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Mediating Archaeology

Tuesday August 12, 2003

8:30—Another late start and I have set a massive series of goals for myself today. I will begin on the road to Koiladha at site C11, Magoula Eusratiou. I will attempt to reiterate a few days around August 17th in the AEP Red Team 1979 notebook.

C11, Magoula Eustratiou which has been identified as ancient “Mases” was mapped and recorded by Red Team on the 19/8/79 (1:5000 map of "Mases" magoula). I parked in the lot of a recently built structure and followed a N/S line across the mound. The plow has taken its toll here. The ground is covered with plaster, lumps of concrete, stones, pottery, etc. I proceeded to walk around the perimeter of the field and inspect the various rubble piles on the edges. I did not note any carved stones. I walked toward the olive grove and modern sheepfold to the north. I then followed the stone line west to a trail that led north toward a rectangular holding tank with vaults and a small wellhead a few meters to the north. This may be “well C” which the 1979 team marked as unused and full of trash. Today it is full of water and may again be in use as water supply for the animals nearby. The well is @ N 37° 24.547 E 023° 08.550. The elevations given by the GPS are consistently off so I have stopped relying on them.

Upon closer inspection the collecting drains for well water have fallen into disrepair. There is trash floating in the water and the smell is putrid and sour. I will walk back to the car along the western edge of the site. I will then take a video walk of the site of the path of my approach this morning. I will then take a video transect through the middle and take a sound sample and panorama from the center.

10:45am—The wind has just picked up quite a bit. I have just completed my video walk, transects, panoramas and sound sample from C11. The field cairn and telephone pole are @ N 37° 24.442 E 023° 08.532. The field has been recently been harvested for grain. Ground visibility was quite good. Not much bulldozing activity was evident. It appears to match the 1979 descriptions. I did note some rubble walls protruding from he surface below the field cairns.

Walking across a recently harvested field is much more pleasant and less distracting than having to brave the nettles which incidentally have taken their toll upon my chins. This is especially evident in the area around eight inches up from my low socks and shoes in front. A rash has broken out. There are multiple cuts which are especially evident in the salt water of the sea.

I will now try to reiterate a transect taken by the Red Team in 1979 on the 13th of August. The transect runs W to E along the south side of the main road from "Mases" magoula.

New Media Transect (requires broadband connection)

I was successful in my attempt to walk through a portion of this area in a field that has been recently bailed. I took a video walk and transect on the W to E line taken by Red Team 1979. The concentration of ceramics is in the area near the road as noted. My walk followed a parallel line roughly 25 m from the road, because the area immediately adjacent to the road was covered in thistles. I will now move to the area near C39 and try to do the same.

From the junction of the main road between Koiladha and Kranidhi and the bay road there has been much contemporary dumping of garbage. Some of the area has reverted back to “natural” vegetation and a large portion is under nettles. This makes revisiting C38 and C39 most difficult. I will attempt to take a transect in the general area of the tracts walked on the 17th of August 1979 when C39 was discovered.

I was able to revisit and relocate C39 in a field of fennels (fennels are much more pleasant to walk through than nettles, but the smell stays with you for a while). I took a video panorama and reiterated a video walk and video transect on a roughly W—E line across the C39 field. C39 @ N 37° 24.607 E 023° 08.283.

Contemporary dumping covers the area in and around C38. Most of the dumping is excavated fill and building materials. A large amount of household garbage has been thrown out on the seaside. Many of the fields in this area are under thistles, natural grasses and fennels.

I have returned to Ermioni because I’m craving gyros and a fresh sea breeze. After lunch I will revisit the areas in and around C29, C33 and C34. I will reiterate some of the Red Team 1979 work on August 11.

I was able to drive up a gravel road to an area just off the saddle between C34 and C33. I was hoping to be able to reiterate the transect taken across C34 as marked on the 1:5000 trace map but the area is now enclosed by a modern fence. Instead I will focus on the freshly plowed area of C33 and take a video walk up to the promontory near C29.

C33 has been recently plowed so visibility was excellent. I came across a large amount of roof tiles and took a video transect of the area. GPS readings are in the August 12, 2003 log entries.

I proceeded to take a video walk through the saddle and up to C29. C29 @ N 37° 24.210 E 023° 07.704.

3:30pm—Took a sound footage at C29. I also filmed a short segment of video diary and a transect. While on site I came across several pieces of obsidian and a small hammer stone.

A few meters to the west is an old rectangular stone building with a tile roof. The building’s roof has collapsed on all but the southern end. The outer fabric on the SW corner has collapsed leaving only the interior portion of stone. I began a video walk from this building along the road back by C33 to my car. I have since driven back to this building and taken a few photos.

On my way over windmill hill above Koiladha I stopped off at the old windmill near C8 to take some photos, a video diary segment and a video panorama. There has been a good deal of recent construction near the old mill. The mill proper now acts as a farmer’s chicken coop. The western exterior of the tower’s stonewall has collapsed. Tower @ N 37° 24.713 E 023° 07.304.

5:30—I have driven down to Lepitsa beach and revisited the lower quarry near the beach. I took a sound footage at the quarry at 5:15. I then shot some footage of the quarry, took a video panorama, and a video walk back up to the parking lot in order to show the development taking place in the area. I had hoped I would be able to venture down to C1 but the day has been long.

On the way out I stopped to take a few shots of a plot for sale next to the “Lepitsa Sunset”. I also pulled into the “Lepitsa Sunset” for a couple of photos. This is a fairly large hotel which has been built just NE of the beach and the parking lot. New construction is also taking place to the south of the “Lepitsa Sunset” on the other side of the road approximately 75m E of the larger quarry.

Go back to August 11, 2003

Go forward to August 13, 2003

August 12, 2003 log entries

Return to Summer 2003 field notebook

Return to the Multiple fields and the Argolid Exploration Project home


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