AnavyssosALEXANDRA-FANI ALEXANDRIDOU

Anavyssos is located between Mount Olympos

of LAURION and Pani in south Attica. An ancient

road led through Olympos and Pani to mod-

ern Phoinikia and from there to the Mesogeia

Plain. Four Classical demoi, Thorai, Phrearrhoi,

Anaphlystos, and Aigilia, were situated between

Anavyssos and Phoinikia. Although they

have not yet been identified, inscriptions attest

to their names. The archaeological evidence

from the area is of a scattered and isolated

character. This lack of more consistent evidence

is due to the continuous use of the area for

agricultural purposes since antiquity, as well as

to the intensive building activity of the last

decades.

Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age sherds

have been detected in various spots, while a

Middle Bronze Age settlement has been dis-

covered on the peninsula of Agios Nikolaos. In

the Geometric period (ninth to eighth centu-

ries BCE), an extended cemetery was situated in

the Plain of Anavyssos, near modern Agios

Panteleimon. The large number of graves indi-

cates the existence of an important settlement

in the vicinity. At the edge of the western part

of the cemetery, an edifice was discovered and

has been interpreted as a chthonic sanctuary,

probably associated with the cult of the

deceased. Although graves of the Archaic

period have not been found, the necropolis

was used in the Classical period. South of

Agios Panteleimon, Classical sherds and

remains indicate the existence of a settlement.

By the church of Agios Georgios, two tumuli

dating to the late Geometric and early Archaic

periods have been explored. Another tumulus

was found south of the road to Kamareza, close

to Mesochori. It contained Late Geometric

inhumations, as well as seventh- and sixth-

century BCE cremations. Lohmann describes

the tumulus as a necropolis indicating the

existence of a large Archaic settlement, which

could have developed from an earlier Geomet-

ric one. Some isolated graves and tumuli

dating to the Classical period add to the

archaeological evidence from the area. A num-

ber of stray finds, including Archaic and Clas-

sical vessels, as well as sixth-century BCE kouroi,

were uncovered in the area of Anavyssos. These

share characteristics with the late sixth-century

kouros, Aristodikos, found northwest of the

church of Agios Panteleimon.

SEE ALSO: Athens; Burial, Greece.

REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Kakavogianni, O. (1984) “Anάbussος.”Αrwaiοlοgikόn Deltίοn 39: 43–5.

Lohmann, H. (1993) Atene. Forschungen zu

Siedlungs- und Wirtschaftsstruktur des

klassischen Attika. Cologne.

Mersch, A. (1996) Studien zur Siedlungsgeschichte

Attikas von 950 bis 400 v.Chr. Frankfurt am Main.

Τhemelis, P. (1974) “Αnάbussος. GeometrikόΝekrοtajeίο.” Arwaiοlοgikόn Deltίοn 29,Χrοnikά, Β1: 108–10.

Travlos, J. (1988) Bildlexikon zur Topographie des

antiken Attika. Tubingen.

The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,

and Sabine R. Huebner, print page 406.

© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah02019

1