PIGES TOU ANGITI - 2008

Piges tou Angiti, Cave. K. Trantalidou (EPSNE), V. Skaraki (Β΄ ΕΠΚΑ) and E. Kara (Α΄ ΕΠΚΑ) publish the pottery assemblage from the interior of this cave.
The site lies at the source of the river Angitis (the W tributary of the Strymon river), in the S foothills of Mt Falakrou, 25km W of Drama and at an elevation of 129m. The cave is an almost horizontal, gallery-like karst formation, estimated at 9−12km l., which widens occasionally into chambers and through which the river Angitis flows.
Traces of sporadic human occupation have been located in the first chamber, through which the complex is entered: 2 small steps were cut in the SE area. The PH fill covered an area of ca. 100m², to an average d. of 0.3m. Four round hearths, located on 2 small level areas and bounded with unworked limestone blocks, were foci of human activity. Small pits for ash and rubbish were associated with them. In total, 3,456 sherds, 9 terracotta weights, an undecorated miniature vessel, 757 animal bones of domesticated and wild species, 4 tools and items of shell ornament, and a necklace of wild-boar teeth were found.
The pottery is mostly monochrome (with burnished, smoothed and incised surface treatment), thick-walled andmade of local clay. Mostly household shapes are represented: the monochrome wares divide into shallow open (35.7%), deep open (4.5%), open storage shapes (47.6%) and closed vessels (9.2%). Only ca. 1% of the pottery bears painted, linear decoration (3 rims of open vessels, a handle of a closed shape and 23 body sherds of open and closed shapes). One sherd of an open light-on-dark ware vessel was found. Ceramic shapes and painted decoration show influences from a wide area, from the Danube, Aegean Thrace, the plain of Drama, the Strymon valley and as far as E Thessaly. Pottery indicates seasonal occupation from the LNeo/FNeo−EH period.