Arkasa: Acropolis
| PK | C5273 |
| TITLE | Arkasa: Acropolis |
| WGS84 | 35.476284° N, 27.109059° E |
| Accuracy | 100 m. |
| LAT/LON | 35.476284, 27.109059 |
| LON/LAT | 27.109059, 35.476284 |
| DMS | 35° 28' 34.6224" N | , | 27° 6' 32.6124" E |
| W3W | tablespoon, mambo, service |
| UTM | 35 S, 509894, 3925869 |
| EGSA87 | 781951, 3930019 |
| Elevation m | 81 |
| Elevation feet | 265.7 |
| Region | Dodecanese |
| Subregion | Karpathos |
GENERAL SITE TYPE Hab
TYPE
1. Lithics. Simpson and Lazenby [1962], 162 'But we gathered two or three 'possibles' (i.e., sherds. rhc) and five or six flakes of obsidian.', 'The site again looks right for a Mycenaean settlement, ...'2. Settlement. Melas [1985], 38 'From the existing evidence one can only assume that there probably was an occupation of the promontory at the time when the small settlement in Leftoporos (E35) (C5950, rhc) was flourishing, ..., or even in the Early Bronze Age.'
3. Sherds. Simpson and Lazenby [1970], 69 'Surface sherds included flat handles of large jars with added grits of orange chert.'
4. Sherds. Simpson [1981], 200 '..., some sherds ... were found, ...'
5. Sherds. Simpson and Dickinson [1979], 358 '..., but some sherds possibly LH were found ...'
6. Sherds. Simpson and Lazenby [1962], 162 'But we gathered two or three 'possibles' (i.e., sherds. rhc) and five or six flakes of obsidian.', 'The site again looks right for a Mycenaean settlement, ...'
7. Wall. Simpson and Hagel [2006], 117 'The summit, ..., was surrounded by a circuit wall ... '
8. Wall. Dawkins [1902], 201 'The cyclopean walls have a very ancient appearance, ...', 'The blocks are very large, some as much as 1.30 x 1.00 metres. They are roughly squared, and the interstices are filled by smaller stones.'
9. Wall. Platon and Karantzali [2003], 200 'Visible remains at the acropolis of Palaikastro (Arkasa) confirm that in this case, at least, the fortification dates back to Mycenaean times.'
SITE SIZE
- Simpson and Hagel [2006] p. 117, Size: 12000 sq. m. 'The summit, an area about 200 m northwest to southeast by about 60 m, was surrounded by a circuit wall ... '
PERIOD (High Chronology)
1. Bronze Age: (3200 BC - 1050 BC)
a. Simpson and Lazenby [1970]: 69, 'This type may belong to the Bronze Age, but later pottery predominates, ... '
2. Late Helladic: (1700 BC - 1050 BC)
a. Simpson [1981]: 200, '..., some sherds possibly LH were found, ...'
b. Simpson and Dickinson [1979]: 358, '... possibly LH ...'
c. Simpson and Lazenby [1962]: 162, '... it was extremely difficult to find any Mycenaean (sherds. RHC).'
d. Platon and Karantzali [2003]: 200, '... dates back to Mycenaean times.'
e. Simpson and Hagel [2006]: 117, 'The masonry could be considered 'Cyclopean' in style, and a Mycenaean date is at least possible, if not probable.'
f. Melas [1985]: 38, 'In the second millennium Mycenaeans may have occupied the citadel reinforcing it with circuit walls.'
3. LH IIIA2: (1375 BC - 1320 BC)
a. Simpson and Hagel [2006]: 117, ' ... Melas ... thought that Mycenaeans may have been already at Palaiokastro at a time (within LH IIIA2 - B1) when the chamber tomb at Vonies, ..., was still in use ... '
4. LH IIIB1: (1320 BC - 1250 BC)
a. Simpson and Hagel [2006]: 117, ' ... Melas ... thought that Mycenaeans may have been already at Palaiokastro at a time (within LH IIIA2 - B1) when the chamber tomb at Vonies, ..., was still in use ... '
NOTES
1. Melas [1985] 37 - 38 provides a history of the exploration of this promontory and the evidence for Mycenaean occupation which he seems to regard as probable.
2. Dawkins [1902] 202 gives a description of the walls as they were a century ago.
rhc
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Dawkins [1902]: Dawkins, R.M.. ‘Notes from Karpathos’, The Annual of the British School at Athens (9), 176-210, 1902/1903, '§ 6. - Ancient Remains.', pg. 201.
Online here.
2. Melas [1985]: Melas, Emmanuel. The Islands of Karpathos, Saros and Kasos in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Paul Åströms Förlag, Göteborg 1985., 'E36. Paliokastro', pg. 37.
3. Platon and Karantzali [2003]: Platon, Lefteris and Efi Karantzali. ‘New Evidence for the History of the Minoan Presence on Karpathos’, The Annual of the British School at Athens (98), pp. 189-202, 2003., '', pg. 200.
'It is worth emphasizing that most of these sites were identified by surface investigations or unauthorized digging ... while fewer are known as the result of systematic excavation (... Vonies/Arkasas, ...).'
Online here.
4. Simpson and Hagel [2006]: Simpson, R. Hope and D.K. Hagel. Mycenaean Fortifications, Highways, Dams and Canals. SIMA vol. 133. Paul Åströms Förlag. Sävedalen, Sweden. 2006., 'Karpathos: Arkasa (Ancient Arkaseia)', pg. 117.
5. Simpson [1981]: Simpson, Richard Hope. Mycenaean Greece. Park Ridge, New Jersey: Noyes Press, 1981., '', pg. 200.
Online here.
6. Simpson and Lazenby [1962]: Simpson, Richard Hope and J.F. Lazenby. ‘Notes from the Dodecanese’, The Annual of the British School at Athens, 57, pp. 154-175, 1962., '', pg. 162.
'Arkaseia is a spectacular high and steep-sided acropolis on a similar promontory projecting westwards into the sea on the south-west coast of the island.'
Online here.
7. Simpson and Lazenby [1970]: Simpson, Richard Hope and J.F. Lazenby. ‘Notes from the Dodecanese II’, The Annual of the British School at Athens (65), pp. 47-77, 1970., 'Arkaseia', pg. 69.
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., 'Note On Karpathos', pg. 358.
Online here.