Books by Krzystof Nowicki
Papers by Krzystof Nowicki
Aegean Archaeology 13, 2022
The aim of this paper is to summarize the author's research on the little-known transition betwee... more The aim of this paper is to summarize the author's research on the little-known transition between the Late and Final Neolithic in Crete. The work was originally stimulated by an excavation at Monastiraki Katalimata-an extreme example of a defensible Final Neolithic site, located in the Cha gorge (eastern Crete). This extraordinary early Final Neolithic site raised questions regarding the historical processes which on one hand determined the decline of the Neolithic way of life (as represented by the Magasa type sites), including settlement patterns and social organization, and on the other opened a new chapter of development in the late Final Neolithic leading to the Early Bronze Age world. Although substantial progress has already been achieved regarding the main aspects of settlement change in Final Neolithic Crete, settlement patterns preceding the retreat to defensible sites remain vague and based on a few sites only. This paper will focus on that part of the problem, and the arguments will be supported by a series of pre-Final Neolithic sites identifi ed recently.
Polymichanos: Man of Many Ways. Papers in Honour of Professor Jan Driessen, Aegaeum 25, edited by Ch. Langohr amd Q. Letesson, 2023
Megisthos Kouros: Studies in Honour of Hugh Sackett (Aegis 23), , 2022
This paper is a small tribute to the memory of the great scholar who contributed so much to our k... more This paper is a small tribute to the memory of the great scholar who contributed so much to our knowledge of a small, but so important part of the ancient world, the part which means so much to my work and my life. In my memory, Hugh Sackett will always remain not just an outstanding archaeologist, but also, and perhaps even more, an extremely friendly and kind person, full of positive spirit and admirable attitude to much more junior scholars at the beginning of their proper 'field education'. I owe special thanks to Hugh and Sandy MacGillivray for their long-lasting and warm hospitality (and many stimulating discussions, which contributed also to this article) which made each visit to Hagios Antonios a great and relaxing pleasure, not to mention that one of these visits has unexpectedly resulted in life-lasting side-effects. My fieldwork in Crete was possible due to the kindness of the Greek archaeological authorities, the Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Service of Crete, in the case relevant to this paper, in particular the KD' Ephorate of Antiquities for East Crete and all its Ephors and other staff members through all those nearly 40 years of my Cretan affair.
This paper proposes a new explanation of the intriguing distribution pattern of peak sanctuaries ... more This paper proposes a new explanation of the intriguing distribution pattern of peak sanctuaries in Crete during the MM period, and the reasons for their fast expansion in the late Proto-Palatial period, followed by a sudden decline soon afterwards. The working hypothesis presented here is based on my intensive fieldwork carried out during the last decade and is supported by several recently identified sites which shed new light on these problems. At present about 40 sites in Crete can be classified as peak sanctuaries. They are mostly grouped in three regions: central Crete, the East Siteia peninsula and the Rethymnon isthmus, with a few “anomalous” sites beyond these regions. It is indisputable that the earliest, the most important and the longest-lived peak sanctuary was Iouchtas, closely related to Knossos. Iouchtas became a model-site, the idea of which spread to other parts of the island. Some regions, however, as for example those controlled by Malia and Phaistos, showed stro...
Hesperia, 1993
Page 1. KHALASMENO AND KATALIMATA TWO EARLY IRON AGE SETTLEMENTS IN MONASTIRAKI, EAST CRETE (PLAT... more Page 1. KHALASMENO AND KATALIMATA TWO EARLY IRON AGE SETTLEMENTS IN MONASTIRAKI, EAST CRETE (PLATEs 68-73) T HIS REPORT represents a single component of the Kavousi-Thriphti Survey, which is ...
Aegean Archaeology , 2018
This is the second article in the series intended as an update to the book entitled "Final Neolit... more This is the second article in the series intended as an update to the book entitled "Final Neolithic Crete and the Southeast Aegean", published in 2014. The main aims of this supplementary series were explained in the fi rst article. In the present paper over 40 new sites are added to the Gazetteer. Four locations are mentioned in the category of probable sites, with some evidence of the FN activity, too poor, however, to allow these sites to be included in the proper Gazetteer. During the last two years substantial progress has been made not only on the identifi cation of early FN (FN I) sites, but, even more important, also on identifying sites which can be dated to the LN. Thanks to these discoveries, the reconstruction of the changes between the LN and FN I, as well as between the FN I and FN II, is better evidenced and thus more reliable, although new questions have also arisen. Among the most intriguing ones are 1) almost all the newly identifi ed LN sites presented below represent short-lasting or seasonal occupation; therefore, where were the permanent settlements related to them?; 2) was there a transitional phase between the LN, characterised by an intensive exploitation of coastal areas by small and probably mobile groups of people, and the FN I withdrawal from the coast to inland "refuge" or defensible sites?; and 3) what is the chronological relationship between sites representing the earliest phase of this withdrawal (e.g. Faistos, Gortina and Monastiraki Katalimata), and stratifi ed deposits of Knossos? The newly identifi ed LN sites date probably to the fi fth and the earliest quarter of the fourth millennium BC. They seem to indicate that the pre-FN I settlement pattern was based on a few permanent settlements and much more common individual households and seasonal/short-lasting camps/shelters scattered in almost all regions of Crete. LN Cretans based their economy on agriculture and herding, but numerous small mobile groups of people, scattered irregularly throughout the island, must have survived also on the intensive exploitation of a broad variety of natural resources (plant, animals, raw materials exploitation and exchange) in different geographical zones.
Communities in Transition: The Circum-Aegean Area during the 5th and 4th Millenia BC, edited by S. Dietz, F. Mavridis, Ž. Tankosić, and T. Takaoğlu, 2018
Hardback Edition: ISBN 978-1-78570-720-9 Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78570-721-6 (epub) A CIP rec... more Hardback Edition: ISBN 978-1-78570-720-9 Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78570-721-6 (epub) A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library and the Library of Congress All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher in writing.
An Archaeology of Forced Migration. Crisis-induced mobility and the collapse of the 13th c.BCE Eastern Mediterranean, edited by J. Driessen, Louvain, 2018
Proceedings of the 12th International Congress of Cretan Studies, 2019
Archeologia (Poland) 67 2016-2017, 2018
The phenomenon of cult places located on hills and mountains in Crete has attracted so much atten... more The phenomenon of cult places located on hills and mountains in Crete has attracted so much attention during the last fi fty years that one might think the subject is well researched and nothing new can be contributed anymore. After intensive fi eld investigations in the 1960s, 70s and 80s it seemed that the general role of those sites in contemporary settlement patterns and their topographical characteristics were well-known, enough to propose solid explanations about the origins and history of peak sanctuaries, and the character of cult behind their origin. Excavations, fi rst at Iouchtas, then Atsipades Korakias and Traostalos, Vrysinas, and more recently at Anatoli Stavromenos, yielded evidence which may help to illuminate these problems. However, each of the excavated sites has its own peculiarity, and all of them suffered much destruction due to the natural elements, as well as ancient and modern human activity. We are eagerly waiting for the excavation publications to be able to put the puzzles together, but it should be clarifi ed here that, however helpful that material will be, many questions will stay unanswered. The central and dominant position of the sanctuary on Iouchtas is beyond doubt, but when exactly the fi rst worshippers came to the place is still an open matter. This is, however, a crucial point for the reconstruction of the spread of the idea throughout the rest of the island. Is the curious distribution pattern, with the circle of peak sanctuaries around Iouchtas in Central Crete and a dense sanctuaries concentration in East Crete, meaningful for the understanding of the expansion of Knossian infl uence after the EM II destruction horizon? Is the concentration of peak sanctuaries in the Rethymnon district comparable in date and characteristics to the one in East Crete? Are the blank spots on the map of the Cretan peak sanctuaries really regions lacking such type of cult place, or is this the result of less intensifi ed fi eldwork? What was the role of the highest mountains, some of which show very poor evidence of Bronze Age activity of non-domestic character which resembles sometimes evidence known from cult places? What was the role of very small sites with only one element of a peak sanctuary "votive offering packet" ̶ pebbles? What was the role of hilltop sites located in the obvious visual relation to the sanctuary on Iouchtas, with a "votive offering packet" lacking pebbles? What was the function of auxiliary sites to peak sanctuaries and were they common feature of all sites? These questions will be addressed in the paper and the arguments will be supported by new evidence from fi eldwork undertaken during the last twenty years. Also, new data for the reconstruction of the ritual itself will be discussed in a broader context of the location and arrangement of Minoan peak sanctuaries.
Th is work is the fi rst in a series of articles intended as supplements to the book entitled " F... more Th is work is the fi rst in a series of articles intended as supplements to the book entitled " Final Neolithic Crete and the Southeast Aegean " , published in 2014. Although the book was released only a year ago, it represents the state of research of early 2013, and in the meantime some new data have come to light which are relevant to the analysis of the transition between the Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age in the south Aegean. Additionally, I have realised that some elements of material culture, in particular pottery and stone tools, require more detailed presentation and richer illustration than so far possible. My book was focused on the topography of individual sites, settlement development, the role of landscape in settlement patterns and new territorial organization of the island, and the processes which were behind the dramatic changes of settlement location during the fourth millennium BC. Th is analysis was complemented by the publication of basic surface evidence (essential for reliable dating), but due to space restrictions the pottery and stone tools were illustrated in the book in the form of drawings only. However, a more detailed photographic presentation is needed to support some of the proposed hypothesis, and to allow other colleagues to develop their opinions on the interpretation of this material.
This paper presents the results of recent fi eld investigations in Crete, undertaken between 2011... more This paper presents the results of recent fi eld investigations in Crete, undertaken between 2011 and 2013. The research during these three seasons concerned settlement patterns, and especially their changes in the fourth millennium BC, in a broad geographical context including the Dodecanese and the southern part of the Cyclades.
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Books by Krzystof Nowicki
Papers by Krzystof Nowicki