Anc. TRIPHYLIA Survey - 2010
Informations Générales
Numéro de la notice
2079
Année de l'opération
2010
Chronologie
Mots-clés
Nature de l'opération
Institution(s)
Localisation
Toponyme
Samikon, Alichelepi
Samikon, Alichelepi
Notices et opérations liées
Description
Triphylia. J. Heiden (DAI) reports on the fifth season of fieldwork. The 1:1000 city plans of Samikon, Platiana and Vrestos made in 2009 were reviewed and additional detailed records, usually of city walls, produced at 1:50 (Fig. 1).
At Samikon, surface pottery mostly of Hellenistic date, six loomweights and a fourth-century BC Elean coin depicting a horse were found. It seems likely that Samikon was a new foundation of the Triphylian League.
In the fortification above modern Anilio, stretches of the upper wall and a tower in the lower wall were cleaned and drawn at 1:50. A few prehistoric sherds indicate early use of the site: thereafter only Byzantine pottery and a coin were found (Fig. 2). The fortification is more likely medieval than Mycenaean (as Dörpfeld had suggested).
A settlement (possibly ancient Hypana) on a plateau south of modern Gryllos is dated by surface finds from the Mycenaean to Hellenistic periods.
On the summit of Mt. Minthi, at 1221m the highest mountain in Triphylia, an 8 x 8m foundation may belong to an altar of Zeus (Fig. 3).
The site of ancient Epitalion is identified on a large plateau to the northwest of the Zoodochou Pigis monastery, near the mouth of the Alpheios, which is covered in coarsewares, tile, and large quantities of Late Classical and Hellenistic sherds.
Near the church of Ag. Elias in the village of the same name, several large shelly limestone blocks, many Laconian rooftile fragments and Classical fine ware were found. This may be the site of Pyrgos, the southernmost polis in Triphylia, to which the temple of Athena at Prasidaki likely belonged as an extra-urban sanctuary.
Three geological cores were drilled below Samikon to determine the site of the ancient harbour, and whether the Kleidhi hills were islands in antiquity. A core in the large hollow north of the ancient city showed that the sea did not reach so far inland in antiquity. This area cannot have been the town harbour, as indicated by Strabo 8.3.17, but was rather fertile fields. The cores to the south and west of Kleidhi indicated that the hill chain was connected with the mainland, jutting into the sea as a promontory.
Geophysical prospection, including ground-penetrating radar, on the acropolis of Platiana revealed the plan of a 6 x 6m structure. At Lepreon, to the north of the gate structure later converted in a hut, the radar revealed the course of the city wall which is not visible on the surface.
Auteur de la notice
Catherine MORGAN
Références bibliographiques
Unpublished field report, DAI (J. Heiden)
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
2011-06-18 00:00:00
Dernière modification
2023-10-09 10:28:57
Figure(s)
Fig. 1/ Samikon: tower 6 of city wall.
Fig. 2/ Anilio: Byzantine coin from kastro, with depiction of Christian cross.
Fig. 3/ Mt. Minthi: large altar foundation on summit with Byzantine church.