Deux Cyclades : Kéos et Kythnos : International Symposium : Kea and Kythnos. Historical and Archaeological Research — Kea - Kythnos. 22-25 June 1994. ; n°2 ; vol.20, pg 305-318

Miriam Caskey

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Dialogues d'histoire ancienne - Année 1994 - Volume 20 - Numéro 2 - Pages 305-318
14 pages

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• Publié par: DIALOGUES_D-HISTOIRE_ANCIENNE
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1994
• Nombre de lectures: 39
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

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Madame Miriam Caskey
Deux Cyclades : Kéos et Kythnos : International Symposium :
Kea and Kythnos. Historical and Archaeological Research —
Kea - Kythnos. 22-25 June 1994.
In: Dialogues d'histoire ancienne. Vol. 20 N°2, 1994. pp. 305-318.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Caskey Miriam. Deux Cyclades : Kéos et Kythnos : International Symposium : Kea and Kythnos. Historical and Archaeological
Research — Kea - Kythnos. 22-25 June 1994. In: Dialogues d'histoire ancienne. Vol. 20 N°2, 1994. pp. 305-318.
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/dha_0755-7256_1994_num_20_2_2192Dialogues d'Histoire Ancienne 20.2, 1994, 305-318
DEUX CYCLADES : KEOS et KYTHNOS
Miriam CASKEY
Athens
[Miriam Caskey a bien voulu nous donner très rapidement une
recension du colloque de Kéos-Kythnos. C'est une occasion pour nous de
saluer cette grande dame de l'archéologie qui a tant fait, avec J.L. Caskey,
pour la découverte et l'exégèse des merveilles cycladiques.
La rédaction]
An international symposion on the archaeology, history, and
civilisation of the Cycladic islands Kea and Kythnos was held in
these islands 22-25 June, 19941. it was organised by the Centre for
Greek and Roman Antiquity (K.E.R.A.) and the department of
History of the Ionian University. Members of the organising committ
ee were Professor M.B. Hatzopoulos (K.E.R.A.), Professor Stavros
Perentidis (Ionian University), Dr. Lina Mendoni (K.E.R.A.), and
Dr. A. Mazarakis-Ainian (Ionian University). The warm hospital
ity of the islanders set the tone.
The symposion was opened by Professor P. Levêque. Topics
covered a wide range from Prehistoric to Roman and later times.
1. International Symposium : Kea and Kythnos. Historical and
Archaeological Research — Kea - Kythnos. 22-25 June, 1994. 306 Miriam Caskey
Some were of a specific, some of a more general nature. The main
themes of the symposion were the prehistoric site of Ayia Irini, the
Aegean and Trade, New Geological Studies and their Archaeologic
al and Historical Implications, the Land and its Use, Metallurgy,
Karthaia and Kean Sculpture, Kean History, Literature, and
Kythnos through time.
PREHISTORY
For the opening session the site at Ayia Irini was the focus.
The question of the beginnings of "urbanisation" was raised in a
paper by E. Schofield, "Town Planning at Ayia Irini". This touches
on the focus of another symposion on "Early Helladic Architecture
and Urbanisation" held at the Swedish Institute in Athens in 1985
(Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology Vol. LXXVI). Goteborg 1986,
with much useful bibliography. Much has been said and written on
unbanisation in the ancient world and there are still very different
interpretations of the evidence as far as planning is concerned.
Schofield based her argument for town at Ayia Irini on the
existence of a complex drainage system, and, in particular, access to
a water supply going back to EBA II times. The question is whether
simple access to available water can be said to indicate town
planning. Architectural evidence for the EBA consists of a few rooms
along the western slope of the underlying ridge of the site. Her
arguments find more support in the Late Bronze Age (especially
Period VII about the layout of which much more is known), when we
have carefully constructed drains beneath most alleyways and
streets, and a terraced approach to the water supply at the
northwest edge of the site. Perhaps too there was some degree of
centralised planning during the Middle Bronze Age (Period IV) with
the building of the first fortification wall and one or more buildings
aligned with it along a road by its inner face. The difficulty here is
that we have little evidence for the layout of the site at this time,
and building remains are spotty. Schofield would agree with those
who see a "complex drainage system" as evidence for "planned
communal effort". Here we may note that while an "urban" effort of
some sort might be required to construct the drains, they have to
follow existing lines of alleyways and streets, unless we assume that
the drains were laid out first as part of a package in a real town
plan. There is no evidence that the drains preceded the alleyways
at Ayia Irini, and we cannot tell if it was a "communal effort" or one
dictated by central power. Modern connotations of the term "urban
DHA 20.2, 1994 Deux Cyclades : Keos et Kythnos 307
planning" indeed tend to colour our interpretation of the evidence.
Who is doing the "planning" ? It is perhaps pertinent to ask where
is the "urban plan" of the village of Chora (Ioulis) in Kea today ?
Here is a complicated system of drains, but there is no evidence that
this town was ever planned as a whole in Hippodamean or other
fashion. Rather, it grew around the cirque opposite the ancient
citadel ; drains were constructed where needed.
THE AEGEAN and TRADE
The Aegean sea came into its own with discussions on trade,
anchorages and possible routes between ports of call. Considerable
attention was given to the archaeological remains of harbour works
and their interpretation, and to our conceptions of trade in
prehistoric times. In an interesting paper on a large Late Cycladic I
painted jar from Ayia Irini (Kea Mus. 4331) decorated with griffins,
M. Marthari concluded that the jar was Theran and that there is
much ceramic evidence at Ayia Irini to reinforce the supposition of
commercial ties between the two islands at that time, within the
framework of the so-called "Western String" (E. Schofield, "The
Western Cyclades and Crete : a Special Relationship," Oxford
Journal of Archaeology 1, 1982, 9-25). Contact with Aigina was
demonstrated in a paper by C. Hershenson through the analysis of
the LH III Sparse Matt-painted Ware, long suspected to have been
Aiginetan. Another important paper was by C. Morris and R. Jones on
the origin of LBA III imported pottery at Ayia Irini and the nature
and range of Mycenaean contacts with that site. The old question as
to what evidence is needed to call a site "Mycenaean" in terms of
occupation was raised by M. Hatzopoulos, and in a paper by
A.L. Schallin. The excavator J.L. Caskey and the Ayia Irini staff
have always rejected the hypothesis of actual colonisation at Ayia
Irini by mainland Mycenaeans or, earlier, by Minoan Crete.
H.G. Georgiou's paper on "The Role of Maritime Contacts in
the Urban Development of the Prehistoric Cyclades" gave rise to
considerable discussion with ideas that were referred to a number of
times during the course of the symposion. A sailor herself, she stres
sed the importance of sea approaches in choice (location) of site and
the necessity of considering wind, currents, geography and naval
technology when discussing trade. While not disputing "ultimate
destinations", she rejects the idea that we can, with our present
knowledge, speak of pre-determined trade routes based simply on
DHA 20.2, 1994 308 Miriam Caskey
similar artifact assemblages at different sites. At this stage, we
cannot say how goods got from one place to another. She therefore
rejects the idea of a "Western String" as misleading, noting as well
that Thera is not in the western Cyclades, but south central. She
was asked what should be proposed in place of the "Western String"
theory. She stressed that while we cannot provide another theory
at present, the theory should be rejected as it gives a pattern to our
thinking that limits our approach while not offering anything
sound. Additional sites may fill in the picture. Marthari found no
objection to accepting the idea of a "WS network" along with any
other trade routes.
There appear to be two distinct camps with opposing views on
this matter. It is therefore particularly valuable to have a seaman's
view of nautical communication. The Aegean is after all a watery
place : wind, weather and current are not lightly to be ignored.
GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION
The Aegean ground swell continued to make itself felt in two
important geological contributions by Nikos Mourtzas and Eleni
Kolaïtou, as well as in a number of other papers. Geological explora
tion around the seaward end of Ayia Irini by N. has shown
that the change in the sea level that ultimately submerged some of
the site took place in two stages, sea level during the floruit of the
settlement having been some 3. 60 to 4. 00m. lower than it is today.
This degree of change agrees with the evidence derived from the
excavation of the Spring Chamber at the west side of the site of
Ayia Irini (Hesperia XL, 4, 1971, 365-367). As for the dates of these
two changes, the first appears to have been an early Hellenistic
phenomenon. L. Mendoni suggested that a date for the second change
is provided by an inscription datable to the years of the co-rule of
Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, that is between 166 and 169 A. C.
It honours a certain Karthaian for repairing the "пара то Ài|ievi
xS)|ia" f