Site details

Thouria: Hagios Athanasios

PK	C397
TITLE	Thouria: Hagios Athanasios
WGS84	37.085266° N, 22.055458° E
Accuracy	20 m.

LAT/LON	37.085266, 22.055458
LON/LAT	22.055458, 37.085266

DMS

37° 5' 6.9576" N

22° 3' 19.6488" E

W3W	tinkers, reframe, finishers
UTM	34 S, 593807, 4104852
EGSA87	327017, 4105812

Elevation m	86
Elevation feet	282.2
Region	Messenia

GENERAL SITE TYPE Hab

TYPE

1.    Cem.   McDonald and Rapp [1972], 288    ' ... CEM? ... '
2.    hab.   McDonald and Rapp [1972], 288    'HAB. ... '
3.    hab.   Simpson [2014], 26    'HAB; 0.6 ha; 'hamlet''
4.    hab.   Messenia III, 160    'The material on the habitation site ... confirms its use in prehistoric times. It could have been associated with the \"cemetery\" below it.'
5.    Lithics.   McDonald and Rapp [1972], 288    'Frags. of obsidian; ... '
6.    Lithics.   Messenia III, 160    'Obsidian chips and a few sherds of coarse "oatmeal" ware occur on the w terraces below the barn.'
7.    Sherds.   Messenia III, 160    ' ... we noted prehistoric sherds about 2.50 m. down from the surface ... '

SITE SIZE

- Simpson [2014]  p. ,  Size: 6000 sq. m.  HAB; 0.6 ha; 'hamlet'

- Messenia III  p. 160,  Size: 6000 sq. m.  'The total extent of the settlement was probably not more than 100 m. N-S by 60 m.'

- McDonald and Rapp [1972]  p. 288,  Size: 6000 sq. m.  '100 m N-S x 60 (0.6 ha)'

PERIOD (High Chronology)

1. Middle Helladic: (2000 BC - 1600 BC)
    a.    Simpson [2014]: 26, 'MH, LH(?)'
    b.    McDonald and Rapp [1972]: 288, 'MH?'

2. Late Helladic: (1700 BC - 1050 BC)
    a.    Simpson [2014]: 26, ' ..., LH(?)'
    b.    McDonald and Rapp [1972]: 288, 'LH?'

NOTES

1. This can be roughly located by working backwards from the village churches of modern Thouria. In Messenia III (p. 160, no. 79b) we read that the bearing from the actual site to the 'village church' is 257°. This means that the bearing from the church to the site is 77°. So: 1) draw a line from Hagioi Theodoroi Thourias (I'm assuming that this is the 'village church') of 77°. 2) I have made the assumption that the chapel at 37.084185°, 22.053902° (F3973) is what McDonald and Simpson are referring to as the chapel of Ayios Athanasios. So draw a line of 45° from F3973. 3) draw a circle of 200 m. radius centered on F3973. All three of these constructions converge where I've placed the marker. I am at present unable to learn the name of F3973. There are at least two churches of the name Athanasios in this area. One is in Thourias itself at 37.084310°, 22.047087° and one more is north of Thouria at 37.086721°, 22.051430°. But F3973 is the most likely candidate for the chapel referred to by McDonald and Simpson.

2. An alternative position may be close to 37.087892,22.053256 which is about 300+ meters distant to the NW.

rhc

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. McDonald and Rapp [1972]: McDonald, William A. and George R. Rapp, Jr.. The Minnesota Messenia Expedition: Reconstructing a Bronze Age Regional Environment. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. USA. 1972, '139 Thouria: Ayios Athanasios', pg. 288.

2. Messenia III: McDonald, William A. and Richard Hope Simpson. ‘Further Explorations in Southwestern Peloponnese: 1964-1968’, American Journal of Archaeology. Vol. 73, No. 2 (Apr., 1969), pp. 123-177., '79B. Ayios Athanasios (Thouria)', pg. 160. Online here.

3. Simpson [2014]: Simpson, Richard Hope. Mycenaean Messenia and the Kingdom of Pylos. Philadelphia:Instap Academic Press, 2014. , '79B Thouria: Hagios Athanasios', pg. 26.