Keros-Dhaskalio - 2018

Keros-Dhaskalio. Colin Renfrew and Michael Boyd (Cambridge/BSA) report on a fourth and final field season of this project, which has focused on the ‘Small Cyclades’, the archipelago of small islands located between Naxos, Ios and Amorgos in the south-central Cyclades. Combining survey with excavation, the project has uncovered remarkable evidence for architecture and town planning, craft activities, and the widespread import of raw materials and finished goods: the first clear evidence for incipient urbanisation in the early Cyclades.
This year saw the third year of excavations on Dhaskalio in the current programme (Fig. 1). Six excavation trenches (covering an area of ca. 416 m²) were open this year. The largest trench (A) was located on the gently sloping northwest plateau below the summit, offering the only large relatively flat area on the island. Excavations in 2016 and 2017 had removed very large quantities of collapsed stone, and the hope this year was to reach floor levels and bedrock in several areas. The hard work of the previous years finally paid off, as clear outlines of buildings and the pathways connecting them were revealed, and excavation at floor level and below produced unexpected results. At the north end of the trench the passageway tentatively identified in 2017 is now fully defined, with three branches facilitating traffic in several directions. Two of these are confirmed as stepped pathways. At the convergence of the three access routes is a flat area of flagstones (Fig. 2). This nodal point was the intersection of key paths leading north (downslope), east (toward the summit), southeast (to the upper terrace in Trench A), west, to a lower terrace, and south, into the main building. Here two rooms were excavated to bedrock. One of these contained a concentration of stone tools and discs framed by slabs embedded in the floor (Fig. 3). Further work will resolve the character of this space. Below the floor levels here and to the south, simple hearths used for metalworking (casting of copper) were located in bedrock hollows.
Two trenches were set on the north side of the island with the intention of investigating a network of impressive walls which had been visible before the start of the excavation. Trench B was set immediately to the north of Trench A, in the hope of finding a pathway from these large walls to the area of Trench A. Results in 2018 were nothing short of spectacular: a flight of steps from the bottom of the trench leading to an area of flagstones marked by no less than four petroglyphs at the point where the path divides (Figs. 4-5). Petroglyphs at other sites (such as Vathy in Astypalea) have been argued to mark important points on paths of movement: this is confirmed on the Dhaskalio staircase (and also on the other side of the island in Trench E: see below). This stair also covered a drain whose terminus was located a few metres south of the trench at the cliff-edge: this is one of several complex drains found in the excavations. The path divided mid-way up the trench, with one branch going left into unexcavated areas, and the other going to the right, through a room with a large vessel carved from local stone set into a bench, toward the direction of Trench A, probably meeting up with the passageways located there. Finally, a third metallurgical hearth was located in this trench, in close association with a ‘baking pan’ (a large, plate-like ceramic shape) which, when examined by portable XRF, showed raised levels of copper.
On the other side of the north face of the island, Trench C had previously revealed the only dense animal bone midden on the site. This year excavation focused on two rooms close to the cliff edge. Here a floor level was excavated with intact pots, tools and triton shells. The small room to the southwest contained a large built drain feature. This probably connected with another drain in the first room. Below the wall of the drain, an intact pithos with stone disc for cover was located, but unfortunately could not be excavated without disrupting the structure.
Downslope to the east, Trench H had already revealed the main entranceway to the site, as reported previously. This year excavated proceeded through several re-laid floor levels in the two rooms to the south of the entrance, reaching bedrock. Here two metallurgical hearths were found (Fig. 6), one showing evidence for vitrification resulting from very high temperatures. The five hearths found at Dhaskalio constitute unique evidence for the production of metal artefacts at this time.
Upslope on the east side of the island two nearby trenches were excavated. Trench E was placed over the massive passageway through the largest terrace wall on the island, which was set just below the summit (Fig. 7). Here a petroglyph was set just above the stairs on the south side (Fig. 8). Trench N, just to the east, revealed a complex of walls. Some of these date to the earliest period of the site, Phase A (2750-2550 BC), providing crucial evidence for this earliest period, contemporary with the main use of the two Special Deposits located on the other side of the causeway. However, it is clear that the floruit of Dhaskalio was in Phase B (2550-2400 BC), after the main period of use of the Special Deposits. All of the deposits excavated this year, with the exception of those earlier deposits in Trench N, are of Phase B (Trench F, excavated in 2016 and 2017, contained deposits of Phase C).
At the same time as the excavation on Dhaskalio, survey was carried out on the nearby island of Kato Kouphonisi, midway between Keros and Naxos. Survey of this small island (3.7 km²) complements the larger surveys carried out on Keros (2012-2013) and southeast Naxos (2015). Results suggest Kato Kouphonisi to be more densely inhabited in the Early Bronze Age than either Naxos or Keros, with at least one major site toward the western end. Late Roman and Modern are the other two main periods evidenced, with traces of Mycenaean and Geometric habitation.