The excavations carried out again this year in the Ancient Necropolis of Thassos by the 2nd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities brought to light very important findings from classical and Hellenistic times. In a rescue excavation carried out on a privately owned plot of land in Limenas, a short distance from the new port and in close proximity to the sea, an extensive cluster of tombs dating from the beginning of the 4th century BC was revealed. until the end of the 1st century BC
There are several types of tombs: Ark-shaped, with sides, i.e., of marble slabs, tombs made with brick or stone walls, tiled roofs, and inlays, with burial of the deceased in a large vessel, usually an amphora or hydria. There are, however, also free burials, perhaps due to the excessive density that prevented the placement of new burial monuments from one era to the next. In several cases, the habit of burning the dead and collecting the oldest remains was found.
In the graves found in the central part of the plot, in the layer of sand, skeletons in an excellent state of preservation came to light, a fact of great importance for the anthropological study that will follow next summer in collaboration with Adelphi University in New York. Also, it is worth pointing out that in the building material of the tombs, fragments of architectural members of older monumental buildings of the city of the classical times were found, whose material was used here, since they themselves had apparently been destroyed.
Of greater interest are the findings of the tombs themselves, particularly rare and impressive offerings of the dead, which makes this part of the ancient necropolis one of the richest that have been excavated on the island in recent decades. Among them, the elaborate gold jewelry stands out: necklaces, rings with representations on the sling, buckles for supporting women's clothes, danakes-masks, but also unique earrings decorated with flowers, dolphins and Nikes. Often also silver bracelets, rings and coins. An abundance of bronze objects, bone and clay tools, toys, athlete's strings, weaving implements and miniatures were also found. Special mention is required for the rare sets of vases and the numerous figurines of gods, humans and animals, mainly bulls.
The figurines are mostly female, seated or standing figures with elaborate hairstyles. There are still Silenes and Maenads, Dionysian complexes, depictions of Apollo and Nike, while the mythological-death themes, such as Aphrodite in a swan, are not absent. The pottery is indeed unique, due to the exceptional state of preservation of the vessels. Lagyni, scyphos with relief decoration, wax-colored beetles, goblets imported from the South Aegean and Ionia, lykythia, lamps, incense containers, hydria, etc.
This year's findings of the necropolis are a unique mortgage for future scientific research. Specifically, the study of the skeletal remains in combination with the offerings of each grave will provide important conclusions regarding the social structure, burial practices, burial ideology as well as the causes of disease and death in Thassos during the Late Classical and Hellenistic periods. It is noteworthy, for example, that very substantial endowments seem to accompany child burials, indicative of the social status and posthumous treatment Thasian society reserved for the offspring of urban families.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou