Pseira X

Pseira X
Author: Philip P. Betancourt
Publisher: INSTAP Academic Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2009-12-31
Genre: History
ISBN: 1623031117

This book is the tenth volume in the series of excavation reports about the harbor town of Pseira, which is located on the island of the same name, just off the northeast coast of Crete. The book focuses on the excavation and interpretation of the architecture and material culture in Block AF. This southern group of buildings is one of the most important areas in the settlement because of its long succession of building phases. Block AF provides the fullest sequence of building phases from any one area at Pseira, with habitation extending from before MM II to LM III. It has examples of complex architectural details including a "pillar crypt," elaborate upstairs floors, a well-preserved U-shaped staircase, and a well-designed kitchen, all of which contribute significantly to our knowledge of East Cretan building practices. In addition to domestic pottery, the houses furnish examples of stone tools, stone vessels, loom weights, inscriptions in Linear A, cult objects, animal bones, marine shells, and a wide range of material recovered from water sieving. This latter category, with burned grain, fish bones, shells, and other categories of materials, fills many gaps in our knowledge of Pseiran life.

Pseira VIII

Pseira VIII
Author: Philip P. Betancourt
Publisher: INSTAP Academic Press
Total Pages: 207
Release: 2004-10-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 162303096X

Richard B. Seager excavated the Minoan town and cemetery at Pseira in 1906-1907, but the work was not fully published. The Temple University excavations (1985-1994) under the direction of Philip P. Betancourt and Costis Davaras conducted an intensive surface survey of the island. The results of the survey on the small island off the northeast coast of Crete are published in two volumes. Pseira VIII presents the results from the corollary studies that accompany the surface survey. Pseira IX presents the results from the intensive surface survey.

Pseira VII

Pseira VII
Author: Philip P. Betancourt
Publisher: INSTAP Academic Press
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2003-07-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1623030935

Richard B. Seager excavated the Minoan cemetery at Pseira in 1907, but the work was never published. The Temple University excavations (1985-1994) under the direction of Philip P. Betancourt and Costis Davaras conducted an intensive surface survey of the cemetery area, cleaned and drew plans of all visible tombs, and excavated tombs that had not been previously excavated. The results of the cemetery excavations on the small island off the northeast coast of Crete are published in two volumes. Pseira VII presents the results from the excavation and cleaning of the 19 tombs that still exist at the Pseira cemetery. The cemetery is remarkable for the diversity of its tomb types. Burials were in cist graves built of vertical slabs (a class with Cycladic parallels), in small tombs constructed of fieldstones, in house tombs, and in jars. Burials were communal, as is usual in Minoan cemeteries. Artifacts included clay vases, stone vessels, obsidian, bronze tools, jewelry, and other objects.

The Dams and Water Management Systems of Minoan Pseira

The Dams and Water Management Systems of Minoan Pseira
Author: Philip P. Betancourt
Publisher: INSTAP Academic Press
Total Pages: 113
Release: 2012-12-31
Genre: History
ISBN: 1623030005

Excavations at the Bronze Age seaport on Pseira Island uncovered the remains of sophisticated water retention systems that included the addition of retaining walls to prevent erosion, massive dams with associated reservoirs, and small check-dams to ravines that reached over one hundred meters in length in order to control water runoff and make it available for human use. Agriculture was one of the cornerstones of the Bronze Age Cretan economy, and it is no surprise that the ancient inhabitants of the island went to great lengths to control water runoff and make it available for human use. Despite the application of traditional archaeological survey methods, the full extent of the water management systems was not understood fully as the island's rugged topography prevented intensive and thorough survey of many places. The use of a differential Global Positioning System (dGPS) unit provided the opportunity to take a fresh look at the evidence for water management on the island. The results of this study contribute substantial amounts of new information on the little known subject of Minoan water conservation and control.

Pseira VI

Pseira VI
Author: Philip P. Betancourt
Publisher: INSTAP Academic Press
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2002-12-31
Genre: History
ISBN: 1623030900

Richard B. Seager excavated the Minoan cemetery at Pseira in 1907, but the work was never published. The Temple University excavations (1985-1994) under the direction of Philip P. Betancourt and Costis Davaras conducted an intensive surface survey of the cemetery area, cleaned and drew plans of all visible tombs, and excavated tombs that had not been previously excavated. The results of the cemetery excavations on the small island off the northeast coast of Crete are published in two volumes. Pseira VI publishes the methodology that was employed for the investigation, the topography of the cemetery area, the little that can be reconstructed of Seager's campaign, the ceramic petrography for the cemetery pottery, and the results of the intensive surface survey. The survey shows that the cemetery was first used in the Neolithic period, and it was abandoned in Middle Minoan II, before the expansion of the nearby town in LM I. It also demonstrates that the cemetery was larger than the area suggested by the 33 tombs found by Seager, and it shows that the customs included burial in jars, even though no examples have been excavated.

Pseira III

Pseira III
Author: Cheryl R. Floyd
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
Total Pages: 420
Release: 2015-09-30
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1512819700

The Pseira project began in 1985. Excavations were conducted from 1986 to 1991 as an American-Greek collaboration directed by Philip P. Betancourt and Costis Davaras. The Plateia Building (Building BS/BV) is located at the north of the Town Square or Plateia. It occupies the entire northern side of the square, with one room built on the eastern side as well. The structure is the largest building excavated at Pseira. The building was discovered by small tests made in 1986, and it was excavated in subsequent seasons. From the beginning, the building was recognized as an important structure in the town. Its excavation was conducted slowly and meticulously, with careful attention to the proper recovery and recording of its data. University Museum Monograph, 102

The Pseira Cemetery

The Pseira Cemetery
Author: Philip P. Betancourt
Publisher:
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2002
Genre: Excavations (Archaeology)
ISBN:

Urbanism in the Aegean Bronze Age

Urbanism in the Aegean Bronze Age
Author: Keith Branigan
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2002-04-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0567608085

State-formation and the emergence of civilization have been two of the major arenas of debate in Aegean prehistory for the last twenty five years. The process of urbanization has therefore been at the forefront of scholarly debate. Bronze Age towns, however, have largely been ignored, particularly at a generalized level. Research has usually focused on their architecture, and particularly their elite or public architecture, rather than their general nature and character, and many studies have been restricted to a single town or even a single building. This volume redresses the balance and draws attention and thought not only to urban settlements as a whole but to their social and economic roles, their demographic significance and ultimately to their character and personality.

Philistor

Philistor
Author: Philip P. Betancourt
Publisher: INSTAP Academic Press
Total Pages: 319
Release: 2012-09-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 1623030307

Contributions by 37 scholars are brought together here to create a volume in honor of the long and fruitful career of Costis Davaras, former Ephor of Crete and Professor Emeritus of Minoan Archaeology at the University of Athens. Articles pertain to Bronze Age Crete and include mortuary studies, experimental archaeology, numerous artifactual studies, and discussions on the greater Minoan civilization.

Nature

Nature
Author: Sir Norman Lockyer
Publisher:
Total Pages: 626
Release: 1911
Genre: Electronic journals
ISBN: