MELIDONI - 2008
Informations Générales
Numéro de la notice
1831
Année de l'opération
2008
Chronologie
Néolithique - Néolithique Final
Âge du Bronze - Bronze Ancien - Bronze Moyen - Bronze Récent
Mots-clés
Nature de l'opération
Institution(s)
Localisation
Toponyme
Melidonion
Melidonion
Notices et opérations liées
2008
Description
Melidoni. I. Gavrilaki (ΚΕ' ΕΠΚΑ) reports on excavation in the Gerontospilios cave (Fig. 1) from 1987-2008. The cave was used for habitation in the Final Neolithic/Early Minoan era, whilst from the Middle Minoan to the second- to first-century BC cult activities were dominant. The first phase, a yellow soil over the bedrock, is represented by typical occupation debris: stone tools (Fig. 2) and axes, obsidian and bone tools (Fig. 3), as well as a wide range of pottery including storage vessels. Later evidence shows varying foci of activities spread throughout the cave interior. Indications of fires of varying sizes (around which lie conical cups [Fig. 4], jugs and jars, and cooking pots [Figs 5) stand alongside heaps of stones and more deliberate arrangements of slabs (like Πs) which are usually Middle Minoan to Late Minoan in date. A large stalagmite to the north (Fig. 7) attracted numbers of mould-made female figurines (ca. 680-600 BC), and then seated females (Figs 8-10) and lamps of the third to fourth century BC (Fig. 11). Roman bone pins also appear here. A very large collection of mixed figurine types of Bronze Age and later date underline the devotional aspect of the cave’s use. Other finds typical of Hellenistic and Roman contexts include horns of deer and goat (Fig. 12), lamps (Fig. 13) and astragaloi. The focus of this worship may have altered by the second to first century BC, when inscriptions mention the god Hermes. The latest activity is also situated more towards the cave mouth. From the 15thcentury AD onwards, large numbers of graffiti and inscriptions record the names and dates of visitors of many nations.
Auteur de la notice
Don EVELY
Références bibliographiques
AEK 1 (2010), 657-69
Légende graphique :
localisation de la fouille/de l'opération
localisation du toponyme
polygone du toponyme Chronique
Fonctionnalités de la carte :
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Date de création
2011-02-15 00:00:00
Dernière modification
2023-10-06 11:26:24
Figure(s)
Fig. 1/ Ground plan of Melidoni Cave.
Fig. 2/ Cutters.
Fig. 3/ Small knife.
Fig. 4/ Handleless conical cups.
Fig. 5/ Cooking pot(a).
Fig. 6/ Cooking pot(b).
Fig. 7/ The stalagmite to the north.
Fig. 8/ Flat female figurines.
Fig. 9/ Fragment of figurine(a).
Fig. 10/ Fragment of figurine(b).
Fig. 11/ Hellenistic lamp.
Fig. 12/ Horns of animals.
Fig. 13/ Fragments of lamps.