Apokoronas - Kera Kalyves - 2015

Apokoronas - Kera Kalyves. Michalis Milidakis (Ephorate of Antiquities of Chania) reports that between January and September 2015, a salvage excavation took place at the S. Bobrov property in Kera Kalyves of the Municipality of Apokoronas. The property is located inside the archaeological site of Kera, where antiquities of the historical periods have been discovered. During the excavation a cemetery with two phases (LM II and LM IIIA2-IIIB period) was partially discovered and 95 pits-repositories were excavated (Fig. 1).

The burials

Two pithos burials placed in small pits (40, 42), with one dating to the LM II period, were found along with two chamber tombs. Ten secondary burials (anakomides) were discovered at the E part of Chamber Tomb 1, while four of these burials were covered in limestone for the creation of a new floor. A primary burial with the individual placed in crouched position was detected on top of this floor, with the cranium facing the E. A second primary burial with similar characteristics was unearthed N of the entrance of the tomb. Two more anakomides were located underneath the second primary burial, and based on the various grave goods and 25 vessels (Fig. 2) they can be dated to the LM IIIA2 and the LM IIIB period.

Chamber Tomb 2 contained a primary and a secondary burial, whilst it was discovered completely backfilled due to the fact that the ceiling had collapsed.  The deceased individual of the primary burial was discovered in flexed position with the cranium facing S. A bronze dagger, a triton and LM IIIA-B vessels were placed in the tomb as grave goods. The secondary burial was discovered at the NE part of the grave near a partially preserved cup.

The pits

Most of the excavated pits were irregularly shaped, although some of them were circular (Fig. 3). Two of the circular pits were lined with pebbles (Fig. 4). Burning traces were identified in the majority of the pits, while some hastily-made hearths were detected inside two of them. The fills of the pits contained fragments of various types of vessels for daily use such as cooking pots, amphorae, drinking vessels etc., with some of them containing animal bones. In general the pottery dates to the end of the LM IIIB period and to the beginning of the LM IIIC period. Marine shells, ground stones and charred plant remains were among the finds as well. These pits were underground funerary repositories that potentially contained the remains of funerary feasts or cleansing rituals. It should be noted that soil samples were collected from almost all of the pits for flotation and environmental analysis.

The structures

The remains of three walls were discovered outside six consecutive pits and it is possible that these structures were related to them since their construction seems to be following the line of the pits. However, the walls were built at a later phase and their purpose is still unclear.

Another built structure (Structure 4) was discovered at the E part of the plot (N-S orientation). It is linear in plan, however it does not form a straight line but rather a polygonal chain since it extends in four segments of equal size with small stairs. The use of this structure is currently unknown as well.

[Entry created by C. Koureta]