The excavation of two MH I-burial mounds at the site of Kastroulia near Ellinika (Ancient Thouria) in Messenia

The site of Kastroulia is situated on the upper slope of the E bank of the Xeropotamos gorge east of the ridge of Ellinika with its numerous LH chamber tombs. The two mounds of Kastroulia were mentioned in Hope Simpson and Dickinson (1979) p.163 D 137 and considered as possible LH tholos tombs. After an attempt of illegal digging in the southern one of the two tumuli the director of the 7 th. Ephorate in Olympia Dr. X. Arapogianni decided to explore the remains of the two tumuli systematically, which were also endangered by agricultural activities. The subsequent excavations starting in 2001 brought to light a central grave with multiple burials in the southern one of the two tumuli and three single burials at different points under the earth-mound of the second, the northern tumulus. The four graves of the two tumuli according to their numerous ceramic grave-gifts could all be dated to the MH I period. All the graves, rectangular or slightly oval, were dug more or less deep into the solid soil under the subsequent artificially accumulated earth-mounds. The three single burials of the northern tumulus, the burial of a woman, a man and a child, seem to belong to members of one family. The female burial contained by far the richest grave-gifts: almost 40 pottery vessels of different shape and size, usually with incised or painted decoration, and a necklace with four large bronze pendants in the shape of the Minoan double-axe. Of interest is the fact, that the earth of the two tumuli-mounds contained huge quantities of pottery-sherds, which almost exclusively have to the dated to the EH II period.

Jörg Rambach