KARABOURNAKI - 2006

Karabournaki. M. Tiverios, E. Manakidou and D. Tsiafaki (Aristotelian University, Thessaloniki) report on continuing excavation in the anc. settlement.
Three trenches were opened on the hill top. Beneath mod. debris in the upper levels, all produced remains of housing, including 2 storage and food preparation rooms (Fig. 1). In trench 22-91a were part of a cooking hearth, with a small amphora by it, and 2 storage pithoi: next to the hearth were the stones of what is probably a wall and, beneath them, ash, Ar sherds and shells. Similar finds, including a hearth, came from trench 22-91b: this had a pebble floor, with LAr sherds and roof tile over it. Beside the wall in this trench was a pit, only partially excavated to date but with Ar sherds and pithos fragments. Among the relatively little pottery found in 2006, sherds ranged from the PGeo to Cl, with the majority Ar. EIA pottery included Thessalian and Euboean imports (pendant semicircle skyphoi), and all categories of ‘local’ pottery in quantity, including much silvered ware and EIA transport amphorae. E Gr imports included bird bowls, wild goat style, Chiot chalices, Ionian cups and plates (Fig. 2). Cor is rare, with an MCor column krater and then more plentiful LCor aryballoi, exaleiptra, kotylai and olpai. Attic pottery is represented by a few sherds of L bf, a very few rf, the St Valentin Group and a little bg. Among the transport amphorae are Attic SOS and Chiot types. The small finds include bobbins and loomweights, pendants, grinding stones and a faience scarab.
Ethnos tis Kyriakis (16/03/2008) also reports the discovery by M. Tiverios, E. Manakidou and D. Tsiafaki of an iron-working establishment. Within a pit, masses of iron were found in handmade, chytra-like vessels.