156-182

Rescue excavations at the village Ayios Georgios near Larissa

Αρχαιολογικά χρονικά

• Τζιαφαλιάς, Αθανάσιος

In 1975 and 1976 rescue excavations were conducted for a few days in two areas of the community Ayios Georgios near Larissa (plan 1 ). The excavation revealed part of an extensive burial mound from the archaic period, with important offerings in it.The excavation research was carried out in Vassilios Zafiroulis’ field, in the place named “Xirorema” and it revealed two pithos burials and nine graves. The graves were formed in single or multiple series of big unwrought stones and they were ellipsoid or rectangular shape inside,but almost a horseshoe shape outside (plan 3 and figs. 3, 8).They included big clay or bronze ash urns with the cremated bones of the dead in them (figs. 11 - 12 ) and some of their personal things as well. Those were mostly small bronze and clay vases, bronze fibulae (fig. 4 ) and rings, necklaces, bronze pin«} some small iron knives and on one occasion there was an iron spear which was curved on purpose, so that it could be put in the ash urn.In the grave number 2, several big iron weapons and some big bronze fibulae (fig. 5 ) had been deposited in an irregularly shaped offering place beside the ash urns. The weapons were swords (fig. 6 ), big knives, small knives and spears (fig. 7 ). All of them had been curved on purpose, so that they couldn’t be possibly used again.In Constantinos Nanoulis’ field in the place “ Karaeria” an excavation was carried out at the south west part of an extensive but short burial mound (plan 4). It revealed two multiple burials of the same shape as the previous one. The space between them had also been filled with big unwrought stones (fig. 20 ). In both of them, apart from the bronze and clay ash urns with the cremated bones of the dead and some of their personal things in them ( fi gs. 21 - 23 ), and apart from the great number of weapons and other bronze offerings,there were iron hardware from at least two chariots which might had been used to carry the dead (figs. 14-16,21).In Constantine Nanoulis’field the dead were all male and were buried all together probably after some important historical event, while in Vassilios Zafi- roulis’ field some of the dead are clearly female. In both places the custom of cremation seemed to prevail absolutely and the grave was combined with a mound. The pyre of course would have been nearly and the dead were burnt arrayed in their clothes and weapons.The first graves date to the second half of the 7th century B.C., except for number 3, which is dated to the first half of the 6th century ; the second set is dated to the middle of the 6th century B.C. ( or probably to the third quarter of the 6th century B.C. ).

• History and Archaeology

• Ανασκαφές (Αρχαιολογία)

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