Papers by Marina Tasaklaki
Report vol. 2 (2023), 2024
In 2023, examinations of lithic assemblages from research conducted in 1997 began. During the exc... more In 2023, examinations of lithic assemblages from research conducted in 1997 began. During the excavations, all the finds were collected and documented within units numbered from 1 to 47. In 2023 materials from units 1–14 were studied.
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Ministry of Culture, 2023
D. Terzopoulou –M. Tasaklaki – N.Τ. Arrington, “Stryme, A Thasian Polis on the Aegean Coast of Th... more D. Terzopoulou –M. Tasaklaki – N.Τ. Arrington, “Stryme, A Thasian Polis on the Aegean Coast of Thrace. Space Organization and Domestic Architecture”, στο A.G. Vlachopoulos – A. Gadolou (επιμ.), The Ancient Greek City I: Domestic and Public Architecture in its Social and Political Context, Annual Meeting of the AIA, New Orleans, LA, January 6, 2023, 17-32. Athens 2023.
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Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jul 30, 2022
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The entry refers to an inscribed stele dedicated to Asclepius's sons Podalirios and Machaon, and ... more The entry refers to an inscribed stele dedicated to Asclepius's sons Podalirios and Machaon, and daughters Periestos and Athenais. The stele was found at the Peninsula of Molyvoti
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Surveying Aegean Thrace in the Digital Era, ed. A. Avramidou and J.C. Donati, Democritus University of Thrace, 2023, pp. 79–98., 2023
Since 2013, the Molyvoti, Thrace, Archaeological Project (MTAP) has been investigating a coastal ... more Since 2013, the Molyvoti, Thrace, Archaeological Project (MTAP) has been investigating a coastal urban settlement and its hinterland in Aegean Thrace. This paper presents some preliminary results and interpretations of the pedestrian surface survey, juxtaposed with excavation data. We discuss the uses of the landscape, the evidence for settlement, the relation of the region to broader Mediterranean networks, and the problems in drawing sharp lines of periodization when describing change. In the Archaic period, the material record suggests a small but well-connected trading port. As the city grew in the Classical and Early Hellenistic periods, activity in the landscape reached a peak of intensity. The city ceased to be occupied in the later Hellenistic period, but landscape use continued, with agricultural activity (broadly defined) occurring in the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods. Ceramic evidence shows consistent links with the sea and with wider Mediterranean networks, even in those periods when there was no coastal settlement.
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Archaiologikon Deltion, 2015
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One day conference with 16 presentations in the framework of a periodical exhibition at the archa... more One day conference with 16 presentations in the framework of a periodical exhibition at the archaeological Museum of Komotini. The exhibition included 5 milestones (from the time of Nero till the time of Gallienus) and a marble sarcophagus from Dokimeion.
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The Riverlands of Aegean Thrace: Production, Consumption and Exploitation of the Natural and Cultural Landscapes, 2022
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Scientific Culture , 2022
Iron working in Aegean Thrace during Classical and Roman times was based on different choices of ... more Iron working in Aegean Thrace during Classical and Roman times was based on different choices of raw materials from a variety of available ores, possibly determined by cultural criteria. The precursors to selective ore procurement can be seen in earlier evidence from Thasos in the form of a few iron smelting waste remains found at the cemeteries of Kastri dating to the Early Iron Age. More substantial evidence for smelting and smithing activities has been noted in the Archaic city of Thasos, but their interdisciplinary investigation is pending. So far, the only comprehensive study on smelting and smithing slag and iron objects that has provided crucial information on the differential techniques employed in iron production of the 5 th century BC across this region has focused on finds from Abdera and Zone. More recently, iron slag has been collected from the northern enclosure of Abdera in the framework of an ongoing survey project (APAX) as well as during excavation at the Thasian colony of Pistyros, yet study is ongoing and only information on spatial distributions is currently available. This paper aims to briefly review the existing research data and to present new results from a recent instrumental analysis on iron working slag recovered in the framework of the Molyvoti, Thrace, Archaeological Project (MTAP). The finds derive from contexts of the 4 th century BC, excavated between 2013 and 2019, and their analysis with optical microscopy and SEM/EDS offers valuable data on the smelting and smithing practices prevalent on site that display similarities with some of the other colonies of Aegean Thrace. Based on the current results limonite and/or hematite were the most commonly used ores and a Ti-rich iron source of lesser significance as suggested by the chemical composition of a single sample. The bloomery process could be characterized as efficient with minor losses of metal into the slag. The use of fluxes to lower the melting point of iron during smelting has been also confirmed. Such findings are important as they complement previous data on the technology of smelting local ores to supply the iron industries in Aegean Thrace.
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Scientific Culture Vol. 8.3, 2022
Iron working in Aegean Thrace during Classical and Roman times was based on different choices of ... more Iron working in Aegean Thrace during Classical and Roman times was based on different choices of raw materials from a variety of available ores, possibly determined by cultural criteria. The precursors to selective ore procurement can be seen in earlier evidence from Thasos in the form of a few iron smelting waste remains found at the cemeteries of Kastri dating to the Early Iron Age. More substantial evidence for smelting and smithing activities has been noted in the Archaic city of Thasos, but their interdisciplinary investigation is pending. So far, the only comprehensive study on smelting and smithing slag and iron objects that has provided crucial information on the differential techniques employed in iron production of the 5 th century BC across this region has focused on finds from Abdera and Zone. More recently, iron slag has been collected from the northern enclosure of Abdera in the framework of an ongoing survey project (APAX) as well as during excavation at the Thasian colony of Pistyros, yet study is ongoing and only information on spatial distributions is currently available. This paper aims to briefly review the existing research data and to present new results from a recent instrumental analysis on iron working slag recovered in the framework of the Molyvoti, Thrace, Archaeological Project (MTAP). The finds derive from contexts of the 4 th century BC, excavated between 2013 and 2019, and their analysis with optical microscopy and SEM/EDS offers valuable data on the smelting and smithing practices prevalent on site that display similarities with some of the other colonies of Aegean Thrace. Based on the current results limonite and/or hematite were the most commonly used ores and a Ti-rich iron source of lesser significance as suggested by the chemical composition of a single sample. The bloomery process could be characterized as efficient with minor losses of metal into the slag. The use of fluxes to lower the melting point of iron during smelting has been also confirmed. Such findings are important as they complement previous data on the technology of smelting local ores to supply the iron industries in Aegean Thrace.
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It is certain that the Roman provincial monetary policy was not centralized; on the contrary, ele... more It is certain that the Roman provincial monetary policy was not centralized; on the contrary, elements of decen-tralization can be traced in tandem with the establishment or re-establishment of administrative structures. It was within this framework that capitals and other provincial cities struck coins. The aim of this study is to discuss the complex relationship between the province’s main city – in our case Perinthos – and its hinterland in terms of nu-mismatic policy: excluding issues that can be safely characterized as non-systematic, the city-issues are examined in light of the real needs of the urban centre and in connection with the mobility of the army. Such an approach allows us to explore holistically how networks were developed within the province. Thus, although Perinthos firmly remained the administrative base of Thrace, the monetary centre shifted from time to time, depending on the needs of the province and the empire. Lastly, this paper discusses whether this particular relationship between the capital and local mints in the province of Thrace appears elsewhere.
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Thirteen cities of the Roman province of Thrace issued the so-called pseudo-autonomous bronzes wi... more Thirteen cities of the Roman province of Thrace issued the so-called pseudo-autonomous bronzes with no
imperial portrait but the head of a god or hero. These issues ran parallel to the provincial coinages of these
cities. Their metrological system is the one used by the city that issued these coins. Thus, these coinages were
struck for local use. What distinguishes these coins is their iconography. In some cases, their types refer to the
old iconographic traditions of the cities that issued them, e.g. Maroneia. However, some coin types reveal that these served as imperial propaganda, as at Augusta Traiana. The aim of this paper is to trace the changes that occurred during this period and to analyze the impact of the Roman Empire on the religious and cultural life of local societies through the coin types of the pseudo-autonomous issues.
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The location of existing significant archaeological
sites as well as sites likely to yield antiqu... more The location of existing significant archaeological
sites as well as sites likely to yield antiquities
was taken into consideration from the outset,
when the route of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline
(TAP) was plotted across the Rodopi Regional
Unit. Hence, in collaboration with the Ephorate
of Antiquities, wherever possible, relevant
amendments were made to TAP’s route, so as
not to disturb said sites. However, as was also
the case with the Hellenic Gas Transmission System
Operator (DESFA) pipeline and the Egnatia
Motorway, it was impossible for TAP’s trench
to avoid traversing the site of Justinian’s cross
wall of Anastasiopolis. Works undertaken for
the stabilisation and conservation of the monument
are presented separately at the end of
this study. As for the random finds, discovered
almost immediately after the commencement
of works, they were handled as per the results
of the preliminary archaeological investigation.
Out of a total of 17 random finds located in this
Regional Unit, only two sites were systematically
investigated and are geographically presented in
this study, i.e. from east to west. The rest of the
finds were small ensembles that were removed
after being archaeologically documented. Hence,
within a 3km-long stretch of land between the
villages of Velkio and Aetolofos, the following
were excavated: an early form of a lime kiln, a
well found just 300m west of the rescue excavation
at Arsakeio, and a section of a cemetery
near Aetolofos. Further westwards, at the sites
Pamforo and Thrylorio, only Hellenistic pottery
was unearthed. Finally, in the area of Isalos and
Meleti, pits with combustion residues and pottery
dating to the Byzantine period were found.
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AURA 4, 2021
Rock-crystal spool-shaped objects have been found in several sanctuaries and burials in Asia Mino... more Rock-crystal spool-shaped objects have been found in several sanctuaries and burials in Asia Minor, the Aegean islands, in Aegean Thrace and in the Western Black Sea, dating primarily to the Archaic period. These small objects are usually semi-transparent with an average height of 1 to 2 cm and a diameter of 2 or 3 cm. They consist of a central cylindrical component, framed by two disks of different diameter, and can be divided into two categories, depending on whether they have a solid or a pierced ("open") cylindrical section. The interpretation of these crystal spools remains problematic, as none of the hypotheses set forth so far has been accepted by the academic community. In the past, they have been explained as magnifying lenses, miniature vessels, supports, hair-decoration, gaming pieces, furniture-elements, and earrings. A fresh study of the geographical dispersal of these crystal spools and their archaeological context supports their interpretation as ear-studs, while highlighting at the same time their association with the female sphere and cult practices in honor of Artemis. In addition, a joint examination of rock-crystal spools and those made of other materials enhances their Ionian origin and brings forth a wide-reaching religious network of the Archaic period.
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AURA 4, 2021
Rock-crystal spool-shaped objects have been found in several sanctuaries and burials in Asia Mino... more Rock-crystal spool-shaped objects have been found in several sanctuaries and burials in Asia Minor, the Aegean islands, in Aegean Thrace and in the Western Black Sea, dating primarily to the Archaic period. These small objects are usually semi-transparent with an average height of 1 to 2 cm and a diameter of 2 or 3 cm. They consist of a central cylindrical component, framed by two disks of different diameter, and can be divided into two categories, depending on whether they have a solid or a pierced ("open") cylindrical section. The interpretation of these crystal spools remains problematic, as none of the hypotheses set forth so far has been accepted by the academic community. In the past, they have been explained as magnifying lenses, miniature vessels, supports, hair-decoration, gaming pieces, furniture-elements, and earrings. A fresh study of the geographical dispersal of these crystal spools and their archaeological context supports their interpretation as ear-studs, while highlighting at the same time their association with the female sphere and cult practices in honor of Artemis. In addition, a joint examination of rock-crystal spools and those made of other materials enhances their Ionian origin and brings forth a wide-reaching religious network of the Archaic period.
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Archaiologikon Deltion, 2014
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Classical Pottery of the Northern Aegean and its Periphery (480–323/300 B.C.), 2019
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M. Tasaklaki, 2018
Based on statistical analysis of more than 1200 Roman and provincial coins found in Aegean Thrace... more Based on statistical analysis of more than 1200 Roman and provincial coins found in Aegean Thrace, the present study aims to reconstruct the monetary circulation and to trace the relations between the cities that prospered between the 1 st and the 3 rd c. 1 : Topeiros, Abdera, Maroneia, Traianopolis and Plotinopolis. Those cities were affected directly or indirectly by the Roman administrative changes in the province of Thrace in the course of three centuries. Their monetary production, compared with the presence of Roman imperial coins in the area, points to their mutually complementary relations.
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Papers by Marina Tasaklaki
imperial portrait but the head of a god or hero. These issues ran parallel to the provincial coinages of these
cities. Their metrological system is the one used by the city that issued these coins. Thus, these coinages were
struck for local use. What distinguishes these coins is their iconography. In some cases, their types refer to the
old iconographic traditions of the cities that issued them, e.g. Maroneia. However, some coin types reveal that these served as imperial propaganda, as at Augusta Traiana. The aim of this paper is to trace the changes that occurred during this period and to analyze the impact of the Roman Empire on the religious and cultural life of local societies through the coin types of the pseudo-autonomous issues.
sites as well as sites likely to yield antiquities
was taken into consideration from the outset,
when the route of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline
(TAP) was plotted across the Rodopi Regional
Unit. Hence, in collaboration with the Ephorate
of Antiquities, wherever possible, relevant
amendments were made to TAP’s route, so as
not to disturb said sites. However, as was also
the case with the Hellenic Gas Transmission System
Operator (DESFA) pipeline and the Egnatia
Motorway, it was impossible for TAP’s trench
to avoid traversing the site of Justinian’s cross
wall of Anastasiopolis. Works undertaken for
the stabilisation and conservation of the monument
are presented separately at the end of
this study. As for the random finds, discovered
almost immediately after the commencement
of works, they were handled as per the results
of the preliminary archaeological investigation.
Out of a total of 17 random finds located in this
Regional Unit, only two sites were systematically
investigated and are geographically presented in
this study, i.e. from east to west. The rest of the
finds were small ensembles that were removed
after being archaeologically documented. Hence,
within a 3km-long stretch of land between the
villages of Velkio and Aetolofos, the following
were excavated: an early form of a lime kiln, a
well found just 300m west of the rescue excavation
at Arsakeio, and a section of a cemetery
near Aetolofos. Further westwards, at the sites
Pamforo and Thrylorio, only Hellenistic pottery
was unearthed. Finally, in the area of Isalos and
Meleti, pits with combustion residues and pottery
dating to the Byzantine period were found.
imperial portrait but the head of a god or hero. These issues ran parallel to the provincial coinages of these
cities. Their metrological system is the one used by the city that issued these coins. Thus, these coinages were
struck for local use. What distinguishes these coins is their iconography. In some cases, their types refer to the
old iconographic traditions of the cities that issued them, e.g. Maroneia. However, some coin types reveal that these served as imperial propaganda, as at Augusta Traiana. The aim of this paper is to trace the changes that occurred during this period and to analyze the impact of the Roman Empire on the religious and cultural life of local societies through the coin types of the pseudo-autonomous issues.
sites as well as sites likely to yield antiquities
was taken into consideration from the outset,
when the route of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline
(TAP) was plotted across the Rodopi Regional
Unit. Hence, in collaboration with the Ephorate
of Antiquities, wherever possible, relevant
amendments were made to TAP’s route, so as
not to disturb said sites. However, as was also
the case with the Hellenic Gas Transmission System
Operator (DESFA) pipeline and the Egnatia
Motorway, it was impossible for TAP’s trench
to avoid traversing the site of Justinian’s cross
wall of Anastasiopolis. Works undertaken for
the stabilisation and conservation of the monument
are presented separately at the end of
this study. As for the random finds, discovered
almost immediately after the commencement
of works, they were handled as per the results
of the preliminary archaeological investigation.
Out of a total of 17 random finds located in this
Regional Unit, only two sites were systematically
investigated and are geographically presented in
this study, i.e. from east to west. The rest of the
finds were small ensembles that were removed
after being archaeologically documented. Hence,
within a 3km-long stretch of land between the
villages of Velkio and Aetolofos, the following
were excavated: an early form of a lime kiln, a
well found just 300m west of the rescue excavation
at Arsakeio, and a section of a cemetery
near Aetolofos. Further westwards, at the sites
Pamforo and Thrylorio, only Hellenistic pottery
was unearthed. Finally, in the area of Isalos and
Meleti, pits with combustion residues and pottery
dating to the Byzantine period were found.
areas, sections of sewage system and gutters for the city’s water supply as well as two sanctuaries dedicated to Apollo and Demeter respectively. The cemetery was laid outside the western walls and the burials indicate a wide range of ceremonial practices that reflect the entire social strata of the city’s residents. During excavations, 6,800 coins have been found dating from the beginning of the 5th century BC to the 6th century AD; 1.850 of these comprise issues of Zone. Given that very few coins of this city were known before the commencement of research, the discovery of such a great number of coins was decisive in the identification of the excavated site with Zone. This identification is further strengthened by the scant presence of Zone’s issues in other areas of Thrace. The great number of the coins of Zone now available to scholars has resulted in the division of the numismatic excavation finds and the presentation of only the city’s coinage in the current study. In this context, 1.850 bronze coins have been classified into Issues, Types and Groups while topics, such as iconography, inscriptions, denominations, chronology and circulation, have been examined. Three issues have been identified that include groups depending on the iconographic type and the denomination. The themes, both on the obverse and the reverse of the coins, refer to Apollo (head of the god, laurel wreath, lyre, deer, branch of laurel leaves and key of string instrument). Three basic iconographic types are discerned, Α: head of Apollo / wreath, Β: head of Apollo / lyre, C: head of Apollo / deer. The inscription of the ethnic on the reverse ranges from the extended form of ΖΩΝΑΙΟΝ to the abbreviated ΖΩ. The issues of Zone should be dated to the second half of the 4th century BC, between the time of Philip II’s predominance in Thrace in the 340s and the end of the century. The various groups of the three types of the three Issues must have been, if not contemporary, close in terms of their chronology. Their production, apart from securing the influx of small-value coins to cover local needs and small-scale transactions at a time when coins were the most significant means of transaction, aimed at promoting the city’s identity as well. This was a major tool of publicity, the importance of which is further marked by the fact that Zone, based on the evidence thus far, was apparently the only city in the Samothracian Peraia that issued coins.
https://hdl.handle.net/10442/16601
https://helios-eie.ekt.gr/EIE/handle/10442/16601
More specifically, this paper discusses the findspot, shape and iconography of the resurfaced vases by contextualizing them within the historical framework of the second half of the 5th c. BC. While taking into account the political and commercial relations of the period. The goal of this study is to enrich our knowledge of Classical pottery form the Northern Aegean by bringing forth new questions regarding the iconography and the diffusion of Attic vases.
Τρίπτυχο φυλλάδιο στο πλαίσιο της πανελλήνιας δράσης Περιβάλλον και Πολιτισμός 2010-2011 με θέμα "Φωνές Νερού Μυριάδες". Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Τουρισμού, ΙΘ΄ Εφορεία Προϊστορικών και Κλασικών Αρχαιοτήτων
Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού
ΙΘ΄ Εφορεία Προϊστορικών και Κλασικών Αρχαιοτήτων
Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Κομοτηνής