60-87

Nisyriaka I

• Φιλήμονος-Τσοποτού, Μελίνα

Works for the construction of a Municipal football-field in the area of Ai-Yannis at Man- draki on Nisyros led to the discovery and excavation of thirteen graves of the Classical and Hellenistic periods. Excavations in this area by Italian archaeologists in 1932 had brought to light part of the necropolis of the ancient city with Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic graves.The earliest burials unearthed in the 1981-82 excavation were 4th century B.C. «jar inhumations» in large undecorated globular pithoi sealed with a vase of «flower-pot» shape (graves 4, 7 and 9). Burial-pithos 6 was of a different shape: oval with a broad mouth. All the pithoi were found broken and plundered, and have yielded very few vases and sherds. The only vase offerings found in situ were those placed outside grave 9, which is datable to the mid-4th century B.C. Two burials in rectangular clay sarcophagi (graves 8 and 10) are assigned to the same date. Both were found incomplete and plundered. The only «jar inhumation» in a pointed amphora was that of grave 12, which is assignable to the third quarter of the 4th century B.C.The rest of the excavated graves were stone-lined cist-graves, of which the earliest (grave 1) dates from the early 3rd century B.C. They were built of rectangular poros stones and most had a coating of white plaster, that of grave 5 being particularly well worked. Graves 1 and 2 were the only ones to have escaped plundering. The rest have been found either disturbed or robbed. Grave 13 contained the remains of a gilded bronze wreath with gilded clay berries. Graves 2 and 11 were the latest of the excavated graves, dating from the third quarter of the 2nd century B.C.With respect to pottery finds, we note that imported Attic vases predominate in earlier graves, while later burials of the 2nd century B.C. were furnished with local pots or, at any rate, with ceramic products from the area of the East-Mediterranean basin.

• History and Archaeology

• Αρχαιολογία
• Excavations (Archaeology)
• Archaeology and art

Ευχαριστώ την 'Εφορο Ηώ Ζερβουδάκη για το πραγματικό ενδιαφέρον της και τις παρατηρήσεις που έκανε σε όλα τα στάδια αυτής της δουλειάς. Τα σχέδια των αγγείων έγιναν από τη σχεδιάστρια της KB' Εφο_ ρείας Προϊστορικών και Κλασικών Αρχαιοτήτων Δωδεκανήσου Κατερίνα Κοκκονού, ενώ οι περισσότερες φωτογραφίες τους από το φωτογράφο της ίδιας Εφορείας Γ. Μπελεγρίνη., Το άρθρο περιέχεται στο τεύχος: Μέρος Α'-Μελέτες, Περιέχει 7 σχέδια. Πίνακες 12-27 βλέπε τέλος τεύχους