Greek Mainland Research Articles

Palaeologan Veria: A Peripheral Center under the Perspective of Its Monuments The Case of the Marble Decoration from the Old Metropolitan Cathedral as a Possible Donation by Christian Members of the Seljuk Dynasty

By the rising of the Palaiologan dynasty in Constantinople, regional centers on the Greek mainland, such as Veria, lived and prospered under the influence of the Byzantine capital, and at the same time geographically close Thessaloniki. The essay presents sculptures that came to light during the first phase of the investigations and the main phase of restoration of the Old Metropolis in Veria during the years 2011–2015. The sculptures decorated with arabesque motifs form a group with common stylistic features and are associated with a phase of renewal of the church’s liturgical furnishings in the first two decades of the 14th century, when the ecclesiastical seat of Veria was raised from an Archdiocese to a Metropolitan seat. The subject matter of the sculptures, although widespread in the Palaiologan era as the result of the interaction of the Christian with the Islamic world, might be associated with the presence, documented by written sources, of the family of Sultan ‘Izz ad-Dın Kaykaus II in Veria. The study of the documents, sources and published material and assessment of the evidence relating to members of the Seljuk ruling house of Iconium who settled in Byzantine territories of Imathia, the region of Veria including the village of Komanitzes, and the areas of Meliki, Ressiane, and Nese, reveals three noble families who took over the lands and general administration during the Palaiologan era. Since it is known from the archival researches of E. Gara that the Old Metropolis of Veria and its environs were known in the late 16th and early 17th century as the Melek Monastery, we think it is probable that the architectural sculptures described above were given to the church by that family, who could have been its patrons and benefactors.

Understanding the role of metal within the Late Bronze Age community at Mycenae: challenges and potential approaches

Metal has been widely argued as playing a decisive role in the development of Mycenae, which became one of the foremost centers on the Late Bronze Age Greek mainland. Yet, little is understood as to how metals were integrated into the lives of the inhabitants. Most scholarship has concentrated on the relationship between the ruling class and metal artifacts, drawing much of the evidence from the Linear B archives and top-down models of trade, society and internal redistribution that are increasingly considered untenable within the study of other aspects of Mycenaean life. This paper presents a new project, which uses a practice-orientated approach based around object biographies to study the use of metal across the entire social spectrum of the Late Bronze Age community at Mycenae (approximately 1700–1050 BC). The benefits of such an approach are discussed through a case study that examines the unexpected absence of gold vessels from the Palatial period archaeological record from the perspective of social practice and demonstrates how the holistic use of evidence from multiple sources can help overcome the difficulties inherent in the study of the use of metal in past societies.

The Maritime and Riverine Networks of the Eurotas River Valley in Lakonia

Abstract Lakonia is remembered in Homeric epic as the locale where Queen Helen was abducted to Troy, becoming the face that launched 1,000 ships. In Bronze Age reality (ca. 3000–1200 BCE), Lakonia was one of the earliest areas on the Greek mainland to be influenced by Minoan civilization, achieve social complexity, and progress toward Mycenaean statehood. We examine how these cultural developments were supported by Lakonia's riverine topography. The perennial Eurotas River connected intervisible Bronze Age sites in the Spartan Plain with coastal port cities, thereby facilitating flows of ideas, people, and trade, particularly with Minoan Crete via the island of Kythera. We argue that Minoan interest in Lakonian raw materials resulted in the acquisition of finished prestige goods and specialized knowledge by Lakonian elites and contributed to emerging Lakonian social complexity. We conclude that Lakonia's riverine landscape was an important factor in its early development toward Mycenaean statehood.

Before the Neolithic in the Aegean: The Pleistocene and the Early Holocene record of Bozburun - Southwest Turkey

The renewed Mesolithic research in the Greek mainland and the islands has been providing new insights into the lively maritime activity within the region; however, the southwest coast of Turkey has been virtually devoid of related investigations until the commencement of the Bozburun Prehistoric Survey project in 2017. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the prehistoric sites discovered at the Bozburun Peninsula during the 2017–2019 field seasons. Preliminary results indicate that the area is rich in prehistoric activity. While Middle Paleolithic chipped stone industries were identified at the sites of Kayabaşı Cave, Çakmak, and Sobalak, flake based microlithic chipped stone industries typical of the Aegean Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene were identified at the sites of Sarnıç, Hurma, Sobalak, Zeytinlik, and Çakmak. A variety of artifacts, suggestive of the Neolithic, were also recorded at the sites of Hurma, Zeytinlik, and possibly at Sobalak and Sarnıç. In specific, the presence of carinated end-scrapers, burins and polyhedric cores at Sarnıç, as well as some geometric microliths at Hurma, demonstrates that Bozburun was frequented during the Upper Paleolithic and the Epipaleolithic. The presence of a few geometric microliths made on Melos obsidian at Hurma also demonstrates that the region was connected to the Aegean obsidian network routes at least by the beginning of the Holocene. If our relative dating is correct, this constitutes the earliest known use of Melos obsidian in the Anatolian mainland.

Compressional origin of the Aegean Orogeny, Greece

The Aegean Sea area is thought to be an actively extending back-arc region, north of the present day Hellenic volcanic arc and north-dipping subduction zone in the Eastern Mediterranean. The area shows extensive normal faulting, ductile ‘extensional’ shear zones and extensional S-C fabrics throughout the islands that have previously been related to regional Aegean extension associated with slab rollback on the Hellenic Subduction Zone. In this paper, we question this interpretation, and suggest the Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of the Aegean region is associated with a Late Cretaceous–Eocene NE-dipping subduction zone that was responsible for continent-continent collision between Eurasia and Adria-Apulia/Cyclades. Exhumation of eclogite and blueschist facies rocks in the Cyclades and kyanite-sillimanite grade gneisses in the Naxos core complex have pressures that are far greater than could be accounted for purely by lithospheric extension and isostatic uplift. We identify four stages of crustal shortening that affected the region prior to regional lithospheric extension, herein called the Aegean Orogeny. This orogeny followed a classic Wilson cycle from early ophiolite obduction (ca. 74 Ma) onto a previously passive continental margin, to attempted crustal subduction with HP eclogite and blueschist facies metamorphism (ca. 54–45 ​Ma), through crustal thickening and regional kyanite – sillimanite grade Barrovian-type metamorphism (ca. 22–14 ​Ma), to orogenic collapse (<14 ​Ma). At least three periods of ‘extensional’ fabrics relate to: (1) Exhumation of blueschists and eclogite facies rocks showing tight-isoclinal folds and top-NE, base-SW fabrics, recording return flow along a subduction channel in a compressional tectonic setting (ca. 50–35 ​Ma). (2) Extensional fabrics within the core complexes formed by exhumation of kyanite- and sillimanite gneisses showing thrust-related fabrics at the base and ‘extensional’ fabrics along the top (ca. 18.5–14 ​Ma). (3) Regional ductile-brittle ‘extensional’ fabrics and low-angle normal faulting related to the North Cycladic Detachment (NCD) and the South(West) Cycladic Detachment (WCD) during regional extension along the flanks of a major NW–SE anticlinal fold along the middle of the Cyclades. Major low-angle normal faults and ductile shear zones show symmetry about the area, with the NE chain of islands (Andros, Tinos, Mykonos, Ikaria) exposing the NE-dipping NCD with consistent top-NE ductile fabrics along 200 ​km of strike. In contrast, from the Greek mainland (Attica) along the SE chain of islands (Kea, Kythnos, Serifos) a SW-dipping low-angle normal fault and ductile shear zone, the WCD is inferred for at least 100 ​km along strike. Islands in the middle of the Cyclades show deeper structural levels including kyanite- and sillimanite-grade metamorphic core complexes (Naxos, Paros) as well as Variscan basement rocks (Naxos, Ios). The overall structure is an ~100 ​km wavelength NW–SE trending dome with low-angle extensional faults along each flank, dipping away from the anticline axis to the NE and SW. Many individual islands show post-extensional large-scale folding of the low-angle normal faults around the domes (Naxos, Paros, Ios, Sifnos) indicating a post-Miocene late phase of E–W shortening.

Self-immolation Suicide in Greece: A Forensic Psychiatric Autopsy Study between 2011 and 2019.

Self-immolation is a rare suicide method in the developed countries of the western world (0.06-1%); however, it has relatively higher prevalence rates in the developing countries of Asia and Africa (6-57%). The present study aims to examine self-immolation suicides within the Greek mainland (Attiki, Thrace, and Peloponnese) over a period of 9 years (2011-2019) in order to investigate the phenomenon in the Greek population forensically, identify the characteristics and motivations of suicide victims, explore its associations to socio-cultural or psychiatric factors, and describe a fatal case of suicide by self-immolation that was partially recorded on camera. The medical files (autopsy reports) of cases performed at the Departments of Forensic Medicine of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Democritus University of Thrace, and the Forensic Service of Messinia-Peloponnese were retrospectively examined yielding 19 cases of suicides by self-immolation. A 3.7% prevalence of suicide by self-immolation among suicide fatalities within the Greek population was estimated. A distinctive feature of the Greek population regarding self-immolation was disclosed that it is being practiced predominantly by the elderly (mean age 2-3.5 decades higher than other countries). The phenomenon correlated strongly with poorly controlled mental disorders (mostly affective and adjustment disorders). Unlike other countries, there was no significant association with domestic or sexual violence, social or political protest, or religious issues. Therefore, the suicide victims preferred secluded or private outdoor locations (not public). Findings deriving from the examined variables localize Greek population culturally between the Western European and Asian African countries, but with its own idiosyncrasies.

New or rarely reported lichens for Thraki, Greece II

Christensen S.N. 2018: New or rarely reported lichens for Thrace, Greece. – Herzogia 31: 390–394.Forty five species are reported from Thrace. Tree taxa, Cladonia caespiticia, Dermatocarpon luridum, and Vahliella leucophaea, are new to the Greek mainland, and 34 taxa are new to Thrace. This is at the same time a first record of lichens on Quercus frainetto in Greece.

&lt;i&gt;Tarentola mauritanica&lt;/i&gt; (Squamata: Phyllodactylidae) Conquering the Greek Mainland: Three New Populations from Aetoloakarnania, Western Greece

Tarentola mauritanica, also known as Moorish Gecko, is a trans-Mediterranean gecko with a large distribution, ranging from Israel and North Africa, to southern Europe, as well as on many large Mediterranean islands. In Greece, the Moorish Gecko is distributed across several islands, and the only mainland occurrences reported are from the Peloponnese (in the west and north) and very recently, from Athens. Here we present three new records of the Moorish Gecko from localities in the Aetoloakarnania prefecture (Western Greece), and briefly discuss potential scenarios of introduction and expansion of this species on the Greek mainland.

The Panionia: The Ritual Context for Identity Construction in Archaic Ionia

ABSTRACT: The Panionia, the common festival of the Ionian Greeks of Asia Minor that took place in the Panionion sanctuary, was a focal point for the development of a common Ionian identity during the Archaic Greek period. The Archaic Ionian League, a loose collection of separate cities, grew to include both Ionians and non-Ionians, problematizing what it meant to be Ionian. The members negotiated their identities through the recitation of their civic origin stories at the Panionia festival, until a common cultural identity materialized by the late sixth century BCE. Upon this foundation, when geopolitical shifts in the region caused the Ionians to realign their foreign policies toward Athens, a common political identity also emerged, as reflected in the legendary account of a mass Ionian Migration from the Greek mainland to Asia Minor. It was within a ritual context, therefore, that the early Ionian League members forged their coherent identity.

Impact of Economic Crisis on Passenger Transportation – Case of Travelling to the Greek Mainland from Crete

The Greek economic crisis of 2009 onwards has affected all aspects of social and economic life of the country, including transportation. The present study focuses on the impact of economic crisis on the long distance transportation between the island of Crete in Greece, the largest Greek island and one of the largest in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Greek mainland. A questionnaire survey was used to investigate the opinions of the Cretans on the way the economic crisis influenced their transportation to the Greek mainland. The results of the survey show that the frequency of the Cretans’ travels was significantly limited, owing to the increased direct or indirect associated cost, due to the economic crisis. Especially for those who struggled to make ends meet, the transportation to the mainland dropped to the bare essentials. Furthermore, the respondents deemed that the deregulation of the Greek maritime and airline markets was also to blame for the high fares, thus they favoured a regulated public transport sector and were against privatization. Inevitably, financially vulnerable individuals were the most preoccupied with these issues. A feeling of isolation and exclusion was revealed by the sample on occasions when the scheduled trips were cancelled by the operators due to exogenous parameters.

HOUSE (CENTRIC) SOCIETIES ON THE PREHISTORIC GREEK MAINLAND

SummaryThe concept of ‘House Societies’ was introduced by Lévi‐Strauss. It not only considers the social aspects of houses and households, but also the economic and political ones. By so doing, one gains a much more complete understanding of how a community is structured and organized, and how changes can slowly unfold within seemingly static communities. In this article it is argued that Early Helladic III and early Middle Helladic communities on the Greek mainland can be considered proto‐house societies, while House Societies proper do emerge at some places during the later Middle Helladic and Late Helladic I periods. The arguments are based on an analysis of domestic architecture, mortuary practices and the domestic economy. These indicate that the concept of property became more important during the Middle Helladic period. The house was perpetuated through rebuilding and mortuary practices, thereby referencing the concept of kinship, in order to transmit property. Such habits define House Societies.

The lion, the weapon and the warlord: historical evaluation of the early Late Bronze Age Aegean iconography

This paper historically examines the depictions of warriors, lion hunters and figures of power and authority dated to the early phases of the Late Bronze Age Aegean. We argue that the depictions of warriors and lion hunters reflect warrior hierarchies of the early Late Bronze Age Aegean. Moreover, we define different types of figures of power and authority and argue that two different and parallel elite iconographies depicting such figures were developed during the Neopalatial period on Crete. We suggest that the antagonism between the two elite groups identifying with two parallel elite iconographies is directly visible in some of the combat scenes. We believe that the two iconographies were also used in the self-representation of different Neopalatial elite groups to negotiate their positions in society. However, we suggest that a new iconographic repertoire emerged from the new social reality with the beginning of the Final Palatial period. Later in the paper we turn to the Greek Mainland to compare warrior hierarchies depicted in representations of combat and lion hunt to the warrior hierarchies attested in the burial record. In our view, originally Cretan themes were actively consumed in the context of the Greek Mainland and used to create new elite identities.

Book Review of What’s New in Roman Greece? Recent Work on the Greek Mainland and the Islands in the Roman Period: Proceedings of a Conference Held in Athens, 8–10 October 2015, edited by Valentina Di Napoli, Francesco Camia, Vasilis Evangelidis, Dimitris Grigoropoulos, Dylan Rogers, and Stavros Vlizos

Book Review of What’s New in Roman Greece? Recent Work on the Greek Mainland and the Islands in the Roman Period: Proceedings of a Conference Held in Athens, 8–10 October 2015, edited by Valentina Di Napoli, Francesco Camia, Vasilis Evangelidis, Dimitris Grigoropoulos, Dylan Rogers, and Stavros Vlizos

Marisa Marthari, Colin Renfrew and Michael J. Boyd (eds). Beyond the Cyclades. Early Cycladic sculpture in context from mainland Greece, the north and east Aegean. pp. 328, 265 b/w ills, 8 tables. 2019. Oxford: Oxbow Books. ISBN 9-781-58925-063-2, hardbac

This is the third in a series produced to publish a sequence of symposia in Athens that started in 2014 with ‘Cycladic Sculpture in Context’. Such ‘sculpture’ consists in all cases of figurines (rarely very large, although a few are more like statuettes or even, very rarely, something like life size). These figurines are almost entirely of stone, generally white marble, and belong to a well-known tradition that had its home in the EBA (Early Bronze Age) Cyclades, of which the ‘folded-arm figurine’ (FAF) is an internationally recognised type. Until recently, a large proportion of this class of material was represented by holdings in museum and private collections, generally the results of looting and often lacking even a claimed provenance. However, the momentous discoveries in excavations on Keros, a small island south-east of Naxos that was an early reported source of such material, have revolutionised our view of the whole class and the part they played in Cycladic EB culture. The lively debate on their interpretation and significance that followed the new discoveries led to the series of symposia in Athens, that was deliberately focused on the proportion of the material that could be given an archaeological context or at least a secure provenance. Previously published volumes have concerned the finds with provenances in the Cyclades and in Crete; this volume incorporates examples from the Greek mainland, other Aegean islands – mainly the Dodecanese, but there are examples from Skyros and Lesbos – and a solitary find from Miletus, seemingly ‘recontextualised’ in a phase succeeding the EBA.

(Dis)unity in the Archaic monetary systems of the western Chalkidian Apoikiai

The first coins in the Mediterranean world were struck by a number of Lydian and Greek rulers in western Asia Minor sometime around the middle of the 7th century BC in electrum, a manmade alloy of gold and silver. Roughly a century later, around 540-30 BC, poleis in Asia Minor, the Greek mainland, and in the western Mediterranean began to strike coins predominantly in silver; by the end of the 6th century BC hundreds of poleis were producing silver coins. Among the earliest producers of silver coinage were the northern Aegean apoikiai (‘colonies’) of the Euboian poleis of Chalkis and Eretria as well as the metropoleis (‘mother-cities’) themselves, all of which began to strike coins sometime around the third quarter of the 6th century. The monetary connections between the northern apoikiai and the cities of Euboia included not just a shared weight standard and denominational structure, but also, in the case of Eretria and Karystos on Euboia and the apoikia Dikaia in the Chalkidike, shared numismatic iconography; the coins of these three poleis are so similar that attribution to one or the other is sometimes difficult (Figures 1–5). Common to all three was the cow with its head reversed on the obverse, while on the reverse of the coins there was either a sepia (cuttlefish) (Eretria, Dikaia) or a cockerel (Karystos, Dikaia), which also appeared as an obverse type on smaller denominations of Dikaia (Figure 4). Significantly, Chalkis on Euboia did not share iconography with these three cities, although the coins of Chalkis did share a similar denominational structure and weight standard with the others. Were such similarities in iconography and monetary attributes simply a case of imitation, a not uncommon occurrence among ancient coin producers, or a sign of more significant economic, political, or social relationships?

Multi-Level Characterization of Eggplant Accessions from Greek Islands and the Mainland Contributes to the Enhancement and Conservation of this Germplasm and Reveals a Large Diversity and Signatures of Differentiation between both Origins

Crop landraces are found in many inhabited islands of Greece. Due to the particularity of environment and isolation from the mainland, Greek islands represent a natural laboratory for comparing the diversity of landraces from the islands with those of the Greek mainland. A collection of 36 Greek eggplant landraces and traditional cultivars from the mainland and the islands has been phenotypically and genetically characterized using 22 morphological descriptors and 5 SSR markers. The mineral composition (K, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) of fruits was also determined. The objectives of this study include the multi-level characterization of eggplant local landraces and the comparison of diversity among accessions from the Greek mainland and the islands. Characterization of eggplant landraces will contribute to the enhancement and prevention of genetic erosion in this local group and will provide a resource for future investigation and breeding. PCA analysis of morphological traits explained 45.4% of the total variance revealing the formation of two clusters, one with most of the island accessions, and another with most of the mainland ones. The SSR markers used exhibited high average values for the number of alleles/locus (4.6), expected heterozygosity (0.60) and PIC (0.55), while the observed heterozygosity was low (0.13). Both STRUCTURE and PCoA analyses based on SSR data revealed two genetic clusters, one made up mainly by the mainland accessions, while the other one was mainly made up by the island accessions. Although there was considerable variation among the landraces for the concentration of minerals studied, only average Mg concentration was significantly different between mainland and island accessions. Based on our data, the Greek eggplant landraces present considerable morphological and genetic diversity with some differentiation signatures between the island and the mainland accessions. Our results have implications for conservation of Greek landraces and suggest that Greece might be considered as part of a secondary center of diversity for eggplant in the Mediterranean basin.

Challenges Associated with the Implementation of an Exercise and Sport Intervention Program in a Greek Refugee Camp: A Report of Professional Practice.

Objective Refugees have a particularly high prevalence of psychopathological disorders. Despite this, little attention has been paid to the treatment of traumatized refugees, and research on the effects of exercise and sport among refugees is still in its infancy. Thus far, no randomized controlled trials have been carried out in a refugee camp setting, most likely because such trials are complicated by multiple organizational and methodological issues. We highlight some major challenges when carrying out experimental research in a refugee camp. Method This report of professional practice is based on systematic observations, individual and focus group interviews, and experiences made in a pre-experimental study, implemented in a refugee camp on the Greek mainland. Results The report provides background information about how refugees generally come to Greece, how transit camps are typically managed, which institutions are involved in the camp management, which rules need to be followed by people working in a camp, which countries refugees generally come from, and the conditions in which they live in the camp. We also identify general factors that complicate experimental research in such a setting, and highlight specific issues pertaining to sport and exercise-based intervention trials. Conclusions Currently, more people are fleeing their home regions than after the end of the Second World War. This situation calls for a change in the understanding of humanitarian aid. Pure material and technical support must be complemented by public health measures, including exercise and sport programs. Researchers who want to enter this field of research can learn important lessons from our observations.

The sedimentary record of the Alkinoos Harbour of ancient Corcyra (Corfu Island, Greece) – geoarchaeological evidence for rapid coastal changes induced by co-seismic uplift, tsunami inundation and human interventions

Ancient Corcyra (modern Kerkyra or Corfu) was an important harbour city and commercial centre since the Archaic period, also due to its geostrategic position on the trade routes between Greece and Italy or Sicily. Corcyra kept its status as one of the prevailing naval powers in the Mediterranean by means of a large naval fleet, needing appropriated harbour basins to be stored and repaired. At least two harbours are documented by historical records and associated archaeological remains, namely the Alkinoos and the Hyllaikos Harbours, both located on either side of a narrow isthmus to the north of the Analipsis Peninsula, where the ancient polis developed. Today, the ancient harbour basins are silted and overbuilt by modern urban infrastructure, concealing their overall extent and topography. The present study aims to reconstruct the complex palaeogeographies of the ancient Alkinoos harbour of Corcyra based on a multi-methodological palaeoenvironmental and geoarchaeological approach. The methods used include sedimentary, geochemical, microfaunal and geophysical investigations that were complemented by archaeological data and results from previous geoarchaeological research. Spatially, the study focusses on the area of the so-called Desylla site west of known Alkinoos Harbour sediments in the midst of the modern city of Corfu. These results were complemented by findings from two geomorphological key sites as well as archaeoseismological traces from the western part of the Analipsis Peninsula. At the Desylla site, we found sedimentary evidence of an Archaic pre-harbour, partly open to the Gulf of Corfu, which was the predecessor of a protected Classical harbour basin. This basin, in use between at least the 4th to 3rd cent. BC and the 1st cent. AD, was delimited to the west by a wall. It represents the central part of the Classical Alkinoos Harbour which was sedimentologically traced, for the first time, from the De- sylla site in the west to the Kokotou site in the east, where monumental shipsheds were unearthed during earlier archaeological excavations. Probably, the harbour zone extended even further to the east, where contemporaneous harbour deposits were found associated with the prominent quay wall at the Pierri and Arion sites. Our results show, that, apart from man-made interventions, Corcyra's palaeogeographical evolution is strongly linked to multiple impacts of extreme wave events in the form of tsunami inundation. At least four events (I–IV) are recorded in the natural geoarchives of the Analipsis Peninsula and its surroundings as well as the northern harbour zone of ancient Corcyra. In particular, these events happened between 5600 and 5200 cal BC (event I), after 3900 cal BC (event II), between the 4 th and 3 rd cent. BC (event III) and between the 3 rd and 6 th cent. AD, most likely at 365 AD (event IV). Ages of all events correlate well with ages of tsunami traces found on Sicily, the Greek mainland and other Ionian Islands. Tsunami events I and II led to massive environmental changes around the Analipsis Peninsula, while event III was associated to strong co-seismic uplift, leading to the abandonment of the harbour site at Pierri. Decreasing water depths by siltation of the Kokotou and Desylla sites, however, were redressed by dredging, giving rise to an extensive Roman re-use of the western part of the Alkinoos Harbour zone. Yet, both harbour sites were hit again by event IV filling the harbour basins by a thick sequence of event deposits.

LIKE A DUCK TO WATER – BIRDS AND LIQUIDS IN THE AEGEAN BRONZE AGE

This study examines the relationships between birds and liquids in the Minoan, Cycladic and Mycenaean cultures. Objects under investigation are bird-shaped vessels, bird figurines attached to vessels, and some special pouring vessels decorated with painted bird motifs, which are listed in an accompanying catalogue. Analysis of this material demonstrates that images of both doves and waterbirds were consistently linked to liquid-containing vessels, but there are significant chronological and regional variations regarding the preference for bird species. Another aspect fluctuating with period and place is the type of contact created between liquid and bird motif. Three categories dividable into three or two subtypes can be recognised, which mainly differ from each other by the degree of proximity that is established between the fluid and bird motif. It is argued that these differences reflect variations in the perception of birds regarding their relationship to liquids. While a direct and active participation of birds in the flow of liquids such as water and milk is observable in many Cretan and Cycladic objects, the artefacts from the Greek Mainland show a different pattern, whereby less direct contact combined with a stylised rendering suggests that the bird motif was accorded a more passive role by symbolising the positive effect of the flow of water. These findings contribute to recent scholarly debates on human–animal relationships and ontologies in the Aegean Bronze Age.

The larvae of Athripsodes longispinosus longispinosus (Martynov 1909), Athripsodes longispinosus paleochora (Malicky 1972), and Athripsodes bilineatus aegeus Malicky 1999 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae), including a discriminatory matrix to the larvae of genus Athripsodes Billberg 1820 in Greece.

Larvae of three leptocerid caddisfly subspecies described in the present paper were sampled in Greece and the North Aegean island of Gökceada (Turkey). Information on the morphology of the final larval instar of each is given and the most important diagnostic features are illustrated. The subspecies are integrated into a synoptic discriminatory matrix including the currently known larvae of Greek species of genus Athripsodes. The species can be easily separated by head coloration; the morphology of the ventral apotome; setal and spinal patterns on the metadorsum, foretibiae, and anal prolegs; and by distribution. With respect to distribution, Athripsodes longispinosus longispinosus is known from Bulgaria, the Caucasus area, Turkey, the northern Greek mainland, and the Greek islands of Thasos, Lesbos, Andros, Ikaria, Naxos, and Rhodes. Athripsodes longispinosus paleochora is an endemic of the Greek island of Crete, and A. bilineatus aegeus has been recorded from the Peloponnese; the Greek islands of Euboea, Skiathos, Kithira, Andros; and Turkey.