The Koutroulou Magoula Archaeology and Archaeological Ethnographic Project 2010-2019: Season 2018
Excavation: Research excavation
This year, the major focus was on exploration of the slope and periphery, while excavation also continued on the top of the tell, where work helped clarify questions about the use of space in different temporal moments and to understand better contextual associations. Trenches Z1 and Z2 were reopened. Herein, a robber’s cut and pit was located and explored, apparently dug by the Neolithic inhabitants of the site to retrieve and reuse the stones of a wall: the first time that it can be shown that people dug in the rubble of the previous houses to retrieve stone for subsequent building projects. Across the Z2 area the team identified the existence of consecutive floor layers and thick trample surfaces, with organic inclusions, rich in pottery and animal bones - confirming the impression from previous seasons that this was an extremely dynamic area in terms of use and building activity. Work continued west of trench Ξ15, in new trench Ξ14. This area yielded many finds, most prominently chipped stone, including an obsidian microblade core, a group of large chocolate chert blades, and a rare, probably Late Neolithic, spear point made of honey chert. This year’s investigations also suggest the possibility — yet to be confirmed — that there may have been a series of kiln installations here. At the edge of the settlement in Trench X16, a ditch was successfully identified, containing abundant pottery and other finds, including many clay sling pellets. Eroded pottery and figurine fragments suggest exposure and deposition over time, indicating a slowly accumulated fill. The importance of this find for spatial and social practices in the Neolithic and for communal organisation is substantial.
Active in 2018.