Archaeological Site of Kastri Potamias
The remains of an ancient settlement in Kastri survive at the top and on the west slope of the hill. The settlement is surrounded by strong fortification walls, the course of which one can observe among the dense vegetation. The wall consists of imiergasmenous blocks, built in an irregular polygonal system. On the southwest side of the gate with little revealed jambs and threshold. A lower plateau in the western part of the hill was detected strong protective wall Hellenistic era. At the top of the hill northeast of the church of St. Nicholas redoubt was revealed that due to a dominant position should be used as a watchtower and as a hotel guard. The wall of fortifications built by handsomely worked large and small stones in an irregular polygonal system, and has occasionally struts. On the south side of the gate is formed with a threshold at which saves pins on the underside of the valves of the door. This item was imiergos stone engraved with the dedicatory inscription "[W] YLIOIO", which undoubtedly is related to the gate of the wall and perhaps a tribute to Mercury Pyli. Finding on that same hillside of dedicatory inscriptions "Bride ACHELOOS" engraved on the base bronze statuette, now lost, demonstrates the existence of a temple dedicated to Achelous. On the western slope diakrinonai ruins of buildings dating from the Classical and Hellenistic period. Because of the large soil downslope buildings built at different levels, which sygkratountan with retaining walls. In the area I saved two rectangular stone structures identified with tanks and dating to classical times and in metallurgic furnace III oval, built of tile and slate. From the Neolithic settlement that existed on the southern slope of the hill, not surviving building remains, only a few surface finds, mostly pottery fragments.
History
In Kastri hill, which rises north of the community Potamias Evia, the ruins of a large settlement, which was developed in classical and Hellenistic periods. The oldest signs of habitation in the castle dates to the Neolithic era (4th millennium BC), as shown by surface finds, identified on the south side of the hill. The settlement of the classical period was the 4th century. BC and scholars have considered until the third century. BC belonged to the territory of Eretria. Protected with a strong defensive wall with a gate, and the discoveries that in the receiving country cottage activities. During the excavations a metallurgical furnace, roof tiles, clay loom weights (loomweights), clay figurines, broken millstone, copper coins, metal gadgets, stone votes, inscribed stones and crude tiles engraved with symbols or letters, whose interpretation remains problematic. Finally, many found bronze coins, most of which belong to the Confederacy Evia and dated to the 3rd century. BC The most common type of monetary ones with bull on the obverse and the reverse Stafilidis. The remaining coins from Chalkis Istiea, Eretria and Athens, Chios and Macedonia and dated the 3rd and 2nd century. BC The Coins of Macedonia belong to the period of Antigonus Gonatas (277-239 BC) and present head of Athena on the obverse and Pan erecting a trophy on the reverse. The hill was inhabited until the early first century. BC until the sixth century. AD there is no archaeological evidence of occupation or construction activity in the region. In the 6th century Byzantine dating limited traces of buildings, our evidence suggests that perhaps these years and later position fortified castle was used as a lookout. The first surveys were made in Kastri in the early 20th century by the principal curator of antiquities and Kimi C. Papaioannou, and then the headmaster Chalcis G. Papavassiliou. During the years 1976-1978 was first excavations by the archaeologist A. Sampson, at the expense of the City and the Community Kimi Potamia.
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