Mazi Plain - 2017

Mazi plain (Eleusis-Oinoe). S. Fachard (Geneva/Swiss National Science Foundation), A.R. Knodell (Carleton College/ESAG), and Kalliopi Papangeli (Greek Ministry of Culture) report on the fourth and final season of the Mazi Archaeological Project (MAP).  The 2017 objectives were the following:  1) conduct surveys at Oinoe and Kastanava, 2) clean and document the sites discovered in 2016, 3) study the material for the final publication of the results of this project.

Oinoe: The South Fortification Wall was surveyed (Fig. 1). Its foundations were built with large limestone blocks and measured 3.90m in thickness. Mudbricks were laid on top of the blocks to a height of 6-8ms. Finds from the area include 5^th c. pottery and an arrowhead, and indicate that the wall was built in the 5^th c. BC Structures dating to Roman Imperial times were also identified in the vicinity of the wall (Fig. 2). Moreover after surface cleaning, a domestic complex was discovered consisting of several rooms arranged around a central courtyard and two cisterns. Roman coins were found in this complex (Fig. 3).

Kato Kastanava: This prehistoric site was first identified in the 2016 season. In 2017 a small area was excavated. A large dry stone enclosure was found which contained large quantities of obsidian, and Final Neolithic and EHI pottery sherds.

Mesonychi: A classical farmstead was cleaned. It consisted of several rooms and a central courtyard. Small finds from the farmstead include classical pottery sherds and fragments from black-glazed tiles.

Finally, the plan of the Velatouri tower was completed in 2017 and a new 3D model was produced (Fig. 4).

[Entry created by C. Papadopoulou]