Ayios Vasileios - 2015

Ayios Vasilsios. Corien Wiersma (University of Groningen), Wieke De Neef (University of Ghent), Sofia Voutsaki (University of Groningen) and Adamantia Vasilogamvrou (Archaeological Society of Athens) report the following:

The five-year Ayios Vasileios Survey Project started in 2015 and includes three periods of surface research, followed by geophysical surveying and ethnographic research. The main objectives of the surface research are the reconstruction of the area and the evolution of the settlement over time, the improvement of the methodology for the investigation of complex prehistoric sites and the understanding of the position of Agios Vassilios in the political landscape of Mycenaean Laconia. Research focuses on the integration of surface and subsurface data, derived from surface research and geophysical surveys, and on the evaluation of artisanal research strategies for urban prehistoric settlements. Preliminary results of the 2015 survey show that the data of the surface survey and the geophysical survey are complementary. Both indicate that the area of ​​the residential core in Agios Vassilios did not exceed 5-6 hectares. A perimeter zone of finds was recorded around this residential area, indicating external activities such as handicrafts, cultivation, burial and disposal.