SIPHNOS LANDSCAPE
Tracing the landscape
of ancient Siphnos
The Mycenaean acropolis at Tis Baronas To Froudi
The site was first identified by Greek archaeologist Christos Tsountas in 1898, who refers to it as “Froudi Tou Kalamitsiou” after Kalamitsi, the wider area where it is located (at a later time Dragatsis gave the same name to the tower identified further north at Mavro Chorio). It is a 240m-high hill that dominates over Vathy and the bay of Chochlaki in the southwest of Siphnos. The ellipsoidal top (froudi derives from “fridi”, brow in Greek) of the hill, an area of about 520m2, is occupied by a small acropolis, naturally fortified on its northern side.
This particularly advantageous location, in addition to the security it provides, gives an excellent view of the sea routes and is very close to the well-harboured bay of Vathy, but also to natural water sources and areas suitable for cultivation and livestock farming.
Seen from above, the largest part of the top is occupied by an elongated structure: a single building complex of a maximum surviving length of 25m. It consists of two wings with successive small spaces surrounded by an equal number of corridors. The terrace used to be protected by a blockading wall (about 1.30m thick) which constituted –at least on the western, best preserved, side– the outer face of the complex. In addition, dense architectural remains can also be seen on terraces right below the summit, particularly on the western one. The presence of two hinges (small holes carved into the rock) there suggests an entrance, probably designating the route to approaching the upper terrace.
The surface finds (pottery, weaving weights, etc.) indicate that the acropolis flourished in the late Mycenaean period and specifically in the period that followed the collapse of the palaces of mainland Greece (1200-1050 B.C.), coinciding chronologically with the acropolis of Ayios Andreas, a major centre of the island at that time. Although according to evidence gathered so far the acropolis at Tis Baronas was possibly characterised by commerce and craftsmanship activities and had ties with Ayios Andreas, the relations between the two centres cannot be clearly determined yet. However, the site was already being used since the Neolithic period, as is evidenced by the pottery, the stone tools and the large quantities of obsidian found on the surface, especially on the lower terraces. However, there are few surface finds dating from after the Mycenaean period.
at Tis Baronas To Froudi
