ELEUTHERNA - Orthi Petra - 2011

Eleutherna. Orthi Petra. N. Stampolidis (Crete/Museum of Cycladic Art) reports on continuing excavation in the Geometric-Archaic cemetery in 2011.

Work resumed on the outsize pithos burial east of the covered area, under late Hellenistic-early Roman settlement remains. Four inhumations were found in the two-metre high pithos. An eminent male, some 60-70 years old, was buried with an iron dirk and an iron brooch with traces of textile. At intervals thereafter, three women, aged 35-42, around 30 (with cranial damage) and 19, were buried with him, wearing gold-trimmed clothing. On top of the pithos was stacked a pair of bronze basins, with another large basin (0.65m in diameter) close by.

Outside the pithos were dozens of vases packed tightly together: these include kraters, amphorae, hydriae, lekythoi, and skyphoi in Cretan, Creto-Cypriot and Cypro-Phoenician style. With them were iron weapons such as spear-heads (up to 0.45m long) and a dagger, as well as a pick-axe. These probably belonged with the eighth-century inurned cremation of a man aged 28-35. Finds include a large Argive krater depicting on each side a male figure between two horses (with fish below the bellies and trees before). Close by is a chamber tomb in which a series of warriors were laid between 900 BC and the start of the seventh century. It remains to be determined why the cremated warrior was buried alone.