ZAKYNTHOS Zakynthos Archaeology Project - 2007

Zakynthos Archaeology Project. G.J. van Wijngaarden (Netherlands Institute/Amsterdam) reports on the 2nd season of geological and archaeological survey carried out in collaboration with the ΛΕ' ΕΠΚΑ.
In 2007 survey was concentrated around mod. Machairado in the interior of the island (research area B), with the aim of investigating the transition from the mountains to the central alluvial plain. As in 2006, very many Pal lithics were discovered. The mountain zone in the W part of the study area contains various sources of high-quality natural flint, which were extensively exploited in the Pal period, as is clear by the wide distribution of flint artefacts and debitage. A clear concentration of these artefacts was attested above the valley of Achiouri (tract 2080), where there appears to have been a sizable workshop for lithic artefacts.
The prominent hill of Palaiokastro has 2 Med towers, and evidence of other periods was also found in 2007. On the N slope is a concentration of Cl and Hel sherds, with LRom, Ven and E mod. pottery and other finds also abundant. A little PH pottery includes a Myc or EIA decorated base. Further work remains to be done on the spatial and chronological differentiation of the finds at Palaiokastro and on the many different walls visible on the surface of the site. The foothills and plains produced a wide scatter of artefacts of different periods, without clear concentrations.