Mitopolis: Ayia Varvara
| PK | C511 |
| TITLE | Mitopolis: Ayia Varvara |
| WGS84 | 38.060047° N, 21.681436° E |
| Accuracy | 200 m. |
| LAT/LON | 38.060047, 21.681436 |
| LON/LAT | 21.681436, 38.060047 |
| DMS | 38° 3' 36.1692" N | , | 21° 40' 53.1696" E |
| W3W | fixating, sunbathing, quarry |
| UTM | 34 S, 559780, 4212697 |
| EGSA87 | 296439, 4214728 |
| Elevation m | 247 |
| Elevation feet | 810.4 |
| Region | Achaea |
GENERAL SITE TYPE Settlement
TYPE
1. Artifacts. Paschalidis [2018], 13 ' ... and an Assyrian cylinder seal (tomb 3).'2. Cem. Paschalidis [2018], 13 ' ... located by Kyparissis and there were excavated seven chamber tombs ... '
3. Settlement. Simpson and Dickinson [1979], 92 'A LH settlement was reported on an acropolis named Ayia Varvara, one of the three hills of the village.'
4. Settlement. Åström [1965], 106 'Kyparissis found a cemetery and an acropolis, of uncertain date, on one of the three hills, on which the village Mitopolis is built.'
5. Settlement. AJA[1930], 391 'On one of the hillocks of the village of Mitopolis may be distinguished also walls of an acropolis.'
6. Settlement. Ålin [1962], 66 'Gleichzeitig fanden sich auf einem der Dorfhügel Mauer- und Befestigungsspuren, ...'
7. Settlement. Simpson [1981], 91 'A Mycenaean settlement was reported on a hill of acropolis type, named Ayia Varvara, ... '
8. Settlement. Papadopoulos [1979], 29 'Kyparisses found a Late Helladic settlement, a destroyed Mycenaean cemetery and an acropolis of uncertain (Mycenaean?) date, on one of the three hills on which the village is built.'
9. Settlement. Paschalidis [2018], 13 'As it has been suggested by Kolonas, the Mycenaean settlement must have extended in the area where the modern houses now stand.'
10. Tomb. Paschalidis [2018], 13 ' ... a warrior's burial of the LH IIIB period (tomb 1) ... '
PERIOD (High Chronology)
1. Late Helladic: (1700 BC - 1050 BC)
a. Papadopoulos [1979]: 29, ' ... and an acropolis of uncertain (Mycenaean?) date, ... '
b. Ålin [1962]: 66, ? 'Gleichzeitig fanden sich auf einem der Dorfhügel Mauer- und Befestigungsspuren, von denen aber keine Datierungen gegeben werden.'
c. AJA[1930]: 391, 'Other Mycenaean ... '
d. Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: 92, 'A LH settlement ... '
2. LH III: (1410 BC - 1060 BC)
a. Simpson [1981]: 91, 'LH (III)', 'A Mycenaean settlement was reported ... '
3. LH IIIA1: (1410 BC - 1375 BC)
a. Paschalidis [2018]: 13, ' ... containing rich finds dating from the LH IIIA1 to ... '
4. LH IIIB: (1320 BC - 1190 BC)
a. Paschalidis [2018]: 13, ' ... to the beginning of the late phase of the LH IIIC period.'
5. LH IIIC: (1190 BC - 1060 BC)
a. Paschalidis [2018]: 13, ' ... to the beginning of the late phase of the LH IIIC period.'
NOTE
1. Most sources describe two sites for Mitopolis, a cemetery and an acropolis. In this atlas the acropolis is placed at Ayia Varvara (C511) and the cemetery at Ayios Ilias (C512). In this I am following Simpson [1981] 91 (and other sources) who thought that there were two distinct sites, one at Ayia Varvara, the settlement, and another at the foot of the Profitis Ilias hill, the cemetery. For the cemetery location: see the notice by the 6th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities which says: "The Mycenaean cemetery at Mitopoli, ca. 20 km. Southwest from Patras, occupies the locality called Karayianni, on the lower slopes of the so-called Mitopolianiko Mountain or Kombovouni."
There are two sources that contradict this scheme. Åström [1965] 106, who visited the site in 1961, found EH, MH and LH IIIA or B sherds and implied that there was only one site.
Giannopoulos implies that the cemetery is at Ayia Varvara and not at Ayios Ilias. He is skeptical of all previous efforts to properly identify the hills of Mitopolis and he spells out his reasons at Giannopooulos [2008] 36-7. He says, in part, "In 1961 the Museum of Patras received three bronze objects which, like a jar already in the museum storerooms, were supposed to have come from a grave in Profitis Elias of Mitopolis. It is not clear from the reports whether the name Profitis Elias, a common hill name in Greece, indicates a specific hill in this case or, perhaps, one of the three hills of Mitopolis. Because at that time the area studied by Kyparisses in 1929 was already more accurately designated as Agia Varvara and identified with one of the three hills of Mitopolis."
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. AJA[1930]: American Journal of Archaeology, Journal of the Archaeological Institute of America. Vol. 34, 1930., '', pg. 391.
Online here.
2. Ålin [1962]: Ålin, Per. Das Ende der mykenischen Fundstätten auf dem griechischen Festland. Carl Bloms Boktryckeri A.-B., Lund, 1962., 'Mitopolis', pg. 66.
3. Åström [1965]: Åström, Paul. ‘Mycenaean Pottery from the Region of Aigion, with a List of Prehistoric Sites in Achaia’, Opuscula Atheniensia, V, pp. 89-110, C.W.K. Gleerup, Lund, 1965., 'Mitopolis', pg. 106.
4. Giannopoulos [2008]: Giannopoulos, T.. Die Letzte Elite der mykenischen Welt: Achaia in mykenischer Zeit und das Phänomen der Kriegerbestattungen im 12.-11. Jahrhundert v. Chr.. Bonn: Habelt. 2008., '',
5. Papadopoulos [1979]: Papadopoulos, Thanasis J.. Mycenaean Achaea; Part 1: Text. Paul Åströms Förlag, Göteborg, Sweden. 1979. Vol 1., '27. Mitopolis (Ayia Varvara)', pg. 29.
6. Paschalidis [2018]: Paschalidis, Constantinos (with contributions by Photini J.P. McGeorge and Wiesław Więckowski). The Mycenaean Cemetery at Achaia Clauss near Patras; People, material remains and culture in context. Archaeopress Publishing Ltd, Summertown, Oxford OX2 7LG. 2018., 'The latter cemetery, lying at the site of Agia Varvara ..., ', pg. 13.
Online here.
7. Simpson [1981]: Simpson, Richard Hope. Mycenaean Greece. Park Ridge, New Jersey: Noyes Press, 1981., 'D 36 Mitopolis: Ayia Varvara and Profitis Ilias', pg. 91.
Online here.
8. 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., 'B 61A Mitopolis: Ayia Varvara', pg. 92.
Online here.