Site details

Petrochori: Palaiokastro (Ancient Koryphasion)

PK	C241
TITLE	Petrochori: Palaiokastro (Ancient Koryphasion)
WGS84	36.961903° N, 21.658002° E
Accuracy	Exact

LAT/LON	36.961903, 21.658002
LON/LAT	21.658002, 36.961903

DMS

36° 57' 42.8508" N

21° 39' 28.8072" E

W3W	nursed, aspirations, market
UTM	34 S, 558576, 4090848
EGSA87	291348, 4092921

Elevation m	25
Elevation feet	82
Region	Messenia

GENERAL SITE TYPE Settlement

TYPE

1.    Acropolis.   Messenia I, 243    'The acropolis itself with the great Venetian fortress on its summit has often been described ... '
2.    Hab.   Simpson [1981], 117    ? 'LH III and later remains were found in trial excavations there.'
3.    hab.   ERGON[1958], 148
4.    Hab.   Messenia I, 243    'A prehistoric habitation site occupied at least part of this narrower section ... '
5.    Pottery.   Ålin [1962], 86    'McDonald und Simpson fanden Keramik, die vermutlich prämykenisch ist, aber auch mykenische, ... '
6.    Pottery.   Messenia I, 243    ' ... and quantities of late prehistoric ... pottery.'
7.    Settlement.   Simpson and Dickinson [1979], 132    'This may have been the main centre of the harbour settlement of LH Pylos.'
8.    Sherds.   Messenia I, 243    'Among sherds in this area we recovered: some frgs. of coarse ware, smoothed and slipped, of gritty fabric, which could be pre-Mycenaean; ... '
9.    Walls.   Messenia I, 243    'Marinatos' excavation has revealed house walls ... '

SITE SIZE

- Messenia I  p. 243,  Size: 14000 sq. m.  ' ... north of and below Palaiokastro there is a narrow, flat-topped ridge measuring ca. 200 m. N-S by 70 m. E-W.'

- Simpson [1981]  p. 117,  Size: 14000 sq. m.  'The low promontory to north of and below the medieval fort of Palaiokastro measures about 200 m. north to south by 70 m.'

- Simpson and Dickinson [1979]  p. 132,  Size: 14000 sq. m.  'The low promontory ... measures c. 200 m. N-S by 70 m.'

PERIOD (High Chronology)

1. LH III: (1410 BC - 1060 BC)
    a.    Simpson [1981]: 117, 'LH III and later remains were found in trial excavations here.'

2. LH IIIA: (1410 BC - 1315 BC)
    a.    Messenia I: 243, ' ...; 2 frgs. from monochrome painted stemmed bowls of LH III A-B; ... '
    b.    ERGON[1958]: 148,
    c.    Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: 132, 'LH III(A-B) "PG" C H'

3. LH IIIB: (1320 BC - 1190 BC)
    a.    Messenia I: 243, ' ...; 2 frgs. from monochrome painted stemmed bowls of LH III A-B; ... '
    b.    ERGON[1958]: 148,
    c.    Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: 132, 'LH III(A-B) "PG" C H'
    d.    Ålin [1962]: 86, ' ..., aber auch mykenische, wie Fragmente von Kylikes und Skyphoi aus IIIB, ... '

NOTE

1. McDonald and Simpson (in Messenia I, 243, '61. Palaiokastro') give the position as 'On the south side of the entrance to Voïdhokoilia bay, and north of and below Palaiokastro there is a narrow flat-topped ridge measuring ca. 200 m. N-S by 70 m. E-W.'

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. ERGON[1958]: To ergon tes Archaiologikes Hetaireias, Athenai: Archaiologike Hetaireia. 1958., '', pg. 148.

2. Ålin [1962]: Ålin, Per. Das Ende der mykenischen Fundstätten auf dem griechischen Festland. Carl Bloms Boktryckeri A.-B., Lund, 1962., 'Palaiokastro', pg. 86.

3. Messenia I: McDonald, William A. and Richard Hope Simpson. ‘Prehistoric Habitation in Southwestern Peloponnese’, American Journal of Archaeology. Vol. 65, No. 3 (Jul., 1961), pp. 221-260., '61. Palaiokastro (mediaeval Navarino; classical Pylos or Koryphasion)', pg. 243. Online here.

4. Simpson [1981]: Simpson, Richard Hope. Mycenaean Greece. Park Ridge, New Jersey: Noyes Press, 1981., 'F 19 Petrochori: Palaiokastro (Ancient Koryphasion)', pg. 117. Online here.

5. Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: Simpson, Richard Hope and O.T.P.K. Dickinson. A Gazetteer of Aegean Civilization in the Bronze Age, Vol. I: The Mainland and the Islands. Paul Åströms Förlag, Goteborg. 1979., 'D 9 Petrochori: Palaiokastro (Ancient Koryphasion)', pg. 132. Online here.