Archaeology

The Cyclades in the Middle Bronze Age

The Second City at Phylakopi and Kea (Ayia Irini) Phases D and F represent the stratigraphic definition of the Middle Cycladic period. The chronological relations of the earlier phases are uncertain but seem to be with MH II/MM IIA.

"Minoan" Akrotiri

Excavations starting in 1967 at the site called Akrotiri under the late Prof. Spyridon Marinatos have made Thera the best-known "Minoan" site outside of Crete, the homeland of the culture

Akrotiri: First Maritime Republic?

The Author discusses Thera as a maritime trading center. The mansions and frescoes suggest a society of wealthy patricians organized politically as a republic rather than subject to Minoan rule.

The Reconstruction of Settlement Patterns on Thera in Relation to the Cyclades

The paper sets out desiderata for the geographical study of settlement platterns and then seeks to find them in the published data available for Thera before the eruption of c. 1500 B.C.

The Excavation of Wall-Paintings at the Site of Akrotiri

The author describes the methods of planning and recording in situ the fallen fragments of the wall-paintings, an indispensable prerequisite for their ultimate reconstruction, and illustrates the process with an example taken from the actual excavation of the paintings in room B 1.

LM IA Pottery from Priniatikos Pyrgos

Priniatikos Pyrgos is a small Minoan site on the northern coast of Crete. A brief excavation took place in 1912 but was never properly published, and the pottery from here is not well known.

Kythera and the Southern Peloponnese in the LM I Period

The author compares the pottery sequence on Kythera, Thera and Crete. Akrotiri and Kastri enjoyed their greatest prosperity under Minoan influence during the period of the Second Palaces.

Phylakopi and the Late Bronze I Period in the Cyclades

Recent excavations at Phylakopi have led to a reassessment of the stratigraphic succession, with important consequences for the interpretation of the history of the site. The earliest fortifications are shown to belong to the Late Bronze I period, or the third city, as are the frescoes.

Akrotiri: Genesis, Life and Death

In this brief paper I should like to outline what the finds from the Theran settlements - especially those of Akrotiri - suggest to me, considering ceramics and artefacts without disregarding the immediate setting in which they have been found.

Neutron Activation Analysis of Aegean Obsidians

The neutron activation technique of multi-element analysis has been used to examine obsidians from known geological sources of the Eastern Mediterranean and archaeological artefacts from Akrotiri and Knossos.

Lead Isotopes and Aegean Metallurgy

The author describes the techniques and applications of lead isotopic analysis of metals, and glass, and discusses its uses and limitations in archaeology.

Lead Weights from Akrotiri: Preliminary Observations

Seven seasons of excavation at Akrotiri have brought to light one of the largest and most important groups of prehistoric balance weights in the Aegean.

The Unfinished Red Marble Jar at Akrotiri, Thera

A large, unfinished, stone jar was excavated by Sp. Marinatos in the House of the Ladies at Thera in 1972. It is the most important vessel for the study of manufacturing techniques yet found in the prehistoric Aegean.

Evidence of Tephra in Soil Samples From Pyrgos, Crete

Analyses of soil samples from destruction deposits in a large country house of Late Minoan IB age, excavated by the British School at Athens, have shown trace amounts of volcanic glass shards (n = 1.509 ± .001), accessory minerals(including conspicuous amphiboles and pyroxenes), and in the clay fractions moderate amounts of smectite.

Some Words on the Minoan Tsunami of Santorini

(Contribution no. 06/77/RGPGV.) It is suggested that certain waves of the tsunami of Santorin could reach Ayia Irini of northwestern Cyprus. Observations on the respective coast of Cyprus show that the waves might have penetrated inland with a terrible force.