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POTS, PIRACY AND AEGILA: HELLENISTIC CERAMICS FROM AN INTENSIVE SURVEY OF ANTIKYTHERA, GREECE

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2012

Alan Johnston ,
Alessandro Quercia ,
Aris Tsaravopoulos ,
Andrew Bevan  and
James Conolly
Alan Johnston*
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology, University College London; Institute of Classical Studies, London
Alessandro Quercia
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester
Aris Tsaravopoulos
Affiliation:
Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 26th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities
Andrew Bevan
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology, University College London
James Conolly
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Trent University
*
[email protected]
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Abstract

The small Greek island of Antikythera has a long history of human exploitation, of which one of the most interesting episodes is represented by a fortified settlement on the north coast of the island that can be plausibly identified as a centre of Hellenistic piratical activity. Hellenistic ‘Aegila’ has left both impressive standing remains and a range of portable finds that have attracted academic interest over much of the last two centuries. This paper examines the pottery assemblage from this period recovered during a recent intensive survey over the island's entire extent. We consider the spatial and typological character of this material as well as the implications it has for the Hellenistic community's wider social, economic and political connections.

Κεραμική, πειρατεία και η Αίγιλα: Ελληνιστική κεραμική από συστηματική επιφανειακή έρευνα στα Αντικύθηρα

Στο μικρό νησί των Αντικυθήρων (η αρχαία Αίγιλα) διαπιστώνεται η ανθρώπινη παρουσία ήδη απο τα προϊστορικά χρόνια. Μια από τις πιο ενδιαφέρουσες περιόδους αντιπροσωπεύεται από έναν οχυρωμένο οικισμό στη βόρεια ακτή του, ο οποίος εύλογα μπορεί να αναγνωριστεί ως ένα από τα κέντρα της πειρατικής δραστηριότητας των Ελληνιστικών χρόνων. Σώζονται εντυπωσιακά κατάλοιπα τείχους και άλλων μνημειακών κατασκευών, αλλά και μια σειρά κινητών ευρημάτων της Ελληνιστικής Αίγιλας που έχουν προκαλέσει το ενδιαφέρον της επιστημονικής κοινότητας από τον 19οαιώνα. Η παρούσα εργασία εξετάζει το σύνολο της κεραμικής της περιόδου αυτής που συλλέχθηκε κατά τη διάρκεια της συστηματικής επιφανειακής έρευνας που ολοκληρώθηκε πριν από μερικά χρόνια και κάλυψε όλο το νησί. Στη μελέτη συζητείται η κατά τόπους κατανομή και η τυπολογία του υλικού αυτού, καθώς και τα συμπεράσματα που προκύπτουν από τη μελέτη του για τις κοινωνικές, οικονομικές και πολιτικές σχέσεις της ελληνιστικής κοινότητας του νησιού.

Type
Articles
Information
Annual of the British School at Athens , Volume 107 , November 2012 , pp. 247 - 272
Copyright
Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 2012

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References

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