the encyclopedia of ancient history || anavyssos
TRANSCRIPT
AnavyssosALEXANDRA-FANI ALEXANDRIDOU
Anavyssos is located between Mount Olympos
of LAURION and Pani in south Attica. An ancient
road led through Olympos and Pani to mod-
ern Phoinikia and from there to the Mesogeia
Plain. Four Classical demoi, Thorai, Phrearrhoi,
Anaphlystos, and Aigilia, were situated between
Anavyssos and Phoinikia. Although they
have not yet been identified, inscriptions attest
to their names. The archaeological evidence
from the area is of a scattered and isolated
character. This lack of more consistent evidence
is due to the continuous use of the area for
agricultural purposes since antiquity, as well as
to the intensive building activity of the last
decades.
Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age sherds
have been detected in various spots, while a
Middle Bronze Age settlement has been dis-
covered on the peninsula of Agios Nikolaos. In
the Geometric period (ninth to eighth centu-
ries BCE), an extended cemetery was situated in
the Plain of Anavyssos, near modern Agios
Panteleimon. The large number of graves indi-
cates the existence of an important settlement
in the vicinity. At the edge of the western part
of the cemetery, an edifice was discovered and
has been interpreted as a chthonic sanctuary,
probably associated with the cult of the
deceased. Although graves of the Archaic
period have not been found, the necropolis
was used in the Classical period. South of
Agios Panteleimon, Classical sherds and
remains indicate the existence of a settlement.
By the church of Agios Georgios, two tumuli
dating to the late Geometric and early Archaic
periods have been explored. Another tumulus
was found south of the road to Kamareza, close
to Mesochori. It contained Late Geometric
inhumations, as well as seventh- and sixth-
century BCE cremations. Lohmann describes
the tumulus as a necropolis indicating the
existence of a large Archaic settlement, which
could have developed from an earlier Geomet-
ric one. Some isolated graves and tumuli
dating to the Classical period add to the
archaeological evidence from the area. A num-
ber of stray finds, including Archaic and Clas-
sical vessels, as well as sixth-century BCE kouroi,
were uncovered in the area of Anavyssos. These
share characteristics with the late sixth-century
kouros, Aristodikos, found northwest of the
church of Agios Panteleimon.
SEE ALSO: Athens; Burial, Greece.
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS
Kakavogianni, O. (1984) “Anάbussος.”Αrwaiοlοgikόn Deltίοn 39: 43–5.
Lohmann, H. (1993) Atene. Forschungen zu
Siedlungs- und Wirtschaftsstruktur des
klassischen Attika. Cologne.
Mersch, A. (1996) Studien zur Siedlungsgeschichte
Attikas von 950 bis 400 v.Chr. Frankfurt am Main.
Τhemelis, P. (1974) “Αnάbussος. GeometrikόΝekrοtajeίο.” Arwaiοlοgikόn Deltίοn 29,Χrοnikά, Β1: 108–10.
Travlos, J. (1988) Bildlexikon zur Topographie des
antiken Attika. Tubingen.
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,
and Sabine R. Huebner, print page 406.
© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah02019
1