Playing with Fire at ‘Ais Giorkis: A Geospatial Analysis of Prehistoric Fire Residue

Summary

Kritou Marottou Ais Giorkis is an Early Neolithic (9.5 kya) site located, uniquely, in the western foothills of Cyprus’ Troodos Mountains. It is one of five near contemporary sites and has produced the largest chipped stone and faunal assemblages recovered thus far. There are also several preserved circular, cobbled platforms, whose function has yet to be determined. In fact, little is currently understood about the lifeways practiced at the site. This includes the intensity and duration of its occupation, making interpretation of the site and its past human experience difficult. To better engage with this issue, this study will employ geospatial analysis, while taking a landscape approach. It specifically examines the residue of fire activity, including the spatial distribution of both burnt chipped stone and faunal remains as well as observed ash lenses. Preliminary examination of the burnt chipped stone has revealed spatially distinct clustering at the site indicative of anthropogenic fire. The other data will be incorporated within the geodatabase to determine what differences and similarities exist between patterns. This will then be compared within the spatial location of the platforms within the local landscape to produce a more robust understanding of both Ais Giorkis and its inhabitants.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage