Prehistoric Thessaly

PREHISTORIC THESSALY

CAMrmiDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS lonBon: C.

F.

fftinbuial):

KETTEK LANE, E.C. CLAY, Manager

PRINCES STREET ASHER AND CO. F. a. BKOCKHAUS

loo,

»nlin: A. «,(ip)ib:

tlia

Bomliis

Bork:

anl) falculla:

G.

P.

PUTNAM'S SONS

MACMILLAN AND

/4// rights

resened

CO., Ltd.

PREHISTORIC THESSALY SOME ACCOUNT OF RECENT EXCAVATIONS AND EXPLORATIONS IN NORTH-EASTERN GREECE FROM LAKE KOPAIS TO THE BORDERS OF MACEDONIA BEING

by A.

B.

J.

WAGE, M.A.

Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge Corresponding

Member

of the Imperial

German

Archaeological Institute

and

M.

S.

THOMPSON,

Craven Fellow Charles

in

the University of

Oldham Research Student

Oxford

of Corpus Christi College

Cambrido-e o at

B.A.

:

the University Press

1912

:

fambrtlgc

PRINTED BY JOHN CLAV, M.A. AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS

TO

THE MEMORY OF GEORGE FINLAY HISTORIAN OF GREECE

AND ONE OF THE FIRST STUDENTS OF THE PREHISTORIC REMAINS OF THAT COUNTRY

1058111

:

PREFACE

THE

present work is an attempt to collect in a convenient form all the archaeological evidence as yet available for the prehistoric period in North-Eastern Greece. Chapters I X, which are purely descriptive, contain full accounts of our own excavations with a summary of the discoveries of others. These we hope will be of permanent value, but how far the theories put forward in the other chapters can be justified time alone can show. Our own excavations in North Greece have all been conducted under the aegis of the British School at Athens, of which we are students. Our publications in connection with them are as follows

—

"

Excavations at Theotoku," A. J. B. W., J. P. Droop, B.S.A. Xlil, pp. 309 "Excavations at Zerclia," A. J. B. VV., J. P. Droop, M. S. T., B.S.A. XIV, "Early Civilisation in North Greece," A. J. B. W., J. P. Droop, M. S. T., p. 197. Liverpool Aiiuals, 1908, pp. llSff., 131 ff. "The Connection of the Aegean Civilisation with Central Europe," T. E. Peet, A. J. B. \V., M. S. T., Classical Review, 1908, pp. 233 {(. "Excavations at Lianokladhi, and Tsani Ma;^rhula," A. J. B. \V., M. S. T., 1909. Liverpool Atnials, 1909, pp. 149 ((. " Prehistoric Mounds in Macedonia," A. J. B. \V., M. S. T., i/>id. pp. 159 (f. " The Connection of the Aegean Culture with Servia," M. S. T., A. J. B. \V., Classical Review, 1909, pp. 209 ff. "Excavations at Tsangli, and Rakhmani," see Dawkins, J. M.S. 1910, 1910. p. 360; Reinach, Rev. Arch. 1910, II, pp. 429 ff. 1907. 1908.

fiT.

A paper containing an early draft of part of Chapter I was read at a meeting of the Research Committee of the Royal Geographical Society, and Of has been published in the Geographical Journal, \'ol. xxwii, pp. 631 ff. these publications those giving reports of our excavations are superseded by the present work, and the views expressed in the other papers are to be modified XVII and Appendix I. Mr Droop's in accordance with Chapters XI During our enforced absence since 1909 has proved an irreparable loss. excavations at Lianokladhi and Tsani we were fortunate in having the assistance of Mr T. li. Peet, thanks to the generosity of the British School at Athens. As regards the transliteration of Ancient Greek we have followed the system recommended by the British School at Athens'. According to this all Greek words and names are preserved in the Greek forms, and only those It may be thought that we have that are in common use are Latinised. Latini-sed too many names, but we think that the ordinary reader will recognise Chaeronea more easily than Chaironeia.

—

As to the transliteration of Modern Greek we lind ourselves unal>le to follow the .system adopted by the British School at Athens', which through its disregard of sounds is totally unfitted for the transliteration of a living >

B.S.A. XV,

p.

402.

»

B.S.A. XV

p. 403.

Preface

viii

We have tlu-rt-fore adopted, wiih one or two additions to suit words borrowed from Turkish, the system suggested by Mr Dawkins', which is According to this we transliterate in the main that followed by Leake. langiia;^'c.

:

a by a. by -'. but f»/9 by »id: r
literated accordingly.

V by e b>-

/.

///.

by K by

;'.

I

but

k,

by

7/c

iig

in

Greek words, and

g

in

foreign

words

Langddha

:

(Aa7iica8a), Gcrli (.VKepXi).

X by by M. /.

fi

by

u.

f by

X.

V o TT

by by

o.

Aiiabaklt

p by

r,

by

s.

«

by

/, but ^n^

{'

mli in

Greek and

/'

in foreign

words

:

Xerdkambo

(Hepd/ica/u7ro),

\i>afnraie\i).

and pp

b)-

rr.

p by r, not ///. where 43-

Pottery from

144.

Pottery from Skyros

145-

Pottery from Theotoku

146.

M

H

Dhrakhmani

Dhrakhmani Gonnos

188 189

.

from Lianokladhi

'39-

AGE

187

.

.36.

38-

x\

190 192

198

200

.

203

.

.

207

.

209 210 21

>1

from Theotoku

147.

Bronzes,

148.

Pottery from Theotoku

2'3

149.

Pottery from Khassan Tatar

214

'5°-

Pottery from Dhoniokos

•51-

Table of Chronology

Plate

L

Plate

IL

etc.

Pottery from

212

237

.

Rakhniani

Pottery from Tsangli and

at end

Rakhmani

Plate III.

Pottety from Tsangli

Pl.ite

IV^.

Plate

V.

Rakhmani and Tsani Pottery from Rakhmani

Phiie V'L

Pottery from

Pottery from

Rakiimani

.

Vu.. I

I.

Sketch

Map

t>l

Nmilil., intern lireecc.

Rakhniani, 2 .Marm.iriani, 3 Argissa, 4 Mesiani Maj^hula, 5 Topuslar, 6 Dliimini, 7 Sesklo, 8 Pirglios, 9 Tsangli, 10 Rini, 11 Tsani NTaghula, 12 Zerelia, 13 !Jau(lza, 14 Maghula Aidhiniotiki. 15 Phtliiotic Thcbe5. 16 I.ianokladhi, 17 Chaeronea. iX Scliisfe. i() Ghiilas. 20 Zarko's. 21 Theotokn.

INTRODUCTION exploration of the prehistoric remains of North Greece may be said to have been begun by Schliemann', when he excavated at the Here he was the first to find in Boeotian Orchomenos in 1880 and 1881. so well known, to which he ware, now any quantity the grey, wheel-made first called attention to the In 1884 Lolling' gave the name Minyan. Dhimini (Ai/j.r;Vi) and those at Thessalian mounds, and specially studied fragments, which he vase Sesklo (Se'o-K-Xo)', where he collected prehistoric In 1886 the first tholes tomb at Dhimini' was submitted to Furtwaengler. In 1889 Wolters' published the Mycenean vases from Pagasae excavated. But in in the collection of Mr Periklis Apostolidhis of Volos (BdXos). years ten interesting spite of the promise of much that was new and of exploration The passed without any regular excavation in Thessaly.

The

however proceeded rapidly. In 1891 and 1892 Curtius" dealt with the Minyan dykes of Lake Kopais. The following year de Ridder' excavated at Orchomenos itself and at In 1894 Noack published a long account of Ghulas in Ghulds (TovXas)''. In 1896 which he noticed other early sites in the same neighbourhood. attention was recalled to Thessaly by the discovery of iron age tholos tombs at Marmdriani {Mapfidpiavr}), which were further explored by Tsundas in 1899'". In 1901 Stais while excavating the second tholos tomb at Dhimini was led to begin the excavation of the prehistoric In 1901 and the following year Tsundas dug the settlements there". mound of Sesklo, and in 1903 he completed the exploration of the mound

Orchomenos Kambanis" and

the

district

In the following years he ex^amined many other prehistoric In 1904 Kuruniotis" conducted a^ small plains. excavation at Rini {Vrjviy*, and in 1905 cleared the tholos tomb at Kapakli In the meantime fresh discoveries had been made in Phocis and (Ka77-aK\t)''. excavated at Orchomenos" in 1903 and 1905 with Furtwaengler Boeotia.

Dhimini".

of

sites

in

the

Thessalian

J. H. S. 88 1, pp. 122 ff. Ath. Milt. 1884, pp. 99 ff. ' The full form of the name is 2«o-koi.Xo, but this the Thessalian dialect, which like other North ^

1

'

in

Creek dialects drops unaccented u and

/',

becomes

S.VkXo.

435 ff-; 1887, pp. I36ff Ath. Milt. 1889, pp. 262 ff. « B. C. H. 1892, pp. 121 ff.; 1893, pp. 322 ff. ' Dtichbauten Mr Minycr {Gesammiltc Abhandluni^in I, pp. 266 ff.). » B. 'C. H. 1S94, 1895, pp. I36ff. pp. 271, 446 ff. »

At/i. Mitt. 1886, pp.

'

;

» The site is not known by this name to the natives of the district, l)ut as I'aleokastro (nnXm.iicaoTpo). Ghulas is said to be an Albanian word

W.

&

T.

derived from the Turkish giiW (tower), and would naturally become (Ihla in a North Greek dialect. The form (".ha sometimes used by archaeologists is probably due to some misunderstanding. '" UpaKTiKa 1S99, pp. 101 ff. " UpuKTiKu 1901, pp. 37 ff.; .i-2, p. 27. '^ A-2, pp. 27, 70. " Sec below, p. ijoff. " This is the modem local spelling of the name Veoryiadhis (;r»a, Oloosson) to Berrhoea or Pydna. To the west again between the luiropos antl Kalabaka (KaXa^7ra«a) other routes lead northwards into the Haliacmon valley. In spite of these passes the mountains seem always to have been a formidable barrier, the more so in antiquity since they were Immetlialely to the north of them' probably more thickly wooded than now. few traces of prehistoric culture, Thessalian or otherwise, are yet known, and none in the Pierian |)lain. In the Vardar (.Axius) valley and the neighbourhood of .Salonica, where early sites are kncnvn, the culture seems to be different from the Thessalian'. To the south as far as Othrys there is a wide plain broken only by the isolated mass of Cynoscephalae which is of little importance. To the east the plain is shut off from the sea by the rugged coasts of Pelion and Ossa, but to the south-east by X'olos and Almir6s The range that ('\Xfivp6/ii/i1,(>T nuigltrd The _r of the Old (cf. the Little Russian ;«('//)vvj. Slavonic form is a thick sound representing IndoEuropean ;/. The ok may be the sound nearest to this the ("ireeks could get, cf. ic.ijioi'tii, which is

the Old .Slavonic ^vry/^), a trough. MayouXa may be an old loan word from .Slavonic, for modern borrowings ;' sound, cf. fivSpa for Old .Slav. Tfifni, .South Slav. vlJra, nt\ivos for Old Slav, pelyiifi^ .South Slav, petiii. Thus the word may have come direct into Modern Cireek from Slavonic, and not through Albanian, for it is practically unknown in the Albanian districts of drcece (the Peloponnesus, Attica, and Bocotia). while common in Thessaly and Phocis. But C. "SXcscr'mXws Al/>a>iesischi-s ll'orUr-

have an

Imc/i,

which was published before

A'l-ugriechisc/ii-

Sliidicn, docs not believe in an ancient connection

between Slavonic and .Albanian, and so suggests that both languages borrowed the word from a third. Me also gives an Albani.in form t^^timu/'i; with which he compares the Servian !,"""/'»•_ UunafitiatXtiuv, lUin tUv «V Ki',*M'ei iipx'>'afnraK\i). double mound south of the village of Tshakhmat^ (TaiaxfJ-nr) by the river of 40*. Pharsalus. Ten minutes east of DhemerlC (Ae/iepXjj) station on the Thessalian railway and 41. south of Simikli (St/uix-Xt). Half an hour south of Khatsi Amar'^ (Xarf^ W/xap). 42. South of Pharsalus on the Dhomokos road and north of Vardhali CRapBaXi). 43. 44*. Mi'los (Mi^Xo?), north of Pharsalus station and close to the left bank of the Enipeus to the east of the stone bridge. Mezil Maghula (MeflX MayovXa), south-west of the village Teke' (Te/ce) on the 45. hills north of the Enipeus: cf. A-S, p. 174, white on red ware, A^a is common

A

here.

Twent)- minutes north-east (?) of Sophadhes (locfidBe'sy this may be the mound Margharita (Mapyaplra) on the way from Sophadhes to Pazaraki called

46.

:

(llal^apnKt)''.

Twenty-five minutes east of 46. Ten minutes south of Baltalar (MTraXraXap)"'.

47.

48.

South of the village of Almandar ('AX/iai'T«p). The .so-called Khomat6kastro (Xtu/uaroVacrTpo) of Almandar, between that village and Orphana COp(f>avti). Opposite the village Marku (.Map/cov) on the other bank of the river. Here 51. Tsundas fcnmd a fragment of r2 incised ware, A~-, p. 201, Fig. in. Platomaghula (nXaTo/t«7oyXa), on the right bank of the Sophadhes river opposite 52. the village of Pi'rghos Mataranga (llvpyo