Sanctuary Of Amarysia Artemis, Amarynthos – New Valuable Finds By Greek-Swiss Team

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - New important findings have been revealed by Greek-Swiss excavations at the sanctuary of Amarysia Artemis, located two kilometers east of Amarynthos, nearby Eretria, on the island of Euboea.

Byzantine or post-Byzantine rampart wall and building on Early Bronze Age strata

Byzantine or post-Byzantine rampart wall and building on Early Bronze Age strata. Image credit: YPPOA

Many scientists place Eretria of the Mycenaean period in the location of the present town of Amarynthos. Amarynthos has a long and rich history, which is confirmed by archaeological evidence in the form of a series of buildings uncovered in recent years, and dated to the classical and Hellenistic periods.

Now, the archaeologists want to investigate the archaic and geometric phase of the place of worship, at the same time, they want to study the prehistoric settlement on the adjacent hill of the Paleoklesi, in order to understand the first worship in space and the reasons that led to the shift of human activity from the hill to the coastal plain, where the sanctuary was founded.

The location of the Sanctuary of Artemis at Amarynthos

The location of the Sanctuary of Artemis at Amarynthos. source

This year the excavation of the Late Archaic temple continued and that of the depositor was completed, which was revealed in 2020 in its foundations and contained hundreds of votive offerings.

Several new installations of the Geometric and Archaic eras were identified, as well as exceptional finds.

In various places and especially around a horseshoe-shaped altar from an older phase of the temple, the archaeological finds show that a cult already existed in the second half of the 8th century BC.

Some walls of a building belong to this phase. The team have worked in the area of the foundations of the first archaic temple and its adytus. Various artifacts include copper flasks, jewelry, such as a faience seal in the shape of a scarab on a silver ring, two copper shields, and iron objects such as double chisels, probably associated with sacrifices, were discovered in the shelter.

Silver ring with faience seal in the shape of a scarab (7th – 6th century BC

Silver ring with faience seal in the shape of a scarab (7th – 6th century BC. Image credit: YPPOA

After the destruction of the first archaic temple, the site was remodeled with the construction of adobe walls. The wealthy votive depositor of the last quarter of the 6th century BC. probably associated with the construction of a second Archaic temple, where vases, jewelry, scarab seals, clay figurines, a bronze shield, iron swords, and a stone statuette were found this year.

The discovered stone statuette (height 31 cm), which dates from the Archaic period, represents a female figure holding an animal in her arms, probably a deer. In later Late Archaic layers, two fragments of bronze statues were discovered: life-size toes and part of a garment.

Three toes of a life-size bronze statue found in the temple area

Three toes of a life-size bronze statue found in the temple area. Image credit: YPPOA

To the east of the temple, the team works continued in a monumental building of the 7th century BC, which was used during the archaic period as the boundary of the mosque, but also as an entrance to the sanctuary. Below this building was found the continuation of a strong wall, currently of unknown use, dating from the 11th century BC, as well as the remains of buildings from the Geometric era.

Two new test sections were opened on the outskirts of the Paleoekklesion hill with the aim of further investigating the prehistoric settlement, the existence of which is known from earlier small-scale excavations by the archaeological service. In the four sections excavated in 2021 and 2022 in this area, the image of an important settlement of the Early Bronze Age, i.e. the 3rd millennium BC, which had contacts with the Cyclades and other regions, appears.

Monumental building of the Early Archaic period and in deeper layers a geometric arched building and a Late Mycenaean wall

Monumental building of the Early Archaic period and in deeper layers a geometric arched building and a Late Mycenaean wall. Image credit: YPPOA

The layers of the 2nd millennium BC, and especially of the Mycenaean era, however, they seem to be preserved only in fragments due to erosion. The remains of the 3rd millennium are immediately covered in most places by Byzantine and post-Byzantine buildings.

During the Middle Ages, a new settlement was created on the hill, which contributed to the destruction of the ruins of the now abandoned sanctuary of Artemis right next door.

The excavation program, which began systematically in 2012 and ended in 2017 in the identification of one of the most important sanctuaries of Evia, is conducted by the Swiss Archaeological School in Greece in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Evia and is directed by Dr. Angeliki G. Simosi, Head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Evia and Professor Dr. Sylvian Fachard, Director of the Swiss Archaeological School in Greece.

More than 70 archaeologists, conservators, archeology students from Switzerland, Greece and other countries, workers and specialist scholars participated in this year's excavation. The fieldwork was directed by Olga Kyriazi on behalf of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Evia and Tobias Krapf and Tamara Saggini on the Swiss side.

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer