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New evidence on Early Helladic Laconia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2013

Emilia Banou
Emilia Banou
Affiliation:
Hellenic Open University
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Abstract

This article presents three new Early Helladic sites in Laconia, identified as such on the basis of sherd material collected between 1990–94. Two of the sites, Agios Georgios and Vouno Panagias, lie on the east side of the Eurotas river in the Sparta plain and offer a good opportunity to study the settlement hierarchy and density at that time. Moreover, the two probable EH III sherds from these sites are the first to be recognised in Laconia. The third new site of Boza lies on the east coast of the Laconian gulf near ancient Asopos. The richness and variety of sherd material collected there point to the sea as a possible route via which ceramic innovations reached Laconia. Finally, important known sites like Agios Vassileios in the Sparta plain, Vardies south of Gytheio and Daimonia on the east coast of the Laconian gulf, greatly contribute to the picture of EH Laconia as a densely populated area maintaining contacts with other regions of the EH culture throughout the third millennium.

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Articles
Information
Annual of the British School at Athens , Volume 94 , November 1999 , pp. 63 - 79
Copyright
Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 1999

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References

1 Surveys primarily aimed at the discovery or the better understanding of Mycenaean sites; results are included in my dissertation: Banou, E.. Beitrag zum Studium Lakomens in der mykenischen Zeit (Munich. 1996Google Scholar). My thanks are due to the anonymous referee for his/her valuable suggestions. I am also indebted to Professor J. Rutter for the confirmation of the identification of the Light-on-Dark Patterned sherd from Agios Georgios.

2 It is worth noting thai since the publication of Waterhouse and Hope Simpson's fundamental articles on prehistoric Laconia in BSA (see below; nn. 7 and 9) over thirty years ago. nothing analogous has appeared. Note also Dickinson's statement about Mycenaean Laconia. which, however, could be applied to all prehistoric periods: ‘… but the state of evidence is such that a single new find could alter this picture’ (Dickinson, O. T. P. K.. The Origins of Mycenaean Civilization (SIMA 49: Göteborg. 1977). 91Google Scholar). In May 199b the second volume of the Laconia Survey was published including the finds of an intensive survey undertaken between 1983 and 1988, see Cavanagh, W., Crouwel, J.. Catling, R. W. V., and Shipley, G.. Continuity and Change in a Greek Rural Landscape. The Laconia Survey, ii: Archaeological Data (BSA Supplementary Volume 27: London, 1996Google Scholar). It covered an area of 70 km.2 from the Eurotas in the west to Chrysapha in the east and from the Menelaion in the south to Palaiogoulas in the north: although much of the area surveyed is mountainous and arid, it resulted in the discovery, inter alia, of 33 new EH sites (Cavanagh et al., ibid. 6). This exemplifies how promising Laconia can be for further research.

3 For the sites corresponding to each number see Banou (n. 1). 11–23. plan 1.

4 For a satellite system of settlements in the EH period see Cosmopoulos, M.. The Early Bronze Age 2 in the Aegean (SIMA 98; Jonsered, 1991). 5Google Scholar (in Laconia) and 12 (in general); Mee, C. and Forbes, H. (eds). A Rough and Rocky Place: The Landscape and Settlement History of the Methana Peninsula. Greece (Liverpool, 1997), 52Google Scholar: Runnels, C. N. and van Andel, T. H., ‘The evolution of settlement in the Southern Argolid. Greece: an economic explanation’. Hesp. 56 (1987). 313Google Scholar. for a two- or three-tier hierarchy including hamlets or farmsteads, villages (corresponding to satellite settlements), and towns.

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18 The following presentation of EH pottery must be considered as a confirmation of the habitation of the sites in that period and not as an exhaustive treatment of all EH sherds collected. Clay colour designations refer to Muusell Soil Color Charts (rev. edn., 1994). All finds are kept at Gytheion Museum.

19 Wace, A. J. B. and Blegen, C. W.. ‘The Pre-Mycenaean pottery of the mainland’. BSA 22 (1919). 175–89Google Scholar. hereafter referred to as Wace and Blegen. Their categorization (with groups la. Ib. IIa. IIb. IIIa. IV. and V corresponding to Zygouries AI. AII. BI. BII. CI. D. and E. Group IIIb. in which Light-on-Dark Patterned Ware belongs, is not represented a Zygouries) was primarily based on the surface treatment of the pottery, which, provided the sherd material is not very worn, provides a most distinctive criterion for distinguishing among different phases of the EH period. A different approach, based primarily on profiles and secondarily on fabric is followed by W. Cavanagh and J. Crouwel, in Cavanagh et al. (n. 2). ch. 11. ‘The Early Helladie pottery’ hereafter referred to as Cavanagh and Crouweli. 5 n. I. because of the bad preservation of most of the EH sherds collected.

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23 See also Cavanagh and Crouwel. 6 n. 10, on a bowl classification devised by Weisshaar.

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28 Holmberg, E. J., The Swedish Excavations at Asea in Arcadia (Göteborg, 1944), 65Google Scholar fig. 68 i, hereafter referred to as Asea.

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30 Eutresis, 93.

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38 For a list of all Laconian sites occupied in each period see Banou (n. I). 12–23. MH material from the sites mentioned in this article has come to light during our surveys, thus indicating continuous habitation through the Bronze Age: it will appear in another article.

39 Banou, E.. “Ἣ κοιλάδα του Ευρώτα: το κέντρο τηϛ μυνκηναϊκής Λακωνίας”. Πεπραγμένα του Η' Διεθνύς Συνεδρίου Πελοποννησιακών Σπουδών (Άργος-Ναύπλιο 6-10 Σεπτεμβρίου 1995). Athens. 1997). ii. 17–32Google Scholar.

40 Kouphovouno could be associated with the settlement on the Menelaion and Asteri: Dragatsoula with Asteri: Karayiousi. The case of Boza needs special treatment, since seems to be equally important to the neighbouring site of Goulas and also both are coastal sites.

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42 Wiencke (n. 41), 498–9.

43 Waterhouse Hope Simpson (n. 7). 91 n. 117. pl. 22 a 3.

44 Wiencke (n. 41). 500.

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