Site details

Gyphtokastro (Old Pleuron)

PK	C630
TITLE	Gyphtokastro (Old Pleuron)
WGS84	38.403864° N, 21.414697° E
Accuracy	Exact

LAT/LON	38.403864, 21.414697
LON/LAT	21.414697, 38.403864

DMS

38° 24' 13.9104" N

21° 24' 52.9092" E

W3W	preventable, willow, steward
UTM	34 S, 536209, 4250708
EGSA87	274100, 4253504

Elevation m	104
Elevation feet	341.2
Region	Aetolia

GENERAL SITE TYPE Sherds

TYPE

1.    Cem.   AR[1975], 17    'Miss I. Dekoulakou has reported the discovery and excavation of four cist-tombs on the west slope of Gyphtokastro, ... '
2.    Settlement.   Simpson [2018], 374
3.    Sherds.   Simpson and Dickinson [1979], 181    ' ... and obsidian and coarse BA sherds on the top.'
4.    Sherds.   Simpson [1981], 159    'Recently some Mycenaean sherds .. have been found on the north and northwest sides'
5.    Sherds.   Simpson [1981], 159    '.. Bronze Age coarse ware sherds were noted on the top surface of the hill, together with some others of finer fabric apparently Mycenaean.'
6.    Town.   Iliad,     'And the Aetolians were led by Thoas, Andraemon's son, even they that dwelt in Pleuron and Olenus and Pylene and Chalcis, hard by the sea, and rocky Calydon.'
7.    Wall.   Simpson and Dickinson [1979], 181    'Remains of ancient walls of "Cyclopean" appearance were found on the N side ... '
8.    Wall.   Mazarakis-Ainian [1997], 100    'A section of a wall, belonging to an apsidal building ... , facing E, was uncovered to a length of 7,40 m at the site of ancient Pleuron near Mesolongi.'

PERIOD (High Chronology)

1. Bronze Age: (3200 BC - 1050 BC)
    a.    Simpson [2018]: 375, ' ... Bronze Age coarse ware sherds ... '

2. EH: (3100 BC - 2000 BC)
    a.    Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: 181, ' ..., and a small prochous attributed to EH is reported.'

3. Late Helladic: (1700 BC - 1050 BC)
    a.    Simpson [2018]: 375, ' ... a few sherds of finer fabric which appeared to be L.H.'
    b.    AR[1975]: 17, 'Mycenaean pottery was found nearby.'
    c.    Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: 181, 'Recently some LH pottery and cists of "PG" to G date have been found on the N and NW sides, ... '

4. LH IIIA2: (1375 BC - 1320 BC)
    a.    Simpson [1981]: 159, 'LH III(A2-B)'
    b.    Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: 181, 'EH? LH III(A2-B) "PG" G A? C H'

5. LH IIIB: (1320 BC - 1190 BC)
    a.    Simpson [1981]: 159, 'LH III(A2-B)'
    b.    Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: 181, 'EH? LH III(A2-B) "PG" G A? C H'

6. Protogeometric: (1100 BC - 900 BC)
    a.    AR[1975]: 17, ' ..., two at least containing PG pottery.'
    b.    Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: 181, 'EH? LH III(A2-B) "PG" G A? C H'

7. Geometric: (900 BC - 700 BC)
    a.    Mazarakis-Ainian [1997]: , ' ... of the Geometric period, ... '
    b.    AR[1975]: 17, 'Traces of a possible Geometric enclosure wall were observed, ... '
    c.    Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: 181, 'EH? LH III(A2-B) "PG" G A? C H'

NOTES

1. And see in Mazarakis-Ainian [1997] 100, n. 578.

2. Simpson thought that Gyphtokastro was the site of Homeric Pleuron. For his reasons see Simpson [2018] 376. Sylvia Benton, BSA (32) 239, says "I should be inclined to place Pleuron provisionally at Gyphtokastro, where a wall and a roadway on the North side may be Mycenaean, though I found no Mycenaean sherds."

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. AR[1975]: Archaeological Reports, The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies. (22) 1975-1976., 'Aitoloakarnania; Pleuron', pg. 17. Online here.

2. Iliad: Homer. Iliad. The Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924., '2.639', Online here.

3. Mazarakis-Ainian [1997]: Mazarakis Ainian, Alexander. From Ruler's Dwellings to Temples; Architecture, Religion and Society in Early Iron Age Greece (1100-700 B.C.). Paul Åströms Förlag. Jonsered, Sweden. 1997., 'B. The Geometric Period (c. 900-700 B.C.)', pg. 100.

4. Simpson [2018]: Simpson, Richard Hope. Mycenaean Greece and Homeric Tradition. published online under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. 2018, 'Pleuron (Il. 2. 639)', pg. 374. Online here.

5. Simpson [1981]: Simpson, Richard Hope. Mycenaean Greece. Park Ridge, New Jersey: Noyes Press, 1981., 'G 34 Mesolonghi: Gyphtokastro("Old Pleuron")', pg. 159. Online here.

6. 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., 'E 1 Mesolonghi: Gyphtokastro ('Old Pleuron')', pg. 181. Online here.