Midea, a settlement in the Argolid from the Late Neolithic to Middle Bronze Age Periods

The Mycenaean citadel of Midea which is situated at the Eastern border of the Argive plain has been excavated by a joint Greek-Swedish program under the direction of Dr. Katie Demakopoulou. From the very beginning of the excavations it was noted that settlement of the site must go back to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age periods. However, it was not until the 2004-2006 seasons, when Dr. Katie Demakopoulou excavated trenches (A and Aa) on the Northwest terrace of the Upper Acropolis, that stratified deposits dating to Early Helladic I and II were identified. These include an intact deposit of eating and drinking vessels between two walls and a massive stone structure, the latter interpreted as a fortification wall, each datable to Early Helladic II. Three tombs dated to Early Helladic III / Middle Helladic I were also found, while further excavation produced some Late and Final Neolithic pottery. Middle Helladic material and some few Mycenaean sherds from the uppermost layers probably date to the levelling of the area prior to the construction of the Mycenaean buildings. The finds from these trenches are the starting point of a study aimed to enrich our knowledge of the Argive plain`s Early Bronze Age period generally, with Midea as its main focus. New perspectives are expected to arise, especially for the initial phase of the Early Bronze Age (Early Helladic I) which is present in the material of Midea in its earliest stage as well as in a more advanced phase, termed the "Talioti Phase" in the Argolid. Whereas the pottery from the earliest part of Early Helladic I points to interaction within the entire Aegean, the Talioti Phase is characterized by regional developments. However, pottery shapes such as "frying pans" argue for an augmentation of contacts with the Cyclades. The building remains of Early Helladic II as well as pithoi with roller impressions show that Midea was on a relatively high level in settlement hierarchy within the Argolid. Comparable ceramic material from Lerna is well published; however, the pottery from Midea shows clear differences in shape and decoration which may be due to regional or contextual variation. To answer these questions, to reconstruct interregional interaction as well as external relations, pottery analysis with petrography at the forefront, is of eminent importance. To this end, in addition to results from Korinthia and Lerna, an analysis of material from Tiryns as one of the main settlements of the Argolid is invaluable. To gain a better understanding of the economic background of the settlement, an analysis of the tools and palaeozoological remains from the area is necessary. During Early Helladic III / Middle Helladic I the area of trenches A and Aa seems to have been used as a burial ground. During this research project, emphasis will be lain on the various grave types which include the pithos burial of a child, a rock-cut tomb and a pit grave. Through this analysis, their relation to the individuals buried therein, as well as to the paricular burial rituals revolving around each type of grave will be clarified. A study of the pottery of this period, found around the tombs and probably related to them, will doubtlessly aid us in this endeavor.

The Mycenaean citadel of Midea, situated on a hill at the border of the Argive plain, has been excavated by a joint Greek-Swedish program under the direction of Dr Katie Demakopoulou. From the very beginning of the excavations it was noted that settlement of the site goes back to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age periods. However, it was not until the 2004-2006 seasons that stratified deposits of the Neolithic period (Late and Final Neolithic; 4800-3100 BC), the Early Bronze Age (Early Helladic [EH] I and II; 3100-2200 BC) and the start of the Middle Bronze Age (EH III Late Middle Helladic I; 2200-1900 BC) were identified on the upper part of the Acropolis of Midea. This project, funded by the Austrian Science Fund aimed to explore these findings and finds and to put them in context with the already known finds of Southern Greece and the Aegean. The first use of this area which is documented by a fill with extremely fragmented sherds is dated to the later part of the Late Neolithic period (4800-4500 BC). A pit grave which was partly dug into this fill contained a probably secondary inhumation of a woman of 40-50 years. According to the radiocarbon dates the burial is dated between 4350 and 4270 BC. A disturbed rock-cut tomb may be dated from the Final Neolithic till EH II. For EH I (3100-2700 BC) a horizon of use was identified. EH II (2700-2200) evidence is present for its developed phase, and a strong wall, most probably part of a fortification, as well as a deposit of a dining set belong to this period. In the excavated area habitation was interrupted from the late phase of EH II to the late phase of EH III. For the start of the Middle Bronze Age there is evidence for a floor horizon on which entire vessels were located in certain distance from each other. The archaeological and scientific analysis (petrography, chemical and Neutron Activation Analysis) of the pottery produced interesting aspects on the position of Midea in the Northeastern Peloponnese. For EHI a number of local and regional fabrics have been identified. This includes a fabric originating from an important centre of production in the Talioti Valley which specialised in the fruitstand form in particular. In addition we have identified an import from the island of Aegina. During EH II the assemblage is dominated by the Talioti fabric but includes other regional and local fabrics, however, these are in a smaller proportion than in the Neolithic and EHI periods. In addition about 10% of the pottery appears to be imported from the Korinthia. This pottery is associated with high fired, dark slipped table wares in particular consisting of saucers and sauceboats indicative of communal consumption practices. Figurines of clay, jewellery, spindle whorls, mat impressions, stone implements as well as palaeozoological remains give information on the various activities on the site. According to the flakes Midea was probably a secondary production centre of obsidian tools. The abundance of obsidian shows that Midea was in close connection to coastal settlements. At the same time fragments of storage vessels with roller impressions, weights of marble and the remains of the fortification indicate the relatively high rank of Midea in the EH II settlement network of the Argolid.