Anc. TRIPHYLIA Survey - 2010

General Information

Record ID

2079

Activity Date

2010

Chronology

Bronze Age - Late Bronze Age

Antiquity - Classical - Hellenistic

Byzantine period

Medieval period / Frankish

Key-words

Altar - Fortifications - Numismatics - Religious building - Territory

Type of Operation

Survey

Institution

Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (DAI) (German Archaeological Institute)

Localisation

Toponym
Samikon, Alichelepi

Linked Record

2008 20092010

Report

Triphylia. J. Heiden (DAI) reports on the fifth season of fieldwork. The 1:1000 city plans of Samikon, Platiana and Vrestos made in 2009 were reviewed and additional detailed records, usually of city walls, produced at 1:50 (Fig. 1).

At Samikon, surface pottery mostly of Hellenistic date, six loomweights and a fourth-century BC Elean coin depicting a horse were found. It seems likely that Samikon was a new foundation of the Triphylian League.

In the fortification above modern Anilio, stretches of the upper wall and a tower in the lower wall were cleaned and drawn at 1:50. A few prehistoric sherds indicate early use of the site: thereafter only Byzantine pottery and a coin were found (Fig. 2). The fortification is more likely medieval than Mycenaean (as Dörpfeld had suggested).

A settlement (possibly ancient Hypana) on a plateau south of modern Gryllos is dated by surface finds from the Mycenaean to Hellenistic periods.

On the summit of Mt. Minthi, at 1221m the highest mountain in Triphylia, an 8 x 8m foundation may belong to an altar of Zeus (Fig. 3).

The site of ancient Epitalion is identified on a large plateau to the northwest of the Zoodochou Pigis monastery, near the mouth of the Alpheios, which is covered in coarsewares, tile, and large quantities of Late Classical and Hellenistic sherds.

Near the church of Ag. Elias in the village of the same name, several large shelly limestone blocks, many Laconian rooftile fragments and Classical fine ware were found. This may be the site of Pyrgos, the southernmost polis in Triphylia, to which the temple of Athena at Prasidaki likely belonged as an extra-urban sanctuary.

Three geological cores were drilled below Samikon to determine the site of the ancient harbour, and whether the Kleidhi hills were islands in antiquity. A core in the large hollow north of the ancient city showed that the sea did not reach so far inland in antiquity. This area cannot have been the town harbour, as indicated by Strabo 8.3.17, but was rather fertile fields. The cores to the south and west of Kleidhi indicated that the hill chain was connected with the mainland, jutting into the sea as a promontory.

Geophysical prospection, including ground-penetrating radar, on the acropolis of Platiana revealed the plan of a 6 x 6m structure. At Lepreon, to the north of the gate structure later converted in a hut, the radar revealed the course of the city wall which is not visible on the surface.

Author

Catherine MORGAN

Bibliographic reference(s)

Unpublished field report, DAI (J. Heiden)