GREEK DARK AGES NORTHERN GREECE 4

THE DARK AGE IN NORTHERN GREECE 4: 900-700 BC
Chronology in Macedonia relies on the import of datable S. Greek pottery.
Local imitations of PG and 'Macedonian' products largely undatable.
900 is therefore an arbitrary but convenient point to use as a boundary.
Innovations:	first widespread cemetery evidence (except Toroni, Dion)
	first development of TABLE form of settlement
	gradual abandonment of TOUMBAS
	appearance of numerous small settlements - Langadas survey

CEMETERIES		'flat'	Gynaikokastro, Amphipolis (Hill 133), Pydna
			Agios Pantelaimon (Patele), Vitsa in Epirus
		tumulus	Vergina, Dion, Barc, Kuc i Zi
	cremation at Gynaikokastro, inhumation elsewhere
	earth graves, stone piles (Vitsa), cist graves (Vergina), pithoi

POTTERY	East of Axios river - incised decoration favoured
	West of Axios - matt painted - W. Macedonia, S Albania, Vitsa (Epirus), Thermon (Aetolia)
Ware	Hand-made buff brown burnished
Shapes	BOWLS in C Macedonia, JUGS Macedonia and Epirus
	JARS, KANTHAROI in W Macedonia and Epirus,
	MULTIPLE VASES in Albania, Epirus
Decoration	Geometric, especially pendent triangles and fringes
	Wheel made Proto Geometric imitations common at Vergina, Dion
	Pendent semicircles used long after out of fashion in Lefkandi
Late MG Corinthian imports in Vitsa graves
By 8th century a few examples of wheel made local wares

METAL WORK		bronze ornaments, female graves
		iron weapons, male graves
		common types from Olympus to Bosnia (Glasinac)
hammered wire/sheet ornaments			spectacle fibulae, long pins, rings
			hairspirals, bracelets, tutuli
			diadems with dot punch decoration
cast ornaments after 800 ??			segmented beads, `monkeys on sticks'
			pendants - globe, drop, vase
			heavy ridged bracelets
iron for		swords, cutlasses, daggers/knives, spears

SETTLEMENTS		continues to some extent at Toumbas of Axiochori, Kastanas, Assiros, Toumba
		new flat tables, spacious, shallow deposits, defensive profile
(C.Macedonia)		excavations at Anchialos, Table of Toumba Thessalonikis, Karaburun, Axiochori (Vardaroftsa)

		Combination of stone footings and mud brick superstructures
		Streets, domestic structures: apsidal buildings at Assiros (Phase 1)

Pottery	difficult to compare with cemeteries - little overlap
	still in LBA tradition of shape
	brown burnished h/m, jugs, wishbone handled bowls, jars
	matt painted around Thermaic gulf
	wheelmade grey class - especially 1-h cups
	imported LG - Euboean style = `formal' colonisation ? found at Toumba Thessalonikis, Mende, Poseidi, Anchialos

SANCTUARY		Poseidi - open air, enclosure, altar with ash deposits