by the Romans. Still, the combination of very high-resolution survey data, stratified finds from excavations, historical texts, numismatics, and the epigraphical record from Sikyon affords us a rare and valuable window through which to explore an ordinary Greek city during Late Republican and Early Imperial times. This paper draws mainly on our analysis of ceramics of Early and Middle Roman date (ca. 1st BC-4th AD) from The Sikyon Survey Project (University of Thessaly, 2004 - present) – one of the largest intensive urban surveys ever conducted in the Mediterranean – and from finds uncovered during rescue excavations within the intramural area of the ancient city. As such, we are able to present a long-term diachronic picture of the city as a whole, calibrated through the chronologically stratified remains of Roman Sikyon. Through this multifaceted approach, this paper presents four main topics: the layout and spatial delineation of the Roman city of Sikyon; an economic picture of the city as relates to ceramics production and trade; daily life in Roman Sikyon; and some preliminary regional observations and implications of our data from Sikyon, both in terms of the economies of the Corinthian Gulf, and in the NE Peloponnese more generally.
Η ανασκαφή Η θέση Πρινιάτικος Πύργος βρίσκεται κοντά στο Ίστρον, στον μυχό του κόλπου του Μιραμπέ... more Η ανασκαφή Η θέση Πρινιάτικος Πύργος βρίσκεται κοντά στο Ίστρον, στον μυχό του κόλπου του Μιραμπέλλου της ανατολικής Κρήτης (Εικ. 1). Γνωστή αρχαιολογικώς από τις αρχές του 20ού αι., ανασκά φηκε εκ νέου από το Ιρλανδικό Ινστιτούτο Ελληνικών Σπουδών (2005-2011). Ο αρχικός στόχος της ανασκαφής ήταν η αποκάλυψη των μινωικών στρωμάτων. Ωστόσο τα ανώτερα στρώματα έφεραν στο φως Πρινιάτικος Πύργος, ένα λιμάνι της ανατολικής Κρήτης. Οι μαρτυρίες των αμφορέων της μεταβατικής περιόδου (7ος-9ος αι.): Μία πρώτη προσέγγιση Abstract Crete, an island located centrally in the eastern Mediterranean, was lost from the Byzantines to the Arabs in the 820s and remained under Arab control until 961. The traditional view is that, even before this period, namely in the later 7th and the 8th centuries, maritime trade had collapsed due to the Arab attacks. Recent research at the site of Priniatikos Pyrgos, a harbour on the north coast of eastern Crete in the Gulf of Mirambello, revealed finds which strongly contradict this traditional view. Excavation by the Irish Institute of Hellenic Studies (2006-2010) unearthed architectural remains of rooms adjacent to each other, associated with very large quantities of amphorae which can be securely dated from the later 7th to the early 9th century based on typological parallels, a coin and a lead seal of the 8th century. The large quantity of amphorae appears to be associated with the specific role of the site, and especially with the excavated buildings. It is noteworthy that the amphorae are typologically coherent, but their fabrics show great variety. This suggests that the amphorae originate from various areas, which have to be sought both in and outside Crete. Based on the above, the harbour at Priniatikos Pyrgos appears to have been involved in seaborne trade during the later 7th, the 8th and the early 9th century, the period traditionally believed to be characterized by cessation of maritime trade. Priniatikos Pyrgos, however, was not an exception: similar cases have been discussed recently based on finds from Naxos, Chios, islands of the Dodecanese such as Kos, and other sites of the Aegean. These finds set eastern Crete within the network of regions which remained economically active, and on which the Byzantine Empire relied economically for its own survival. Λεξεισ Κλειδια: Κρήτη, Άραβες, 8ος αιώνας, βυζαντινοί αμφορείς, βυζαντινή κεραμική, Ίστρον, κόλπος Μιραμπέλλου, Άγιος Νικόλαος, εμπόριο, θαλάσσιες επικοινωνίες
J. Crow and D. Hill (eds.), Naxos and the Byzantine Aegean: Insular Responses to Regional Change, 2018
A small church was excavated on top of the islet Dhaskalio, off Keros, in 1963. Excavation in 200... more A small church was excavated on top of the islet Dhaskalio, off Keros, in 1963. Excavation in 2006-2008 yielded ceramic and glass finds datable towards the end of the Early Byzantine period, which attest to the period of use of the church. The paper presents these finds and discusses the role of the church on this barren and remote island, including its possible function as a marker for navigation.
Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στην Πελοπόννησο (ΑΕΠΕΛ 1), 2018
Δημοσίευση κεραμικής της μεσοβυζαντινής περιόδου από το οικόπεδο Γ. Κουτσούγερα (ανασκαφή 25ης ΕΒ... more Δημοσίευση κεραμικής της μεσοβυζαντινής περιόδου από το οικόπεδο Γ. Κουτσούγερα (ανασκαφή 25ης ΕΒΑ) και σχολιασμός.
J. Vroom, Y. Waksman and R. van Oosten (eds.), Medieval Masterchef. Archaeological and Historical Perspectives on Eastern Cuisine and Western Foodways. , 2017
This contribution reports on the tableware, dating to the 13th-14th centuries, found within a wel... more This contribution reports on the tableware, dating to the 13th-14th centuries, found within a well which belonged to a Medieval house in the Athenian Agora, excavated by the American School of Classical Studies. This context is approached both from a typological point of view, as well as from the point of view of Medieval cuisine. As it is the first report on Late Medieval ceramics from the Agora, it offers an insight on local domestic and culinary customs.
In LRCW4 Volume 1: Late Roman Coarse Wares, Cooking Wares and Amphorae in the Mediterranean. Archaeology and Archaeometry. The Mediterranean: a Market without Frontiers. Natalia Poulou‐Papadimitriou, Eleni Nodarou and Vassilis Kilikoglou (eds.) BAR 2616, pp. 91-102., 2014
The Sikyon Survey Project (University of Thessaly, 2004-2013) is a fully integrated multi-discipl... more The Sikyon Survey Project (University of Thessaly, 2004-2013) is a fully integrated multi-disciplinary research programme designed to study the human presence and activity on the plateau of Ancient Sikyon. The main aim of the project is to address questions concerning the Hellenistic and Roman city of Sikyon. The intensity of the survey has allowed us to address a broad set of diachronic issues, including use of space, use of resources, hierarchy of habitation, technology, and trade. The Sikyon Survey Project employs an integrated approach to ceramic studies, including typological shape analysis and both macroscopic and petrographic fabric analysis. One of the most significant aspects of our dataset is the late Roman ceramics. This 4th-7th c. material appears to indicate an advance in local pottery technology, a greater variation in locally produced ceramic types, and a distinction between local / regional and imported ceramic products. Moreover, as these types occur commonly in the northeast Peloponnese, the refined typology of the Sikyon material will contribute to our understanding of the broader regional ceramic assemblages. Finally, this material has shed light on the evolution of the urban topography of ancient and post-antique Sikyon.
Early Christian churches of the Attic countryside have been studied thoroughly regarding their ar... more Early Christian churches of the Attic countryside have been studied thoroughly regarding their architecture, sculptural elements and liturgy. However, these studies often did not take into consideration their setting in the natural landscape and settlement pattern. The present paper examines these monuments in combination with evidence about habitation, road networks, pagan and Christian religion, and defence. A number of these churches was erected in urban and semi-urban centres, which functioned as hubs of regional commerce, while a further group was founded in rural areas. Some of these churches stand near regional roads, while others may be connected to sites with strategic significance. Replacement of pagan sanctuaries appears to have been the exclusive raison d’être only for a small number among the Attic churches; this provides us with a different picture than the one encountered within the city of Athens, where the majority of known Early Christian churches are converted temples. The present study aims to compare the evidence from Attica with other regions of the Early Byzantine Empire. To this end, regional studies which combine architectural research on churches and settlement history are of major significance.
This is a study of Byzantine intramural and extramural cemeteries which have been revealed throug... more This is a study of Byzantine intramural and extramural cemeteries which have been revealed through rescue excavations in the city of Athens. The article starts by presenting their location, size, chronology, and proximity to churches or habitation quarters. Subsequently, the author discusses the evidence produced by these cemeteries about (i) the role of the so-called 'Post-Herulian Wall', (ii) Christianisation of Athens, (iii) Slavic invasions and (iv) the city during the 'Dark Ages'.
Δ. Παπανικόλα-Μπακιρτζή και Ν. Κουσουλάκου (επιμ.), Κεραμική της Ύστερης Αρχαιότητας από τον ελλαδικό χώρο (3ος-7ος αι.), 2010
The large number of rescue excavations conducted inAthens during the last forty years has brought... more The large number of rescue excavations conducted inAthens during the last forty years has brought
to light a significant number of cemeteries and individual graves of the Early Byzantine period.
Study of these graves and their finds provides notable evidence for the image of the city in this period,
for which archaeologists have relied so far mainly on historical evidence, rather than the archaeological
record.
Extramural cemeteries continued to be used during the Early Byzantine period, while new cemeteries
associated with Christian churches were created inside the fortification walls.Many graves
contained vessels of the late 6th and early 7th c., especially those in the cemeteries of Kynosarges,
Kerameikos and the South Gate. It is thus evident that the Themistokleian city-wall, with the
modifications made by Valerian and Justinian, continued to be perceived as the geographical and
notional boundary of the city, at least down to the early 7th c. The continued, intensive use of
these traditional cemeteries extra muros indicates that Athens retained its demographic and geographical
size at least down to this period. Moreover, the absence of cemeteries around the smaller,
Late Roman enceinte, supports the view that the area between the two walls continued to serve
as urban space, and militates against certain theories that have been advanced to the effect that
there was a significant contraction of the city already before the 7th c.
The pottery published here comes from rescue excavations conducted by the 3rd Ephorate of Prehistoric
and Classical Antiquities (Γ΄ ΕΠΚΑ). Happily, a significant part of it can be dated accurately
by bronze coins of Heraclius dating to 613-615 AD found in three of the graves examined
in the cemetery of Kynosarges (Kokkini Street 4-6, grave I: N 814, N815, and grave VI: N 816).
Comparison among the vessels from the graves under examination suggests the following conclusions
with regard to chronology:
The vessels from the Kynosarges cemetery found at Kokkini Street 4-6 (graves I, IV, V and VI) are
assigned to the early 7th c., while those from graves I and II at Kallirrois Street 5 and grave XII at
Vourvachi Street 21 are placed slightly earlier, in the late 6th c. In the cemetery at the South Gate,
graves II and III at Zacharitsa Street 38 should be assigned to the turn from the 6th to the 7th c. In
the Kerameikos cemetery, graves I and II at Plataion Street 30-32 are dated to the late 6th c., and
grave IV at Kerameikou Street 9 is placed in the same period or slightly later, around 600 AD.
Vessels similar to those from the 7th-centuryAthenian graves under examination have been found
in graves at other sites in Attica, such as the basilica on Mt Olympos in south Attica, the basilica
at Brauron and the basilica at Stamata nearAmygdaleza. The prevailing view that at all the above
sites activity came to an end or ceased to be visible at the end of the 6th c., on account of barbarian
raids, is subjected to re-examination. Comparison of the funerary vessels makes it possible
to date the use of the graves associated with the above basilicas up to the early 7th c. and to connect
the interruption of their use with reasons different than the barbarian raids of the late 6th c.
Rome, Constantinople, and Newly-Converted Europe: Archaeological and Historical Evidence, Sep 2012
Abstract. Burial practices in Byzantine Greece: archaeological evidence and methodological proble... more Abstract. Burial practices in Byzantine Greece: archaeological evidence and methodological problems for its interpretation. The spread of Christianity across the Byzantine Empire has been mainly studied through research on monumental architecture and burial. Burial customs used in mainland Greece and the Aegean during the Early Byzantine period (4th-7th century) gradually move away from pagan funerary customs. In the archaeological record, we can see a movement of burials from the traditional extramural cemeteries towards the intramural area, due
to a gradual preference for burials in close proximity to Christian churches. Christian burials adopt a definite orientation and position of the body, while deposition of grave goods gradually
vanishes. Christian symbols usually appear only as depicted images, either on the walls of the graves, or on oil-lamps and other objects which were used during the funerary ritual. In the majority of the cases, when such symbols are not present, the distinction between pagan and Christian graves may be difficult or even impossible. During the traditional period, the so-called “Dark Ages” (7th-9th century), the new burial customs have been fully adopted in the urban centres, where Christianity has been established. However, the predominance of evidence of Byzantine urban vs. rural cemeteries in the archaeological record may produce a distorted image concerning religious belief and mortuary practices. The present paper includes evidence from some urban and rural cemeteries, as well as from a Slavic
cemetery in Olympia, thus aiming to provide a varied picture of burial practices.
Burial habits of the Middle Byzantine period (10th-12th century) are archaeologically invisible to a high degree. Middle Byzantine burials often lack satisfactory dating methods; this, in combination with poor publication of graves of this period, creates problems in the discussion of the evolution of mortuary customs. Published cemeteries of this period show, however, a preference for the creation of cemeteries in abandoned urban areas (such as the ancient or Roman forum) and a tendency for burial inside churches. Usual burial finds of this period are ceramic vessels, jewellery, and coins. Crosses and reliquaries are rather rare, but they do appear in a few cases.
The present paper presents a number of well documented cemeteries of Byzantine Greece and discusses issues of interpretation and chronology. While many of these issues need further thorough research, it becomes apparent that comparison with evidence from other countries, both within and beyond the limits of the Byzantine Empire, can only enhance our understanding
of funerary tradition and practices.
Our present understanding of Roman Greece owes a lot to the vast amounts of data that has been co... more Our present understanding of Roman Greece owes a lot to the vast amounts of data that has been collected and analysed in connection to archaeological surveys. Located on a fortified triangular plateau on the southern shore of the Corinthian gulf, the naturally delineated and largely undeveloped urban area of modern Sikyon presented ideal conditions for an archaeological survey of the Hellenistic and Roman city. Located only about 20 km up the coast, Sikyon was the closest substantial ancient polis to Corinth. As a result of this proximity, both cities had a relationship characterized by their shared, oft-entangled histories, especially as regards the Roman conquest of peninsular Greece. Indeed, the deficiency, or at very least, the severe reduction of Corinth’s political and economic influence in the century following its destruction by the Romans in 146 BC, led to a redefinition and even expansion of the economic and political roles of the cities in the NE Peloponnese – the main economic artery into and out of southern Greece. As one of these cities, Sikyon was a non-exceptional place: it was not a regional capital, nor was it sacked or colonized by the Romans. Still, the combination of very high-resolution survey data, stratified finds from excavations, historical texts, numismatics, and the epigraphical record from Sikyon affords us a rare and valuable window through which to explore an ordinary Greek city during Late Republican and Early Imperial times. This paper draws mainly on our analysis of ceramics of Early and Middle Roman date (ca. 1st BC-4th AD) from The Sikyon Survey Project (University of Thessaly, 2004 - present) – one of the largest intensive urban surveys ever conducted in the Mediterranean – and from finds uncovered during rescue excavations within the intramural area of the ancient city. As such, we are able to present a long-term diachronic picture of the city as a whole, calibrated through the chronologically stratified remains of Roman Sikyon. Through this multifaceted approach, this paper presents four main topics: the layout and spatial delineation of the Roman city of Sikyon; an economic picture of the city as relates to ceramics production and trade; daily life in Roman Sikyon; and some preliminary regional observations and implications of our data from Sikyon, both in terms of the economies of the Corinthian Gulf, and in the NE Peloponnese more generally.
The Italian Archaeological School at Athens is pleased to invite you to the lecture: "Attica afte... more The Italian Archaeological School at Athens is pleased to invite you to the lecture: "Attica after Antiquity (4th-7th c.): Settlement History, Topography of Cult and Organisation of Defence", Dr. Elissavet TZAVELLA (TOPOI Project - Humboldt-Universitaet, Berlin).
This event is organized by Dr. Yuri Marano (Postdoctoral Scholar at the Italian Archaeological School at Athens).
November, 15th, 2018, Italian Archaeological School at Athens, 'Seminar Room 3rd floor', 5.00 p.m.
Late Antique Athens - Seminars, 8 October 2021 - 28 January 2022, organised by Isabella Baldini ... more Late Antique Athens - Seminars, 8 October 2021 - 28 January 2022, organised by Isabella Baldini and Claudia Lamanna, Università di Bologna, and Elisa Bazzechi, Universität Würzburg
The Online International Conference devoted to the Towers in Byzantine and Post Byzantine period ... more The Online International Conference devoted to the Towers in Byzantine and Post Byzantine period (10th-16th centuries), to be held virtually via Zoom from 18 to 20 November 2022, seeks to illuminate aspects of their construction, decoration, function and evolution in time. Our Conference does not aim at exhausting the subject, but will offer an interdisciplinary forum for a selection of talks that touch upon some of the following aspects:
- Single (free)- standing towers
- Monastic Towers
- Towers in maritime forts, harbors and arsenals
- Towers in Palaces
- Donjons
- Towers with gates
- Byzantine Towers in Asia Minor (Anatolia)
- Towers of the Frankish, Venetian and Genoese rulers
- Towers of the Order of St. John
- Genoese Towers in Turkey
- Seljuk Towers
- Ottoman Towers
- Post-Byzantine Towers
- Towers with canons
- Tower Houses of the Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian and
early Ottoman Period
- Inscriptions on Towers
- Heraldry in Towers
- Buttressed Towers
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Books by Elli Tzavella
Located at a crossroads for land and maritime communications, this region had a heritage of a complex administrative organization as well as multifaceted cultural and religious traditions as it participated in the broader historical developments of the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages in the Aegean and beyond. Moreover, from a scholarly perspective Attica stands out due to the intensive field research which has taken place in the region, starting in the 19th century and culminating since the 1960s in both systematic studies and a multitude of rescue excavations. The never before
methodically inventoried data of this research form the backbone of the present volume. However, this study offers more than a groundbreaking gazetteer of Early and Middle Byzantine sites in Attica, as it also discusses settlement patterns, road communications, defensive works, religious activities and burial habits in the region between the the 4th and 12th centuries. As a major contribution to the understanding of human activity in Attica after Antiquity, this book shows the potential of longue durée
regional studies for the history and archaeology of the Byzantine period in the eastern Mediterranean.
Papers by Elli Tzavella
The present chapter is based on a systematic collection of the available archaeological and historical evidence regarding Early Byzantine settlement in Attica. Regional studies have often acknowledged the necessity to focus on all different levels of settlement, versus only the 'city', or the bipolar scheme 'city-village', in order to understand the functional relationships between administration, economy, and the natural environment.
identity of the residents of this area, thus all conclusions rely on archaeological evidence. The first results show that the residents of this area made choices similar to those of the Forum residents in regard to the purchase and use of pottery. At the same time, however, there are marked differences, which the present paper attempts to explore.
The present study aims to compare the evidence from Attica with other regions of the Early Byzantine Empire. To this end, regional studies which combine architectural research on churches and settlement history are of major significance.
Located at a crossroads for land and maritime communications, this region had a heritage of a complex administrative organization as well as multifaceted cultural and religious traditions as it participated in the broader historical developments of the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages in the Aegean and beyond. Moreover, from a scholarly perspective Attica stands out due to the intensive field research which has taken place in the region, starting in the 19th century and culminating since the 1960s in both systematic studies and a multitude of rescue excavations. The never before
methodically inventoried data of this research form the backbone of the present volume. However, this study offers more than a groundbreaking gazetteer of Early and Middle Byzantine sites in Attica, as it also discusses settlement patterns, road communications, defensive works, religious activities and burial habits in the region between the the 4th and 12th centuries. As a major contribution to the understanding of human activity in Attica after Antiquity, this book shows the potential of longue durée
regional studies for the history and archaeology of the Byzantine period in the eastern Mediterranean.
The present chapter is based on a systematic collection of the available archaeological and historical evidence regarding Early Byzantine settlement in Attica. Regional studies have often acknowledged the necessity to focus on all different levels of settlement, versus only the 'city', or the bipolar scheme 'city-village', in order to understand the functional relationships between administration, economy, and the natural environment.
identity of the residents of this area, thus all conclusions rely on archaeological evidence. The first results show that the residents of this area made choices similar to those of the Forum residents in regard to the purchase and use of pottery. At the same time, however, there are marked differences, which the present paper attempts to explore.
The present study aims to compare the evidence from Attica with other regions of the Early Byzantine Empire. To this end, regional studies which combine architectural research on churches and settlement history are of major significance.
to light a significant number of cemeteries and individual graves of the Early Byzantine period.
Study of these graves and their finds provides notable evidence for the image of the city in this period,
for which archaeologists have relied so far mainly on historical evidence, rather than the archaeological
record.
Extramural cemeteries continued to be used during the Early Byzantine period, while new cemeteries
associated with Christian churches were created inside the fortification walls.Many graves
contained vessels of the late 6th and early 7th c., especially those in the cemeteries of Kynosarges,
Kerameikos and the South Gate. It is thus evident that the Themistokleian city-wall, with the
modifications made by Valerian and Justinian, continued to be perceived as the geographical and
notional boundary of the city, at least down to the early 7th c. The continued, intensive use of
these traditional cemeteries extra muros indicates that Athens retained its demographic and geographical
size at least down to this period. Moreover, the absence of cemeteries around the smaller,
Late Roman enceinte, supports the view that the area between the two walls continued to serve
as urban space, and militates against certain theories that have been advanced to the effect that
there was a significant contraction of the city already before the 7th c.
The pottery published here comes from rescue excavations conducted by the 3rd Ephorate of Prehistoric
and Classical Antiquities (Γ΄ ΕΠΚΑ). Happily, a significant part of it can be dated accurately
by bronze coins of Heraclius dating to 613-615 AD found in three of the graves examined
in the cemetery of Kynosarges (Kokkini Street 4-6, grave I: N 814, N815, and grave VI: N 816).
Comparison among the vessels from the graves under examination suggests the following conclusions
with regard to chronology:
The vessels from the Kynosarges cemetery found at Kokkini Street 4-6 (graves I, IV, V and VI) are
assigned to the early 7th c., while those from graves I and II at Kallirrois Street 5 and grave XII at
Vourvachi Street 21 are placed slightly earlier, in the late 6th c. In the cemetery at the South Gate,
graves II and III at Zacharitsa Street 38 should be assigned to the turn from the 6th to the 7th c. In
the Kerameikos cemetery, graves I and II at Plataion Street 30-32 are dated to the late 6th c., and
grave IV at Kerameikou Street 9 is placed in the same period or slightly later, around 600 AD.
Vessels similar to those from the 7th-centuryAthenian graves under examination have been found
in graves at other sites in Attica, such as the basilica on Mt Olympos in south Attica, the basilica
at Brauron and the basilica at Stamata nearAmygdaleza. The prevailing view that at all the above
sites activity came to an end or ceased to be visible at the end of the 6th c., on account of barbarian
raids, is subjected to re-examination. Comparison of the funerary vessels makes it possible
to date the use of the graves associated with the above basilicas up to the early 7th c. and to connect
the interruption of their use with reasons different than the barbarian raids of the late 6th c.
to a gradual preference for burials in close proximity to Christian churches. Christian burials adopt a definite orientation and position of the body, while deposition of grave goods gradually
vanishes. Christian symbols usually appear only as depicted images, either on the walls of the graves, or on oil-lamps and other objects which were used during the funerary ritual. In the majority of the cases, when such symbols are not present, the distinction between pagan and Christian graves may be difficult or even impossible. During the traditional period, the so-called “Dark Ages” (7th-9th century), the new burial customs have been fully adopted in the urban centres, where Christianity has been established. However, the predominance of evidence of Byzantine urban vs. rural cemeteries in the archaeological record may produce a distorted image concerning religious belief and mortuary practices. The present paper includes evidence from some urban and rural cemeteries, as well as from a Slavic
cemetery in Olympia, thus aiming to provide a varied picture of burial practices.
Burial habits of the Middle Byzantine period (10th-12th century) are archaeologically invisible to a high degree. Middle Byzantine burials often lack satisfactory dating methods; this, in combination with poor publication of graves of this period, creates problems in the discussion of the evolution of mortuary customs. Published cemeteries of this period show, however, a preference for the creation of cemeteries in abandoned urban areas (such as the ancient or Roman forum) and a tendency for burial inside churches. Usual burial finds of this period are ceramic vessels, jewellery, and coins. Crosses and reliquaries are rather rare, but they do appear in a few cases.
The present paper presents a number of well documented cemeteries of Byzantine Greece and discusses issues of interpretation and chronology. While many of these issues need further thorough research, it becomes apparent that comparison with evidence from other countries, both within and beyond the limits of the Byzantine Empire, can only enhance our understanding
of funerary tradition and practices.
Located only about 20 km up the coast, Sikyon was the closest substantial ancient polis to Corinth. As a result of this proximity, both cities had a relationship characterized by their shared, oft-entangled histories, especially as regards the Roman conquest of peninsular Greece. Indeed, the deficiency, or at very least, the severe reduction of Corinth’s political and economic influence in the century following its destruction by the Romans in 146 BC, led to a redefinition and even expansion of the economic and political roles of the cities in the NE Peloponnese – the main economic artery into and out of southern Greece. As one of these cities, Sikyon was a non-exceptional place: it was not a regional capital, nor was it sacked or colonized by the Romans. Still, the combination of very high-resolution survey data, stratified finds from excavations, historical texts, numismatics, and the epigraphical record from Sikyon affords us a rare and valuable window through which to explore an ordinary Greek city during Late Republican and Early Imperial times.
This paper draws mainly on our analysis of ceramics of Early and Middle Roman date (ca. 1st BC-4th AD) from The Sikyon Survey Project (University of Thessaly, 2004 - present) – one of the largest intensive urban surveys ever conducted in the Mediterranean – and from finds uncovered during rescue excavations within the intramural area of the ancient city. As such, we are able to present a long-term diachronic picture of the city as a whole, calibrated through the chronologically stratified remains of Roman Sikyon. Through this multifaceted approach, this paper presents four main topics: the layout and spatial delineation of the Roman city of Sikyon; an economic picture of the city as relates to ceramics production and trade; daily life in Roman Sikyon; and some preliminary regional observations and implications of our data from Sikyon, both in terms of the economies of the Corinthian Gulf, and in the NE Peloponnese more generally.
This event is organized by Dr. Yuri Marano (Postdoctoral Scholar at the Italian Archaeological School at Athens).
November, 15th, 2018, Italian Archaeological School at Athens, 'Seminar Room 3rd floor', 5.00 p.m.
- Single (free)- standing towers
- Monastic Towers
- Towers in maritime forts, harbors and arsenals
- Towers in Palaces
- Donjons
- Towers with gates
- Byzantine Towers in Asia Minor (Anatolia)
- Towers of the Frankish, Venetian and Genoese rulers
- Towers of the Order of St. John
- Genoese Towers in Turkey
- Seljuk Towers
- Ottoman Towers
- Post-Byzantine Towers
- Towers with canons
- Tower Houses of the Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian and
early Ottoman Period
- Inscriptions on Towers
- Heraldry in Towers
- Buttressed Towers