Géographie historique : itinéraires et organisation spatiale de la Thasos antique

Abstract

Historical Geography: Routes and Spatial Organization in Ancient Thassos Starting from the translation of the inscription (published in 1964) on the stele indicating Aliki, this paper proposes several possible routes through the island between Aliki and Thassos, running from the East as well as from the West. These hypotheses rely mainly on elements referring to landscape analysis. They reinforce (albeit making it more precise) the hypothesis locating Demetrion in the area of the Kalyvias de Kastro (near Limenaria). Consequently, the spatial organisation of the island that emerges appears as constituted by a centre (the city proper) and relay zones of nucleated habitat loosely disseminated round a main pole structuring a population which was probably quite important from the foundation of the city. The routes described in this paper, as well as the density of the population, indicate that space was secured and exploited more or less intensively in practically the entire territory throughout Antiquity. The richness of the Thassian resources allows us to better understand why the population was so dense from the early days, a population which, in turn, made it possible to make perennial the riches of the island throughout Antiquity.