KAVOS VASILI Poros - 2007

Kavos Vasili. E. Konsolaki-Giannopoulou (ΚΖ' ΕΠΚΑ) reports on excavation of an EH settlement on the N coast, facing Aigina, which is directly accessible by boat. The 3 main buildings (A, B, Γ) excavated, covering ca.40−50m², plus 2 adjacent subsidiary structures (Δ, E), covering ca. 15−20m², form part of a large settlement. The main buildings are oriented SE−NW, and lie in a radial arrangement towards the centre of the settlement. They are all rectangular, and have off-centre doorways with stone socles. Building A consists of a main room, an anteroom and a paved court to the E set 0.90m below ground level. A black steatite signet seal was found in the anteroom. The floor deposit contained much shattered pottery with, in the SW corner, a saddle quern and stone mortar fixed to the floor. Immediately to the E, a small structure set deep below ground (with stone steps in the S wall) was likely for food or livestock storage. Building B, 7m N of building A, has a main hall, a stone-paved porch and a small courtyard to the E. There is a clay hearth in the centre of the main room, and a bench-like structure in the NE corner. Three stone mortars were fixed to the floor and grinding tools were found in the floor deposit. An unexcavated rectangular structure was attached to the W side of building B, and to the SE, building E formed the S boundary of a triangular courtyard in front of building B. Building Γ has a stone-paved porch, and a main and a rear room. A large circular clay hearth in the main room had stamped ECyc II decoration on the flat surface of the raised rim: the deposit of ash and burnt material included a pig mandible. A conoid clay seal was found in the rear room. The 2-roomed building Δ was a subsidiary of Γ. Two retaining walls running NE−SW lay at the W edge of the excavation. The entire settlement probably covered ca. 15ha (to judge from sherd scatter and surface architectural remains). In the unexcavated SE part, a 15m l. wall (as preserved), running E−W, may indicate a road flanked by houses. Preliminary analysis of the ceramic evidence suggests a floruit in EH II, with abandonment, perhaps following a severe earthquake, before the start of EH III. A further EH site is noted on the knoll of Kokorelli, 1,000m SE of Kavos Vasili. There is also evidence of talc mining in the area.