The Maroneia cave in Aegean Thrace. Byzantine period transport amphoras and coarse ware

Abstract

In western Aegean Thrace, on Mt. Ismaros, the Maroneia cave is located. Its southeastern part was in use from the Late Neolithic period onward, until the verge of the Middle and Late Byzantine periods. The cave lies at a short distance from the homonymous, prosperous, coastal, fortified city. Albeit its southern entrance is well-hidden, the plateau in front of it provides the opportunity for wide observation of the surrounding area. Artifacts deposited in the interior attest that the citizens of Maroneia were hosted here occasionally. The present paper presents the coarse ware, attempting to shed light on: a. the commercial and cultural connections of Maroneia and Aegean Thrace in general with Balkan and Mediterranean sites and b. the various uses of the cave through time; transport amphoras and pithoi reflect its use as a storage area for agricultural and dairy commodities, whereas table- and kitchenware reveals its use as a shelter during the tumultuous times of Aegean Thrace. Invasions of several tribes of the north, e.g., the Goths, Huns, Avars, Normans, Catalans, etc.; the rivalry between the Latin kings; the civil wars of the late Byzantine emperors; and seaward piracy on the coastal region of the Thracian Sea led the Maroneitans to abandon their city occasionally and seek refuge in the nearby cave.