Site details

Davlosis/Megalo Kastraki

PK	C739
TITLE	Davlosis∕Megalo Kastraki
WGS84	38.386892° N, 23.166394° E
Accuracy	20 m.

LAT/LON	38.386892, 23.166394
LON/LAT	23.166394, 38.386892

DMS

38° 23' 12.8112" N

23° 9' 59.0184" E

W3W	festoons, factions, cage
UTM	34 S, 689210, 4250965
EGSA87	427048, 4248784

Elevation m	109
Elevation feet	357.6
Region	Boeotia

GENERAL SITE TYPE Settlement

TYPE

1.    Apsidal.   Phialon [2011], 36    ' ..., ainsi qu'un mur absidal.'
2.    Artifacts.   AD[1995], 299
3.    Artifacts.   AD[1996], 270
4.    Artifacts.   Sarri [2000],
5.    Building.   Phialon [2011], 36    ' ... un bâtiment dégagé au-dessus d'un bâtiment plus ancien, ... '
6.    hab.   Ålin [1962], 121    '...fand S. Lauffer 1937 am Westhang und in der südlichen Unterstadt Mauerfundamente und Scherben aus mittel- und späthelladischer Zeit.'
7.    Settlement.   Farinetti [2011 AI8], 12    'The place in the MH period was a fortified hilltop settlement, probably with a low settlement area on the S slopes (component HA_45)'
8.    Settlement.   Phialon [2011], 36
9.    Settlement.   Simpson and Dickinson [1979], 241    'A small acropolis on a spur, ... '
10.    Settlement.   Simpson [1965], 118    'A small acropolis hill, ... '
11.    Settlement.   BCH [2000], 870    ' ..., constituait l'un des deux pôles de l'habitat, ... '
12.    Settlement.   Fossey [1988], 312    'The Kastraki is an ancient settlement with remains of fortifications, as implied by its name.'
13.    Sherds.   Simpson [1981], 65    'Middle Helladic and Mycenaean sherds are common on the surface, ... '
14.    Sherds.   Simpson and Dickinson [1979], 241    'MH Grey Minyan and Matt-painted and LH III surface sherds are common ... '
15.    Wall.   Simpson and Hagel [2006], 80    ' ..., and of wall foundations and MH and LH sherds on the west slope and in the 'lower town' on the south.', ' ..., although a Mycenaean fort would indeed be expected here, ... '
16.    Wall.   Phialon [2011], 36    ' ... appartenant à des murs HA ... '

PERIOD (High Chronology)

1. Minoan: (3100 BC - 1075 BC)
    a.    BCH [2000]: 870, ' ... ((un tesson minoen ou minoïsant ... '

2. EH: (3100 BC - 2000 BC)
    a.    Fossey [1988]: 313, EH (including EH II), MH .., LH II?, LH IIIB, Archaic ...
    b.    Ålin [1962]: 121, 'Frühhelladische Besiedlung wurde auch festgestellt.'
    c.    Phialon [2011]: 36, ' ... quelques pierres appartenant a des murs HA ... '
    d.    Simpson [1965]: 118, 'EH MH LH IIIB C H'

3. EH II: (2700 BC - 2200 BC)
    a.    Fossey [1988]: 313, EH (including EH II), MH .., LH II?, LH IIIB, Archaic ...
    b.    Simpson [1981]: 65, 'EH II MH LH III(A-B) ... '
    c.    BCH [2000]: , ' ... du matériel mêlé (néolithique, HA II, HM) ... '

4. Middle Helladic: (2000 BC - 1600 BC)
    a.    Farinetti [2011 AI8]: 12, Component HA_45
    b.    Fossey [1988]: 313, EH (including EH II), MH .., LH II?, LH IIIB, Archaic ...
    c.    Ålin [1962]: 121, '... aus mittel- und späthelladischer Zeit.'
    d.    Simpson [1981]: 65, 'Middle Helladic and Mycenaean ... '
    e.    Simpson [1965]: 118, 'MH Grey Minyan and Matt-painted ... '
    f.    BCH [2000]: 870, ' ... du matériel mêlé (néolithique, HA II, HM) ... ', ' ... et atteint des niveaux d'occupation HM en place où trois phases ont pu être distinguées: ... '
    g.    Simpson and Hagel [2006]: 80, ' ... and MH and LH sherds are indeed common on the surface, ... '
    h.    Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: 241, 'MH Grey Minyan ... '

5. Middle Helladic II: (1900 BC - 1700 BC)
    a.    Phialon [2011]: 36, 'Les phases d'occupation sont attribuées à l'HM II-III ... '
    b.    BCH [2000]: 870, ' ...: grande quantité de céramique HA II et HM II-III, ... '

6. Middle Helladic III: (1775 BC - 1700 BC)
    a.    Phialon [2011]: 36, 'Les phases d'occupation sont attribuées à l'HM II-III ... '
    b.    BCH [2000]: 870, ' ...: grande quantité de céramique HA II et HM II-III, ... '

7. Late Helladic: (1700 BC - 1050 BC)
    a.    Farinetti [2011 AI8]: 12, 'Component HA_46','and LH sherds are reported from the site in various prehistoric gazetteers..'
    b.    AD[1996]: 270,
    c.    Ålin [1962]: 121, '... aus mittel- und späthelladischer Zeit.'
    d.    Simpson and Hagel [2006]: 80, ' ... and MH and LH sherds are indeed common on the surface, ... '

8. Late Helladic II: (1635 BC - 1410 BC)
    a.    Fossey [1988]: 313, EH (including EH II), MH .., LH II?, LH IIIB, Archaic ...

9. LH III: (1410 BC - 1060 BC)
    a.    Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: 241, ' ... and LH III surface sherds ... '

10. LH IIIA: (1410 BC - 1315 BC)
    a.    Simpson [1981]: 65, 'EH II MH LH III(A-B) ... '

11. LH IIIB: (1320 BC - 1190 BC)
    a.    Fossey [1988]: 313, EH (including EH II), MH .., LH II?, LH IIIB, Archaic ...
    b.    Simpson [1981]: 65, 'EH II MH LH III(A-B) ... '
    c.    Simpson [1965]: 118, ' ... and LH IIIB wares are common on the surface, ... '

NOTES

1. Position based on Farinetti [2011] Appendix I.8 'The Copais area: Haliartia', p. 1, fig. 1, 'Archaeological Map of Haliartos Chora' where it is no. 20.

2. The toponym 'Davlosis' is applied to the inlet on the south-east side of the former Lake Copais (F889) and it lies between Mount Sphingion (Phagas, F1102) on the S and Mount Kokkoretsa (F1103) on the N.

Sites C739, C740 and C741 are probably best understood as forming a unit. Megalo Kastraki (C739), is the north end of a peninsula that juts out to the NW from the base of Mount Sphingion. Through the Middle Helladic this was the scene of an habitation which would have extended to the south end of the rock (Mikro Kastraki, F888).

This settlement may have been the Medeon mentioned at Iliad ii.501 (cf. Fossey [1988] 314, 'Identification') but this is only a possibility.

This east end of the lake would have been the deepest side in the Bronze Age and would have been covered with a vast sea of reeds which might possibly provide some insight into why a settlement would have been located there.

At some point the settlement appears to have moved to the 'mainland' and a good explanation of this dynamic is in Farinetti [2011] Appendix I.8 'The Copais Area: Haliartia', 14. The usual pattern in this area is for cemeteries to be on the slopes of the 'mainland' while the settlement is typically on a rise in the 'lake'. If this were the typical case then Megalo Kastraki would be the main settlement and C740 and C741 would be the cemeteries. But the typical situation may not apply here. The lack of LH layers at Megalo Kastraki along with the discovery of a retaining wall on the facing 'mainland' hill may indicate that there was a LH settlement at or near C741.

Site C740, for which I have adopted the name 'Sphingion W', appears to have been the site of the settlement cemetery.

rhc

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. BCH [2000]: Bulletin de correspondance hellénique. Volume 124., 'Médéon de Béotie.', pg. 870. Online here.

2. AD[1995]: Archaiologikon Deltion, Athens, Greece, v. 50, '', pg. 299.

3. AD[1996]: Archaiologikon Deltion, Athens, Greece, v. 51, '', pg. 270.

4. Ålin [1962]: Ålin, Per. Das Ende der mykenischen Fundstätten auf dem griechischen Festland. Carl Bloms Boktryckeri A.-B., Lund, 1962., 'Kastraki', pg. 121.

5. Farinetti [2011 AI8]: Farinetti, Emeri. Boeotian Landscapes; A GIS-based study ... Appendix I.8; The Copais area: Haliartia. British Archaeological Reports, no. 2195. 2011., '20. Megalo Kastraki: Components HA_44 to HA_49 and HA_83', pg. 12. Specifically components HA_45,HA_46,HA_83

6. Fossey [1988]: Fossey, John M.. Topography and Population of Ancient Boiotia. Ares publishers Inc., Chicago, Illinois. 1988., '3. Davlosis - Medeon', pg. 312.

7. Phialon [2011]: Phialon, Laetitia. L'Émergence de la Civilisation Mycénienne en Grèce Centrale. Peeters, Leuven - Liege. Belgium. 2011., 'I.2.2.2. Davlosis-Megalo Kastraki (ou Médéon de Béotie) Béotie', pg. 36.

8. Sarri [2000]: Sarri, Kalliopi. ‘Medeon. Anaskaphike ereuna sto lopho Megalo Kastraki’, pp. 1095-1149., '',

9. Simpson [1965]: Simpson, R. Hope. A Gazetteer and Atlas of Mycenaean Sites. London, Institute of Classical Studies, 1965., ''407 Kastraki (Davlosis)'', pg. 118.

10. Simpson and Hagel [2006]: Simpson, R. Hope and D.K. Hagel. Mycenaean Fortifications, Highways, Dams and Canals. SIMA vol. 133. Paul Åströms Förlag. Sävedalen, Sweden. 2006., 'Davlosis Kastraki (Ancient Medeon?)', pg. 80.

11. Simpson [1981]: Simpson, Richard Hope. Mycenaean Greece. Park Ridge, New Jersey: Noyes Press, 1981., 'C 13 Davlosis: Kastraki', pg. 65. Online here.

12. 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., 'G 14 Davlosis: Kastraki', pg. 241. Online here.