Neolithic Alepotrypa Cave in the Mani, Greece : in honor of George Papathanassopoulos

About the Author: Daniel J. Pullen is Professor and Chair of the Department of Classics at Florida State University. His research interests are in the Neolithic and Bronze Age of the Aegean, particularly landscape archaeology, architecture, and ceramic analysis. He is co-director of the Saronic Harbors Archaeological Research Project, where he is focusing on the fortified Mycenaean harbor site of Kalamianos. Archaeology by period / region Alepotrypa Cave At Diros Bay, Lakonia, Greece, Is A Massive Karstic Formation Of Consecutive Chambers Ending At A Lake. The Cave Was Excavated By G. Papathanassopoulos From 1970 To 2006. In Conjunction With The Surrounding Area, It Was Used As A Complementary Habitation Area, Burial Site, And Place For Ceremonial Activity During The Neolithic C 6000 To 3200 Bc. As A Sealed, Single-component, Archaeological Site, The Neolithic Settlement Complex Of Alepotrypa Cave Is One Of The Richest Sites In Greece And Europe In Terms Of Number Of Artifacts, Preservation Of Biological Materials, Volume Of Undisturbed Deposits, And Horizontal Exposure Of Archaeological Surfaces Of Past Human Activity And This Publication Is An Important Contribution To Ongoing Archaeological Research Of The Neolithic Age In Greece In Particular, But Also In Anatolia, The Balkans And Europe In General. This Edited Volume Offers A Full Scholarly Interdisciplinary Study And Interpretation Of The Results Of Approximately 40 Years Of Excavation And Analysis. It Includes Numerous Chemical Analyses And A Much Needed Long Series Of Radiocarbon Dates, The Corresponding Microstratigraphic, Stratigraphic And Ceramic Sequence, The Human Burials, Stone And Bone Tools, Faunal And Floral Remains, Isotopic Analyses, Specific Locations Of Human Activities And Ceremonies Inside The Cave, As Well As A Site Description And The History Of The Excavation Conducted By G. Papathanasopoulos. Introduction / Anastasia Papathanasiou -- Alepotrypa Cave : The Site Description And Its Cultural And Chronological Range / Anastasia Papathanasiou -- Stratigraphy And Site Formation Processes Of Alepotrypa Cave / Panagiotis Karkanas -- The Stratigraphic And Pottery Sequence Of Trench B1 At Alepotrypa Cave : A First Approach To The Investigation Of Ceramic And Chronological Assocations / Barbara Katsipanou-margeli -- When Do The Dead Become Dead? Mortuary Projects From Ossuaries I And Ii, Alepotrypa Cave / Stella Katsarou -- Pithoi With Relief Decoration From Alepotrypa Cave / George Valvis -- The Alepotrypa Cave Pottery Assemblage : A Ceramic Petrology Approach / Areti Pentedeka -- The Chipped Stone Industries Of Alepotrypa Cave : A General Presentation / Georgia Kourtessi-philippakis -- Macrolithics : Ordinary Things In An Extraordinary Place / Anna Stroulia -- Patterns Of Exploitation And Exchange : Preliminary Compositional Results Of The Obsidian Assemblage From Alepotrypa Cave / Danielle J. Riebe -- Neolithic Bone And Antler Artefacts From Alepotrypa Cave / Georgia Stratouli -- The People Of Alepotrypa / Anastasia Papathanasiou -- The Macrofaunal Assemblage Of Alepotrypa Cave / Angelos Hadjikoumis -- Radiogenic Strontium Isotope Results From The Burials Of Alepotrypa Cave / Julia I. Giblin -- The Plant Remains From Alepotrypa Cave : Use, Discard And Structured Deposition / Evi Margaritis -- The Exploitation Of Marine Animal Resources At Alepotrypa Cave : Harvesting Strategies, Management And Uses / Tatiana Theodoropoulou -- Phytolith Analysis From The Sediments Of Alepotrypa Cave / Maria Ntinou -- The Microfauna From Alepotrypa Cave / Katerina Papayianni And Thomas Cucchi -- Speleothems From Alepotrypa Cave : Towards Climate Reconstruction / Meighan Boyd And Kathrin Holmgren -- The Diros Project, 2011-2013 : Surface Survey And Site Collection In Diros Bay / Daniel J. Pullen, Michael L. Galaty, William A. Parkinson, Wayne E. Lee, And Rebecca M. Seifried -- An Integrated Assessment Of Alepotrypa Cave / Anastasia Papathanasiou. Edited By A. Papathanasiou, W.a. Parkinson, D.j. Pullen, M.l. Galaty, And P. Karkanas. Includes Bibliographical References. Alepotrypa Cave at Diros Bay, Lakonia, Greece, is a massive karstic formation of consecutive chambers ending at a lake. The cave was excavated by G. Papathanassopoulos from 1970 to 2006. In conjunction with the surrounding area, it was used as a complementary habitation area, burial site, and place for ceremonial activity during the Neolithic c 6000 to 3200 BC. As a sealed, single-component, archaeological site, the Neolithic settlement complex of Alepotrypa Cave is one of the richest sites in Greece and Europe in terms of number of artifacts, preservation of biological materials, volume of undisturbed deposits, and horizontal exposure of archaeological surfaces of past human activity and this publication is an important contribution to ongoing archaeological research of the Neolithic Age in Greece in particular, but also in Anatolia, the Balkans and Europe in general. This edited volume offers a full scholarly interdisciplinary study and interpretation of the results of approximately 40 years of excavation and analysis.0It includes numerous chemical analyses and a much needed long series of radiocarbon dates, the corresponding microstratigraphic, stratigraphic and ceramic sequence, the human burials, stone and bone tools, faunal and floral remains, isotopic analyses, specific locations of human activities and ceremonies inside the cave, as well as a site description and the history of the excavation conducted by G. Papathanasopoulos