Halos Excavation 1912
Fieldwork:
British School at Athens excavation at the site of Halos (Halmyros) consentrated on the site's largest tumulus. Undertaken by A.J.B. Wace and M.S. Thompson as a sequel to their earlier excavations in Thessaly (1907-1910). The excavations were confined to this burial tumulus and a group of tombs, the latter situated close to the city walls. The tombs except one, which was circular in plan and may have once been a tholos, were rectangular cists built of rough slabs. They are similar both in construction and contents to those which have been found in Skyros and at Theotokou (excavated 1907). The vases found are an early Geometric style, in which the vases recall in type those of the preceding Bronze Age. The only metal object found was a bronze pin with a rolled head. The tumulus, which forms one of a group of ten, was found to be composed of earth packed up with large river-worn stones. It concealed sixteen burnt graves or pyres. Each pyre was covered by a cairn of very large unhewn slabs and beneath these in a heap of burnt potsherds, fragments of bone, iron weapons and bronze fibulae. Pottery occurred in all the pyres, but six of them also contained small iron knives, and bronze fibulae and bracelets. In all the other pyres were swords, spear-heads, and long knives of iron. Thus the six seem to be those of women, while the other ten were those of men. The only traces of human remains found were small fragments of burnt bones. All the pyres seem to have been of the same date, as no distinction could be seen in the pottery from any two. All the vases were of a later Geometric style than those of the cist tombs.
Active in 1912.
Wace, Mr Alan John Bayard
Thompson, Mr Maurice S. O.B.E.
Wace, Alan J. & Thompson, Maurice S. 1911. Excavations at Halos. BSA 18: 1-29. Direct link