2011
PREPALATIAL-PROTOPALATIAL CEMETERY AT PETRAS, SITEIA. EXCAVATION REPORT 2011
The excavation at the Prepalatial –Protopalatial Cemetery at Petras-Kephala (Hill II) continued from 23/5/2011 until 16/6/2011 under the direction of Dr M. Tsipopoulou (Director of the National Archive of Monuments, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism) with the participation of Prof. Philip P. Betancourt (Temple University, Philadelphia) and the contribution of the 24th Ephorate of the Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities (Kleio Zervaki- Conservator, Kostas Platanakis-Foreman). The excavation was fully financed by INSTAP.
Participants:
Archaeologists:
Area supervisors: Garifalia Kostopoulou (INSTAP-SCEC, member of Petras team) and Dr Susan C. Ferrence (INSTAP Academic Press, Philadelphia)
Trench Supervisors: David W.Rupp (Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, Brock University, Canada-Director of the Canadian Institute in Greece) Judith L. Papit, Ariel Pearce-Chalikias, Sarah Peterson, Brian Kunkel (Temple University, Philadelphia ), Sarah Linn (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia), Dr Maria Relaki (Open University in the East Midlands, Nottingham, UK)
Assistants: Marie Nicole Pareja (Temple University)
Specialized researchers:
Sevasti Triantaphyllou – Lecturer of Anthropology (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)
Antonia Stamos – (INSTAP-SCEC)
Assistants: Natassa Kalogirou – Anthropologist (Phd candidate, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), Allyson McCreery (INSTAP-SCEC)
Foreperson: Matina Papadaki
Specialized workers: Vitsentzos Giorgos, Kontogiannakis Giannis, Koxarakis Manolis, Masourakis Manolis, Masourakis Kostas, Neroulidis Giannis, Santimpantakis Giorgos, Fiorakis Vaggelis, Chatzakis Valantis, Chatzigeorgiou Manolis, Psarakis Giorgos, Mucaj Vasil
(Assistant: Romanos – Andreas Rupp)
Aerial photography : Kostas Chalikias, (University of Heidelberg, Germany) with the assistance of Kostis Fragiadakis (Mochlos). Proccessing of the photographs by Chronis Papanikolopoulos (INSTAP-SCEC).
The excavation of 2011 focused mainly on the north part of the Plateau, at the SW area (the borders with the settlement and the industrial installation (end of FN/EMI)), and at Area A of HT2, inside the perivolos; New House Tombs came to light. Aim of the excavation was to identify the limits of the Cemetery. The excavation of House Tombs 5 and 8 continued but it was not finished.
1.House Tomb 2 –Perivolos wall: Area between HT2 and the big east wall of the Perivolos. It was established that this long wall was connected to another wall at the south part that probably belongs to HT 11. This area constituted a MM votive deposit related probably to night cult activities, as suggested by three big lamps and a brazier. Large amounts of MM IB-II pottery were collected. No human bones were revealed. Very interesting find was an empty MM larnax, at a level higher than that of the floors of HT2. It is the first to date, burial vessel found outside the House Tombs.
2. House Tomb 5: The excavation continued, but it was not completed in rooms 9 and 10. These two areas were used for secondary burials. Various important finds as well as large amounts of bones were collected.
3. House Tomb 8: The poorly preserved architectural remains of a House Tomb which were revealed in 2010, east of HT1, at a lower level were labeled HT8. This is the first indication for the existence of earlier House Tombs (EM II?). The excavation of this area did not produce other architectural remains, but only large quantities of MM pottery, suggesting that at this time the area was a votive deposit.
4. House Tomb 9: North of HT1. Partially excavated. It consists of four rooms, not fully investigated. Notable find from room 4 was a seal made of serpentine.
5. House Tomb 10: A new house tomb at the north part of the plateau. It consists of five areas, two of which contained bones. The excavation of the rest of area was interrupted at the surface layer. The pottery belongs to the MM period.
6. Area north of House Tomb 10: Probably three more votive MM deposits. The area is related to a possible perivolos.
7. The excavation at the SW part of the Cemetery (borders with the settlement and the industrial installations of the end of FN/EMI) revealed a large part of a LM IIIC wall.
8. The plan of the LM IIIC settlement was completed.
