The castle upon the hill: A review of the spatial distribution of the medieval ceramic finds on the fortress of Psachna

The castle of Psachna on Euboea has been surveyed for the first time by the team of the Hinterland of Medieval Chalkida project (HMC project). Large amounts of ceramic material have been collected by means of an intensive survey. Most of the material is of Late Byzantine origin, likely originating from the city of Chalcis, in that time known as Negroponte. The region featured a feudal system with similar castles functioning as feudal strongholds for local lords, which could potentially provide a motive for habitation at the time. Three main categories which exist within this dataset are mapped in GIS: Tiles, non-diagnostic, and diagnostic ceramics. A number of sub-categories resulting from the processing of the diagnostic sherds, such as tableware and amphorae sherds among others, are similarly mapped. GIS mapping and analysis of the collected ceramics is used for the first time on the data, to gain an understanding of the distribution and to identify potential patterns in the...Show moreThe castle of Psachna on Euboea has been surveyed for the first time by the team of the Hinterland of Medieval Chalkida project (HMC project). Large amounts of ceramic material have been collected by means of an intensive survey. Most of the material is of Late Byzantine origin, likely originating from the city of Chalcis, in that time known as Negroponte. The region featured a feudal system with similar castles functioning as feudal strongholds for local lords, which could potentially provide a motive for habitation at the time. Three main categories which exist within this dataset are mapped in GIS: Tiles, non-diagnostic, and diagnostic ceramics. A number of sub-categories resulting from the processing of the diagnostic sherds, such as tableware and amphorae sherds among others, are similarly mapped. GIS mapping and analysis of the collected ceramics is used for the first time on the data, to gain an understanding of the distribution and to identify potential patterns in the pottery dispersal. The type of GIS maps constructed are thematic maps. Within said maps, values are translated into color codes which correspond to certain coded categories. These are designed to represent groupings of grid squares with similar weight values. Behind the implementation of the groupings lies the reasoning that reducing the number of total categories leads to reduced visual clutter on the maps, caused by less color values being displayed. Additionally, the analytical potential is expanded upon by making the maps more convenient. From the maps arises an image of the distribution of the ceramic material following a certain pattern. The southern/eastern band of the plateau features a high concentration of ceramic sherds, small in size. Here, certain areas feature a dense concentration of material which is true for every category of material. The northwestern part of the plateau features few sherds which are substantially larger. By calculating the average weight of ceramic sherds per area, a potential pattern of erosion can be seen. Smaller sherds are carried down the slope and accumulate in large numbers. Larger fragments are caught behind debris and remain there. Further research into the soil structure could help to further understand this pattern.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

The castle upon the hill: A review of the spatial distribution of the medieval ceramic finds on the fortress of Psachna