Preliminary results
During three field seasons, the project
documented 160 caves, rockshelters and abandoned mines. These sites
have provided the most comprehensive data on contemporary cave use
in Greece today, and together they create the means to gain
insights into neglected aspects of landscape use in Greek village
communities.
Half of the caves are associated with different types of
structures, often a frontal stone wall that defines an area in
front of the cave (Figures 13, 14 & 15). Some walls are well constructed
and they reflect a significant work effort. However, most walls
remain only as derelict or remnants. Removal of structural
components when buildings are abandoned speeds up deterioration and
decreases potential for later reuse. Especially salvageable timber
may be removed after abandonment to be used elsewhere or as
firewood. Wall remains tend eventually to become overgrown with
grasses and other plants, and the stones themselves become
dispersed or buried in the ground. It was common to find stones and
other construction materials ex situ in front of the caves,
particularly at Lake Karla. The amount of repair and rebuilding
activity would have closely reflected cycles of pastoral prosperity
and decline, with structures falling into disrepair in times of
economic depression. An understanding of the causes and
circumstances surrounding abandonment of cave structures was
therefore important to the project because abandonment links use of
a structure with the structural remains and artefacts found inside
and around the caves.
Not surprisingly, potsherds represent the bulk
of the artefact finds. 283 sherds dated from the Late Neolithic to
the Roman period (6.-7. Centuries AD) make up a heterogenous find
group among which the ceramic shapes are mostly undecorated vessels
for transport or storage of foodstuff or wine/olive oil. Most
sherds are dated to the nineteenth to early twentieth centuries
(Figures 16 & 17) but there are also imported
types from the Medieval and Ottoman periods. The production of
local ceramic vessel was only initiated after 1885 when Greek
islanders established workshops in Volos and started exploiting
local clay sources.
Interviews with local sources as well as informal conversations in
the field has produced a wealth of information in the form of
digital audio recordings, interview notes, archive copies and
photographs. There are different degrees of ethnographic
information (names, legends, personal stories, etc.) for about one
third of the caves, many of which were found only by drawing on the
assistance of village informants.
The fieldwork has led to a number of general observations. For
instance, the location of caves in the cultural landscape (in
relation to villages, fields and grazing areas) is more
determinative of whether they are used by people rather than their
size and shape. Cave names are related to local events, location or
physical characteristics. More rarely, there is a connection to
local or general mythology. Caves used by single or few individuals
have rarely names and only caves which serve as reference points
for many users usually have names.
No fewer than 13 different kinds of cave uses were identified through artefacts collected from the cave floors, constructions around the caves, and from interview data.
The term ‘cave graffiti’ used during the survey refers to a wide range of images rendered on rock surfaces within the caves or at their entrances. Rock engravings around the caves have both religious and secular connotations. Crosses are used frequently, perhaps to indicate the virtuous status of the artist. An also common use of domestication themes may reflect a propitiating practice for the hardships of animal husbandry and cultivation. While there was a graffiti tradition alongside established pastoralism, other categories of cave users also produced graffiti. These were traders, people seeking refuge, hikers, hermits or casual visitors. Depictions of pack animals and sailing ships in two caves (Figures 18 & 19) are likely connected to the flourishing trade in the Pelion-villages during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Apart from various images, 174 dates were documented on the walls of 24 caves, all post-dating the annexation of Thessaly to the Greek State in 1881. The 1930’s, the 1950’s and the 1990’s stand out as these decades saw more caves being engraved with a high number of dates. Explanations for this include increased pastoral activity, immigration of Albanian shepherds and an increase in tourism.
The Pelion project provides a unique opportunity
to formulate a number of key questions of both anthropological and
historical interest. The combination of ethnographic and
archaeological fieldwork has shown a significant diversity in the
use of caves, which would otherwise remain undetected. By
excavation alone, it is impossible to understand the importance or
the varying use and importance of these sites.
Data from the fieldwork is included in a model that shows how
changes in agriculture and growing industrialization in combination
with social upheaval and important historical events led to
specific patterns in the use of caves. The model describes the
archaeological effects and changes in the role of caves as cultural
constructions. A diachronic model of development of cave use in
recent times has not previously been prepared and will be a useful
tool for research focused on landscape use in traditional and
modern societies in the Mediterranean area.
Through its combined use of oral tradition and archaeological
survey, the project highlights a plurality, complexity and
development in the use of caves in the modern period that has not
previously been demonstrated. It offers a unique opportunity -
within a landscape perspective - to answer some questions of broad
cultural interest.
The ethnographic data are crucial for understanding the internal
social and economic dynamics that affect the local population and
their use of caves. By comparing archaeological and ethnographic
data, it is possibly to identify different categories of
activities, which take place in caves (Fig.
20). In some cases, the archaeological objects can be dated,
which has considerable analytical value because it can help to
trace and date the changes in activities around the sites and hence
the local response to economic, social and cultural
challenges.
Figures 13 - 20
| Figure 13 | Figure 14 | Figure 15 | Figure 16 |
| Figure 17 | Figure 18 | Figure 19 | Figure 20 |
