Platia Magoula Zarkou : the Neolithic period : environment, stratigraphy and architecture, chronology, tools, figurines and ornaments / edited by Eva Alram-Stern, Kostas Gallis, Giorgos Toufexis.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Alram-Stern, Eva, editor.

Gallēs, Kōnstantinos I., editor.

Toufexis, Giorgos, editor.

Series:

Oriental and European archaeology ; Volume 23.

Oriental and European archaeology ; Volume 23

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Neolithic period.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (726 pages) : illustrations.

Contained In:

Other Title:

Platia Magoula Zarkou

Place of Publication:

Wien : Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, [2022]

Summary:

The publication presents the excavation of the Neolithic settlement strata of the tell Platia Magoula Zarkou, situated in the Peneios Plain in Western Thessaly (Greece). The tell is characterized by an uninterrupted settlement sequence which, according to the radiocarbon data, dates to the 6th millennium BC and includes the Middle Neolithic and early Late Neolithic of Greece. Geological and geophysical analyses situate the tell in its natural environment. They show that during the Neolithic period, this part of the Peneios Valley was characterized by a temporary lake, the settlement being situated on the bank of a narrow gulf. The tell was surrounded by ditches which clearly defined the settlement area. Based on the stratigraphy and building development, the radiocarbon data, the tools, the ritual objects - including the well-known house model - as well as the ornaments, the cultural development and change during this period are analysed. The nine building phases show an alternation of built and unbuilt areas. Clear change is seen in the character of the finds from the late Middle Neolithic onwards, which inter alia is evident in the use of raw materials as well as the connected acquisition network. The house model is interpreted as a symbol of a buried household, the figurines as its inhabitants, being characterized by special roles in this household.

Contents:

Preface by the Series Editor

Preface

I. Introduction: Chronicle of Excavations and Research 1974-1990 / Kostas Gallis

I.1. The History of the Excavations

I.2. Pottery Analyses

I.3. The House Model

I.4. Continuation of the Excavations

I.5. Geoarchaeological Investigation in the Area of the Site

I.6. Radiocarbon Dates and Further Research on the Site

I.7. Conclusions

I.8. Acknowledgements

II. The Environment and its Evolution around the Tell

II.1. The Latest Quaternary Evolution of the Peneiada Valley, Central Greece, and its Effects on Neolithic and Historical Settlement Distribution / Riccardo Caputo - Bruno Helly - Dimitra Rapti - Sotiris Valkaniotis

II.1.1. Introduction

II.1.2. Late Quaternary Peneiada Valley Evolution

II.1.3. Environmental Changes in the Post-Last Glacial Maximum Period

II.1.4. Concluding Remarks

II.1.5. Appendix: Description of the Peneiada Valley Project-1 Borehole 55Riccardo Caputo - Bruno Helly - Marco Stefani - George Syrides - Sotiris Valkaniotis - Alexandros Bellesis - Giorgos Toufexis

II.2. Geophysical Investigations / Apostolos Sarris - Tuna Kalayci - James Donati

II.2.1. Scope of the Survey and Previous Geological Studies

II.2.2. Geophysical Instrumentation and Methodology

II.2.3. Geophysical Results

II.2.4. Integration of Geophysical Data and Discussion

III. Stratigraphy and Architecture / Giorgos Toufexis - Christos Batzelas

III.1. The Excavations

III.2. Processing of the Stratigraphy

III.3. Building Phases

III.3.1. Building Phase I.

III.3.2. Building Phase II

III.3.3. Building Phase III

III.3.4. Building Phase IV

III.3.5. Building Phase V

III.3.6. Building Phase VI

III.3.7. Building Phase VII

III.3.8. Building Phase VIII

III.3.9. Building Phase IX

III.4. Discussion

III.4.1. The Ditch

III.4.2. Building Remains

III.4.3. Thermal Structures

III.4.4. Burnt Pieces of Clay with Decorative Elements

III.4.5. Tell Formation and Use of Domestic Space

III.5. Epilogue

IV. The Absolute Chronology of the Excavations: Radiocarbon Dating and Stratigraphic Age Modelling / Bernhard Weninger - Giorgos Toufexis - Christos Batzelas

IV.1. Introduction

IV.2. The 14C Database

IV.3. Data Processing and Calibration Software

IV.4. Single-Age 14C Age Calibration

IV.4.1. Overview: Dispersion Calibration

IV.4.2. Single-Date Age-Depth Model

IV.5. Gaussian Monte Carlo Wiggle Matching

IV.5.1. Methodology

IV.5.2. Results of Gaussian Monte Carlo Wiggle Matching Application to Platia Magoula Zarkou-Data

IV.6. Discussion

IV.7. Conclusions

V. The Tools

V.1. The Flaked Stone Assemblages / Catherine Perlès - Lygeri Papagiannaki

V.1.1. Introduction

V.1.2. An Overview of Raw Materials Exploitation

V.1.3. Lithic Phase 1 - Building Phases I-V

V.1.4. Lithic Phase 2 - Building Phase VI

V.1.5. Lithic Phase 3 - Building Subphase VIIa

V.1.6. Lithic Phase 4 - Building Subphases VIIb and VIIc

V.1.7. Lithic Phase 5 - Building Phase VIII

V.1.8. Discussion

V.1.9. Appendix 1: Table of Wear Traces / Lygeri Papagiannaki - Sylvie Beyries

V.1.10. Appendix 2: The Flaked Stone Assemblages - A Brief Note on Agricultural Tools / Niccolò Mazzucco

V.1.11. Appendix 3: Geochemical Sourcing of Chipped Stone Tools from Platia Magoula Zarkou / Michael Brandl - Christoph A. Hauzenberger - Peter Filzmoser - Maria M. Martinez

V.2. The Platia Magoula Zarkou Macrolithics: A Thessalian Industry in its Aegean Neolithic Context / Anna Stroulia

V.2.1. Introduction

V.2.2. Grinding and Abrading Tools

V.2.3. Celts

V.2.4. Percussive Tools

V.2.5. Specimens with Narrow Grooves

V.2.6. Miscellanea

V.2.7. Conclusions

V.3. Bone Tools / Rozalia Christidou

V.3.1. Introduction

V.3.2. Major Groups and State of Preservation of the Bone Artefacts

V.3.3. Raw Materials and Tool Blanks

V.3.4. Tool Shaping and Resharpening

V.3.5. Tool Types and Morphometric Features

V.3.6. Tool Use

V.3.7. Summary and Discussion

V.3.8. Appendices/Catalogues

V.4. Clay Spinning and Weaving Implements / Christopher Britsch

V.4.1. Introduction

V.4.2. Artefact Categories

V.4.3. Textile Tools by Phases

V.4.4. Characteristics and Development of Neolithic Textile Production at Platia Magoula Zarkou

V.5. Various Clay and Sherd Tools / Eva Alram-Stern

V.5.1. Sling Bullets

V.5.2. Scrapers - Abrasive Instruments

V.5.3. Rounded Sherds

V.5.4. Eight-shaped Sherd Tools

V.5.5. Sherd Burnishers

VI. Figurines, House Model and Ritual VesselsEva Alram-Stern

VI.1. Introduction

VI.2. Anthropomorphic Figurines

VI.2.1. Fabric, Manufacture, Decoration

VI.2.2. Typology

VI.2.3. Towards a Chronology of the Figurines

VI.2.4. The Anthropomorphic Figurines: Their Use and Meaning

VI.3. The House Model Assemblage: Context and Deposition, Composition and Meaning

VI.3.1. Context and Deposition of the House Model

VI.3.2. Form and Decoration of the Model and the Figurines

VI.3.3. The House Model as a Social Arena

VI.3.4. Conclusions

VI.4. Zoomorphic Figurines or Vessel Protomes

VI.5. Anthropomorphic Vessels

VI.6. Table and Miniature Bowl

VI.7. Catalogue

VI.7.1. Anthropomorphic and Zoomorphic Figurines

VI.7.2. Table and Miniature Bowl

VII. The Ornaments / Nina Kyparissi-Apostolika

VII.1. Introduction

VII.2. The Inventory

VII.2.1. Shell

VII.2.2. Bone

VII.2.3. Stone

VII.2.4. Clay

VII.3. Where in the Deposit - In Space and Time

VII.4. Discussion - Conclusions: The Ornaments in the Thessalian Framework

VIII. Archaeobotanical and Zooarchaeological Remains - RevisitedPaul Halstead

VIII.1. Composition of the Archaeobotanical and Zooarchaeological Assemblages in Context

VIII.2. Land Use at Platia Magoula Zarkou in Context

VIII.3. Cultures of Food Consumption at Platia Magoula Zarkou in Context

VIII.4. Conclusions

IX. The Physical and Social Landscape of Neolithic Platia Magoula Zarkou / Stella Souvatzi

IX.1. The Physical Landscape and Human Agency

IX.2. The Constructed Landscape

IX.2.1. Around the Mound: Boundaries and Water Management Systems?

IX.2.2. The Settlement Type and its Significance

IX.2.3. The Cemetery and the Manipulation of History

IX.3. The Wider Social Landscape

IX.4. Conclusions

X. Platia Magoula Zarkou in Context: Summary and Conclusions / Eva Alram-Stern - Giorgos Toufexis

X.1. The Area around the Tell

X.1.1. The Geographical Setting and the Environment of the Tell

X.1.2. The Constructed Area around the Tell

X.2. Stratigraphy and Architecture

X.2.1. The Excavations of Platia Magoula Zarkou: Premises and Procedure

X.2.2. The Stratigraphic and Architectural Sequence

X.2.3. Built and Open Space, Construction Techniques and Levelling Activities

X.3. Relative and Absolute Chronology

X.3.1. Radiocarbon Dating and Relative Chronology

X.3.2. Chronology and Phasing Based on Various Artefact Groups

X.4. The Evidence for Subsistence

X.5. The Finds

X.5.1. The Activities at the Site Based on the Evidence of the Toolkit

X.5.2. Acquisition of Raw Material and Tool Production

X.5.3. Figurines and Objects of Ritual Connotation and their Relationto the Site

X.5.4. Prestigious Objects

X.6. The Distribution Networks

X.6.1. Distribution and Consumption of Goods

X.6.2. Platia Magoula Zarkou and the Distribution Network of Western Thessaly

X.6.3. Platia Magoula Zarkou and its Connection to the Eastern Thessalian Plain

X.6.4. Platia Magoula Zarkou and its Connection to the World outside Thessaly

X.7. The Society of Platia Magoula Zarkou

X.8. Platia Magoula Zarkou and Cultural Change: Questions for Future Research

Abstracts

Abbreviations

Bibliography

List of Illustrations

List of Authors

Index

Geographical Index

Subject Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.