Megalopolis - Marathoussa - 2021
Informations Générales
Numéro de la notice
18402
Année de l'opération
2021
Chronologie
Mots-clés
Nature de l'opération
Institution(s)
Localisation
Toponyme
Marathoussa, Kasimi
Marathoussa, Kasimi
Notices et opérations liées
Description
Megalopolis - Marathoussa. E. Panagopoulou-Karampela (Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology-Speleology), P. Karkanas (ASCSA) and K. Harvati (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen) report on the fourth field campaign of the five-year (2018-2022) survey and geoarchaeological research program of the Megalopolis Basin (Prefecture of Arcadia).
Field work was conducted mainly in the Choremi and Kyparissia lignite mines. The team inspected exposed artificial section profiles inside the mine but also along the periphery of the basin, focusing primarily on ancient deposits with sedimentary characteristics indicative of shallow lake and marshy areas, erosional paleo-surfaces and terrestrial, fluvio-lacustrine landforms, following the geoarchaeological predictive model that was developed for the objectives of this research and is currently being applied in the field (see 2018-2020 field reports, and also Karkanas et al., 2018).
At Kyparissia mine, work continued as in the previous two field seasons at the site KYP-4. Here the team focused on the south-facing profile at KYP-4 Area A, but also surveyed to the north of Area B (SU 4) and to the south (SU 5) of KYP 4 along the western lake shore. At KYP-4 Area A, more stratified (n=15) and surface lithics (n=2) and several fossils were recovered. The latest lithics from KYP-4 are from layers UA4 and UA5 and are consistent with previous field seasons with mainly small-sized flakes/flake fragments and debris made of radiolarite (76%), flint and quartz (24%). Nevertheless, chips (< 1.5 cm) like miniature flakes, are important indicators of on-site knapping and/or tool use. In reference to the faunal remains, the most noteworthy specimen is an isolated Macaca tooth (Fig. 1).
During survey of these newly exposed sediments at SU 4 and SU 5, a bone scatter was found. After the remains were verified as in situ, the find scatter was designated as a palaeontological site and named Kyparissia 5 (KYP-5). KYP-5 yielded remains of a large deer, possibly from a single individual, most notably a relatively well-preserved antler (Fig. 1). Geological sampling for palaeomagnetic dating was carried out at the long profile exposed a few meters to the west/southwest of KYP-4A (Fig. 2).
At Choremi SU 10, an isolated deer mandible, an upper molar of a horse, and a new paleontological locality, Choremi 6 (CHO-6) (Fig. 3) were found at the southern part of the mine. The most significant finds at CHO-6 are dental and post-cranial remains (femur, tibia, pelvis, scapula, ribs, carpals, tarsals and metapodials) of hippopotamus, most likely belonging to a single individual. Oxidation features and rhizoliths indicate the presence of a paleo-surface that was subaerially exposed and was later covered by a swamp.
At the site Tripotamos 4 (TRP-4), discovered last field season, the cleaning of the exposed artificial section profile yielded a total of 44 additional lithics (n=25 stratified and n=19 surface) and fossil remains, increasing substantially the number of stratified remains, demonstrating the need for further future investigation. Overall, the make-up of the faunal remains is of poor preservation consisting of shaft fragments, isolated teeth fragments of mainly cervids, but also lamellar fragments from proboscideans. The poor preservation is due to the manganese oxide that forms around the surface of the bones. The lithics (Fig. 4) on the other hand are consistent with last season, and include a naturally backed knife, possible limestone manuports, with an assemblage consisting mainly of flakes/flake fragments, isolated cores, with some debris (chunks and shatter) and chips.
At Choremi SU 11, a few stratified finds were recovered, including a large elephant tusk fragment below lignite 3 and a second new site designated as Choremi 7 (CHO-7, Fig. 5) with both lithics (n=36, 30 stratified and 6 surface) and bone (n=67). Lithic artifacts and fossil remains were found stratified inside a sand layer with occasional gravels, marked by manganese oxides and other indications of subaerial exposure. Examples of tool types from CHO-7 (20% of the assemblage) are varied and include backed knives, bifacial leaf points, lateral and double scrapers, while the remaining assemblage consists of mainly flakes and several chips. The faunal remains at CHO-7 yielded mainly shaft fragments, including occasionally rolled and weathered bone fragments, isolated cervid teeth including a tibia, femur, humerus, and scapula, a few birds, bones with cut-marks, as well as wood fragments and, most notably, two well preserved pinecones. Lastly, CHO-7 includes a small number (n=3) of textbook bone flakes (Fig. 4).
The continued field work at KYP-4 and TRP-4 reconfirm original impressions at both sites. KYP-4 is a Lower Palaeolithic site rich in fossil and cultural remains. Meanwhile, TRP-4 is a high-density lithic scatter with poorly preserved bone in direct spatial and stratigraphic association possibly at the end of the Lower and/or the beginning of the Middle Palaeolithic.
At the new site of CHO-6, on-site geomorphological mapping and reference to the German borehole study allowed the team to conclude that CHO-6 most likely underlies Lignite Ia. The expected ESR results, together with continued field work, may confirm whether the site lies below Lignite Ia, possibly confirming whether the hippo and other fossils from CHO-6 are the oldest large mammal remains ever recorded in the Megalopolis basin.
At CHO-7, a working hypothesis is that the finds are embedded inside a low-energy stream that scoured a palaeo-surface.
Field work was conducted mainly in the Choremi and Kyparissia lignite mines. The team inspected exposed artificial section profiles inside the mine but also along the periphery of the basin, focusing primarily on ancient deposits with sedimentary characteristics indicative of shallow lake and marshy areas, erosional paleo-surfaces and terrestrial, fluvio-lacustrine landforms, following the geoarchaeological predictive model that was developed for the objectives of this research and is currently being applied in the field (see 2018-2020 field reports, and also Karkanas et al., 2018).
At Kyparissia mine, work continued as in the previous two field seasons at the site KYP-4. Here the team focused on the south-facing profile at KYP-4 Area A, but also surveyed to the north of Area B (SU 4) and to the south (SU 5) of KYP 4 along the western lake shore. At KYP-4 Area A, more stratified (n=15) and surface lithics (n=2) and several fossils were recovered. The latest lithics from KYP-4 are from layers UA4 and UA5 and are consistent with previous field seasons with mainly small-sized flakes/flake fragments and debris made of radiolarite (76%), flint and quartz (24%). Nevertheless, chips (< 1.5 cm) like miniature flakes, are important indicators of on-site knapping and/or tool use. In reference to the faunal remains, the most noteworthy specimen is an isolated Macaca tooth (Fig. 1).
During survey of these newly exposed sediments at SU 4 and SU 5, a bone scatter was found. After the remains were verified as in situ, the find scatter was designated as a palaeontological site and named Kyparissia 5 (KYP-5). KYP-5 yielded remains of a large deer, possibly from a single individual, most notably a relatively well-preserved antler (Fig. 1). Geological sampling for palaeomagnetic dating was carried out at the long profile exposed a few meters to the west/southwest of KYP-4A (Fig. 2).
At Choremi SU 10, an isolated deer mandible, an upper molar of a horse, and a new paleontological locality, Choremi 6 (CHO-6) (Fig. 3) were found at the southern part of the mine. The most significant finds at CHO-6 are dental and post-cranial remains (femur, tibia, pelvis, scapula, ribs, carpals, tarsals and metapodials) of hippopotamus, most likely belonging to a single individual. Oxidation features and rhizoliths indicate the presence of a paleo-surface that was subaerially exposed and was later covered by a swamp.
At the site Tripotamos 4 (TRP-4), discovered last field season, the cleaning of the exposed artificial section profile yielded a total of 44 additional lithics (n=25 stratified and n=19 surface) and fossil remains, increasing substantially the number of stratified remains, demonstrating the need for further future investigation. Overall, the make-up of the faunal remains is of poor preservation consisting of shaft fragments, isolated teeth fragments of mainly cervids, but also lamellar fragments from proboscideans. The poor preservation is due to the manganese oxide that forms around the surface of the bones. The lithics (Fig. 4) on the other hand are consistent with last season, and include a naturally backed knife, possible limestone manuports, with an assemblage consisting mainly of flakes/flake fragments, isolated cores, with some debris (chunks and shatter) and chips.
At Choremi SU 11, a few stratified finds were recovered, including a large elephant tusk fragment below lignite 3 and a second new site designated as Choremi 7 (CHO-7, Fig. 5) with both lithics (n=36, 30 stratified and 6 surface) and bone (n=67). Lithic artifacts and fossil remains were found stratified inside a sand layer with occasional gravels, marked by manganese oxides and other indications of subaerial exposure. Examples of tool types from CHO-7 (20% of the assemblage) are varied and include backed knives, bifacial leaf points, lateral and double scrapers, while the remaining assemblage consists of mainly flakes and several chips. The faunal remains at CHO-7 yielded mainly shaft fragments, including occasionally rolled and weathered bone fragments, isolated cervid teeth including a tibia, femur, humerus, and scapula, a few birds, bones with cut-marks, as well as wood fragments and, most notably, two well preserved pinecones. Lastly, CHO-7 includes a small number (n=3) of textbook bone flakes (Fig. 4).
The continued field work at KYP-4 and TRP-4 reconfirm original impressions at both sites. KYP-4 is a Lower Palaeolithic site rich in fossil and cultural remains. Meanwhile, TRP-4 is a high-density lithic scatter with poorly preserved bone in direct spatial and stratigraphic association possibly at the end of the Lower and/or the beginning of the Middle Palaeolithic.
At the new site of CHO-6, on-site geomorphological mapping and reference to the German borehole study allowed the team to conclude that CHO-6 most likely underlies Lignite Ia. The expected ESR results, together with continued field work, may confirm whether the site lies below Lignite Ia, possibly confirming whether the hippo and other fossils from CHO-6 are the oldest large mammal remains ever recorded in the Megalopolis basin.
At CHO-7, a working hypothesis is that the finds are embedded inside a low-energy stream that scoured a palaeo-surface.
Auteur de la notice
Michael Loy
Références bibliographiques
Unpublished field report, ASCSA.
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Date de création
2022-09-30 09:49:37
Dernière modification
2022-09-30 09:53:50
Figure(s)
Fig. 1/ Looking south at KYP-5, a surface bone scatter located on the western edge of the artificial lake; An example of a well preserved antler from the large deer, Praemegaceros at KYP-5; A Macac molar recovered from KYP-4
Fig. 2/ Sampling for palaeomagnetism at the long section in Kyparissia mine
Fig. 3/ Looking southeast at the palaeontological site of CHO-6, a surface scatter of a hippo remains; A specimen of a hippo femur lifted out in a block of sediment; Complete rib exposed on the surface; Articulated ankle bones of hippo
Fig. 4/ Lithic artifacts recovered from the sites of TRP-4, KYP-4, CHO-7 during the 2021 survey field season
Fig. 5/ Looking east at the site of CHO-7. The first lithic artifact found on the surface at the base of the section profile