Naxos - Kato Choria - 2022

Jim  Crow (Edinburgh) and Mark Jackson (Mark Jsckson) report on a synergasia between the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades and the British School at Athens, at Kato Choria, Naxos.

Following several seasons of regional field survey and documentation of field structures in the vicinity of Apalirou Kastro in south Naxos (Fig. 1), the aim of the 2022 season was to initiate excavation of selected structures in the lower settlement of Kato Choria. To this end, a team of 10 under the direction of Jim Crow and Mark Jackson undertook limited cleaning and detailed recording of five areas for potential excavation in 2023. Recording was by terrestrial photography, sketch plan and notes, a drone (UAV), GPS, and a laser scanner. It complemented the previous survey undertaken by Jim Crow and Dr Veloudaki of the Kato Choria settlement. Area F, for example, revealed a well-defined structure, part of a group of buildings just below the boundary wall, set above the lower terraces and structures of the settlement. It set to the northwest of the site where a dispersed hoard of 14th-century Venetian coins was found in 2017 in the debris above the demolition of structure. Cleaning of weeds and dry grasses revealed a very wellconstructed northeast corner with four visible courses of masonry (Fig. 2). Overall, this is one of best built and preserved structures outwith the Olive Church across the site (Fig. 3). As with other areas, it was recorded with drone photographs, GPS, laser scanning, sketch drawings, and features described on context sheets.

Although fieldwork was limited in 2022, it gave us the opportunity to assess in detail areas for excavation, as well as presenting us with the opportunity to make a detailed record of the surface layers and structural features.Cleaning of all four of the preferred areas A, D, E, and F shows the enormous potential for excavation on thesite in future seasons as well as the effective application of state-of-the-art recording methods.