Revisiting Terpni: Geophysics Meets Archaeology on Paliokastro Hill, an Ancient City in the Lower Strymon Valley
摘要
Earlier excavations at Paliokastro near the village of Terpni (Greece) in the 1980s and 1990s revealed close to the modern surface, a fortification and several phases of habitation with excellent preservation. A bath house and one of the largest Roman period basilicas north of Thessaloniki, which was later converted into a five-aisled church, were uncovered in one of the trenches. Another trench revealed wine-making facilities dating from the Imperial or Late Roman period. Recently, the Ephorate of Antiquities of Serres and the French School at Athens joined forces to revisit the site and place these buildings in their proper spatial context. This effort was preceded and informed by an integrated multi-instrument geophysical survey including GPR, potassium magnetometer and UAV photogrammetry covering the entire surface of the hilltop. The magnetometry apparently outlined the general plan of the streets and residential areas (insulae), while the GPR survey revealed the exact location and outline of a previously unknown three-aisled basilica with an east-facing apse. The first two seasons of the excavation revealed a number of features that confirmed the accuracy of the GPR model and added important details to the chronology and the function of this representative building. Thus, after only two seasons of fieldwork, we can present a case study of a fairly successful multidisciplinary effort that has supported our archaeological research and confirmed the potential of this model to inform cultural heritage policy.