AGIOS NIKOLAOS Gazi - 2008

Agios Nikolaos, Gazi. A. Vasilakis (ΚΓ' ΕΠΚΑ) reports on excavations in 2006 and 2008 of a Neo and EPrepalatial settlement on a plot belonging to the cemetery of Ag. Nikolaos. The site was discovered during the opening of a new road between Gazi and Ammoudara, and is located on the W slope of a hill overlooking the river valley. The central settlement probably lay to the SW on the height of Papoura (or Baira); it is likely that a major BA settlement is located there.
In 2006, research focused on round cuttings in the rock exposed by the road construction, which were initially thought to be LMIII graves on account of the pottery collected. Six round, well-like cuttings were found, which were entered from above; they had been completely looted in antiquity, so while they contained sherds of all periods, animal bones and many stones, their function could not be ascertained from their contents. Investigation then moved to the surface of the plot, where the topsoil was removed over a 25m x 5m strip. A large quantity of fine-quality pottery was collected from disturbed surface levels, indicating continuous use of the site from M to Rom times. One small cutting located close to the others was excavated, noting another 3 larger ones further S which were evenly spaced in a row. Two of these large cuttings were excavated, but yielded little information with which to characterize them, as they had been robbed in antiquity, just as their smaller counterparts had been. The interpretation of these features thus remains open. They contained stones, many unusable or broken stone tools, many animal bones and much coarse and cooking ware which is mainly Rom and EByz in date. The most likely interpretation of these features is as stores for grain or agricultural products. In the middle cutting was found an unusual tool of grey-black flint, which is reported as appearing somewhat older than Neo. Undisturbed FNeo (4300−3000 BC) and EPrepalatial (EMI and EMIIA, 3000−2600 BC) layers were the major discovery. A deposit of pottery and stone tools is probably associated with a small house excavated immediately to the S, though there were no architectural remains in the EM level. This level covers an area 1.35m x 0.7m and is 0.15m d. The pottery divides into 2 principal categories: scored or wiped ware, made in brown clay which varies from light to dark and black, and which shows many varieties of decoration (from light and fine to deep and wide impressions), and burnished ware with simple or pattern burnish and an ash grey or black surface colour. This dates to the LNeo period, although some sherds with pattern burnish could be EMI Pyrgos Ware. Many of the sherds collected come from large vessels.