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Papers by IOANNIS LIRITZIS

HOLOCENE, 2024

The timing and causes for erosional events at the Kastrouli (Greece) archeological site-a Late My... more The timing and causes for erosional events at the Kastrouli (Greece) archeological site-a Late Myceneaen with reuse in later periods-are presented. Two borehole sediment cores (max 6 m depth), collected from the footsteps of the settlement hill plain, were studied. Sedimentary analysis and luminescence dating techniques investigate and identify periods of soil aggradation in this record. Moreover, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating confirmed the concept of an ancient lake during Kastrouli settlement times. Macroscopic overview of the stratigraphic structure for each core, included lithological and textural evaluation of the core sediments, assessments of grain size, and determination of the geochemical and mineralogical composition of the sediments. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) techniques were applied for the mineralogical and geochemical analysis. OSL ages from seven sediment horizons spanned from the Ottoman period to archaic times. All lithological findings correlate with the results of the electrical tomography survey conducted in same area. Extrapolation of the Logarithmic fitting of the data back in time of prehistoric Late Mycenaean era of Kastrouli verifies a lake deeper than 10 m, with a considerable enhancement in soil aggradation of 1.2 cm/year. Attempts to dry out the area are evidenced by the hydraulic works found in two engineering sinkholes. Sedimentation changes had occurred in the local environment over the last 2500 years, and soil aggradation underwent significant fluctuations in the two studied cores. The Roman period (a wet period) and the Byzantine period experienced high aggradation rates. By contrast, soil aggradation rates in southern Phokis (Kastrouli region) have remained exceedingly low from the Ottoman era (circa 13th century) to the present. In the context of the Phokis case study, it appears that the sedimentation rates, driven by climate, have strengthened anthropogenic activities.

Applied Sciences, 2021

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jan 25, 2023

PEASA, 2024

The study of the magnetization of artifacts discovered at archaeological sites, such as ceramics ... more The study of the magnetization of artifacts discovered at archaeological sites, such as ceramics or hearth remnants, is known as archaeomagnetism. This technique is based on the idea that some materials get magnetized in the direction and intensity of the Earth's magnetic field at the time when heated or exposed to extreme heat. Development in the field has been made to improve magnetometer devices and sample size, as well as measuring techniques of thermal remanent magnetization. It helped to study the variation of the complex Earth's magnetic field or geomagnetic field (GMF) for both geophysical and archaeological dating benefits. The rapid change in GMF within a few hundred or decades, as being of genuine origin or methodological and sample unsuitability has been a matter of debate. Data from about 40 years ago derived from well-dated Byzantine churches that first confirmed such geomagnetic spikes is discussed along with recent archaeomagnetic data from Mesopotamian inscribed bricks and Levantine slags.

PEASA, 2023

The current interest and frenzy discussion and attribution of all the evils in climate change, th... more The current interest and frenzy discussion and attribution of all the evils in climate change, the climate crisis, has led to skepticism about its right research direction, as well as its management and priority implementation actions, extended to its impacted effects on humans, the environment, and the economy. Rather than being the result of a simple mistake, an adequate dispute is based on diversity. I argue that many aspects of the scientific and ethical debate on climate change can be usefully viewed from a different more human-environment-centered perspective. This opinion article presents the topic recalling the historical past and discussing the current opinions and policy orientations followed by scientists, and decision-making centers. Emphasis is given to the prioritized sectors for mitigating the currently undesirable effects, in parallel to reorientation and breakdown of research on the contemporary causes of climatic change from the non-human interventions.

PEASA, 2024

This new transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary field that emerges in pedagogics is developed fu... more This new transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary field that emerges in pedagogics is developed further through an initial proposal for the formation of a specialist task committee in EASA as proposed by Ioannis Liritzis (Dean Class IV) and Klaus Mainzer (President of EASA) and a
first group of experts comprised of Members and non-members was formed.
The basic development of STEM in Arts+Culture is made by expert Members from the 5 Classes (I, III, IV, V, VI). Non-Members shall participate occasionally to share expertise and disseminate the
developed knowledge to other Institutions and participate in joint projects.
Experts from five Classes to cover dimensions of STEM: From Class I (archaeologists, anthropologists, historians of Art, Culturalists etc.); from Class III (music, painting, architecture, dance, intangible heritage etc); from Class IV (natural Sciences for STEM); from Class V (sustainability, economics in education); and from Class VI (engineers, environmentalists, etc.).

Journal of Archaeological Science, Oct 1, 2007

ABSTRACT Three rock samples and associated underlying surface (floor) soils of geoarchaeological ... more ABSTRACT Three rock samples and associated underlying surface (floor) soils of geoarchaeological significance from Greece, Sweden and a modern surface stone-sample from a Danish site were investigated using OSL dating. Thin slice, sub-samples, from drilled core surfaces were prepared. A single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol was used on whole rock slices to estimate the laboratory equivalent dose. Laboratory tests showed that the SAR protocol successfully corrected for sensitivity changes and that a known laboratory dose could be measured accurately.The luminescence signals from quartz and feldspar stimulated by blue light and from feldspar under IR stimulation were employed in equivalent dose calculations. Only IR signals showed measurable fading on a laboratory timescale. Laboratory tests showed that daylight bleaching of the rock surfaces is rapid, and that the light-exposed region extended into the solid rock. The geoarchaeological ages obtained for the rocks and soils were in satisfactory agreement with independent age estimates.

HNPS Advances in Nuclear Physics, Feb 20, 2020

Scientific Reports

Historical texts incorporate important characteristics that need to be assessed including genre, ... more Historical texts incorporate important characteristics that need to be assessed including genre, text structure and content. Often overlooked are characteristics of handwritten manuscripts commonly divided into legibility, readability and aesthetics. To determine the scientific feasibility of classification of handwritten texts an objective approach is developed to describe twenty handwritten pages of an 1819 Greek manuscript, that refers to the initiation to the Greek secret “friendly society” (Philike Hetaereia) organization, established as part of the Greek independence against the Ottoman Turks. It is investigated through a fractal and RGB image analysis approach. Fractal Minkowski Dimension was applied on the handwritten text and the RGB color analysis on the ink and paper and both were used as a non-invasive manner and revealed interesting results. The novel RGB image analysis and the fractal analysis of the manuscript identified respectively, five iron gall inks and four scri...

Journal of Cultural Heritage, 2017

SCIENTIFIC CULTURE, 2024

This paper presents the first preliminary isotopic data of skeletal (animal and human) remains re... more This paper presents the first preliminary isotopic data of skeletal (animal and human) remains recovered from Tomb A at the Mycenaean archaeological site of Kastrouli (Phocis) during the excavation periods from 2016 to 2021. The study also reports the results of the osteological analysis (minimum number of individuals, sex and age-at-death estimation) of several prenatal and adult bone fragments which were found commingled with animal remains in Tomb B, and Buildings 1 and 2.
The majority of the animal remains were identified as domesticated species, i.e. Ovis aries, Capra hircus, Bos taurus and Sus scrofa domesticus. Other animal species present were Alectoris, Lepus, and a few different species of gastropod shells (Cerithium, Tarantinaea lignaria, Patella sp.). Isotopic analysis (δ13C, δ15N) of 12 humans and four animals with good quality collagen indicates a mixed diet incorporating significant amounts of domestic animal protein, plants (some potential evidence for C4), and possibly some marine contribution, all of which are archaeologically documented

Scientific Culture, 2024

Age estimation of two carbonate rock samples, using thermoluminescence (TL) technique, and two ce... more Age estimation of two carbonate rock samples, using thermoluminescence (TL) technique, and two ceramic sherds using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) was performed; all derived from School of Homer (Pelikata), on Ithaca Island, Greece. The first stone sample was collected from the east façade, the lower row of the Mansion (ITH-3), while sample ITH-4 derives from the outer circular wall of well-known archaeological age. The partial bleaching methodology of surface luminescence dating method using fine powder was applied for the equivalent dose determination. The ages given by the two carbonate rock samples (stairs and wall) were in the 2 nd and 1 st millennia BC; the two ceramics dated to late Byzantine era. Various experimental features concerning bleaching of the carbonate rock samples are discussed.

J CULTURAL HERITAGE, 2023

The Kastrouli Late Mycenaean/Helladic settlement in Phokis near Delphi has produced extremely sig... more The Kastrouli Late Mycenaean/Helladic settlement in Phokis near Delphi has produced extremely significant data since its inception in 2016, that has enriched our knowledge of the peripheral Mycenaean
world. New radiocarbon dating data are presented and critically assessed with earlier reports concerning
the span of the habitation and its later reuse. Five new dates are presented and modelled by Bayesian statistical analysis and critically discussed along with other radiocarbon (14C) and both optically stimulated
luminescence (OSL) and thermoluminescence (TL) dates (a total of 22) from the site. When considering
the 95% probability range, there are two charcoal dates from Building 1 with ranges from 1411 to 1128
(calibrated) BC. For Building 2 the dates span between 1447 and 1281 BC, also if the limits of range are
considered. The two dates on the burnt wood base of Building 2 suggest an earlier date ca.1440-1300 BC
(Phase A), and a charcoal sample in the floor of building 1 suggests a later range of ca.1290 to 1130 BC
(Phase B) same with a human femur bone from tomb A 1382-1221 BC. Phase A (part of the new ages)
falls well within the Late Helladic era LH III B/C. Phase B includes also five radiocarbon ages of the bones
from Tomb A which were about the same span of 1360-1112 BC (LH III B/C), concordant with archaeological typology. These 14C set of dates are expected as they derive from a comingled burial. The lower
95% probability boundary of 14C ages corresponds to middle LH III C interval. Long calibrated age ranges
are largely a product of wiggles in the calibration period for the period concerned, suggesting that any
desired accuracy less than at least a century is unattainable. The results of OSL/TL and radiocarbon have
wide enough uncertainties to allow that Kastrouli may have been occupied throughout the LH III B-C
eras, and it is confirmed that the tomb was reused sometime during the Sub-Mycenaean, Geometric and
later eras.

Journal of Cultural Heritage, May 1, 2023

The Kastrouli Late Mycenaean/Helladic settlement in Phokis near Delphi has produced extremely sig... more The Kastrouli Late Mycenaean/Helladic settlement in Phokis near Delphi has produced extremely significant data since its inception in 2016, that has enriched our knowledge of the peripheral Mycenaean world. New radiocarbon dating data are presented and critically assessed with earlier reports concerning the span of the habitation and its later reuse. Five new dates are presented and modelled by Bayesian statistical analysis and critically discussed along with other radiocarbon (14C) and both optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and thermoluminescence (TL) dates (a total of 22) from the site. When considering the 95% probability range, there are two charcoal dates from Building 1 with ranges from 1411 to 1128 (calibrated) BC. For Building 2 the dates span between 1447 and 1281 BC, also if the limits of range are considered. The two dates on the burnt wood base of Building 2 suggest an earlier date ca.1440-1300 BC (Phase A), and a charcoal sample in the floor of building 1 suggests a later range of ca.1290 to 1130 BC (Phase B) same with a human femur bone from tomb A 1382-1221 BC. Phase A (part of the new ages falls well within the Late Helladic era LH III B/C. Phase B includes also five radiocarbon ages of the bones from Tomb A which were about the same span of 1360-1112 BC (LH III B/C), concordant with archaeological typology. These 14C set of dates are expected as they derive from a comingled burial. The lower 95% probability boundary of 14C ages corresponds to middle LH III C interval. Long calibrated age ranges are largely a product of wiggles in the calibration period for the period concerned, suggesting that any
desired accuracy less than at least a century is unattainable. The results of OSL/TL and radiocarbon have wide enough uncertainties to allow that Kastrouli may have been occupied throughout the LH III B-C eras, and it is confirmed that the tomb was reused sometime during the Sub-Mycenaean, Geometric and later eras.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jan 10, 2023

Equinox Publishing Ltd. eBooks, Feb 18, 2022

HOLOCENE, 2024

Applied Sciences, 2021

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jan 25, 2023

PEASA, 2024

PEASA, 2023

PEASA, 2024

Journal of Archaeological Science, Oct 1, 2007

HNPS Advances in Nuclear Physics, Feb 20, 2020

Scientific Reports

Journal of Cultural Heritage, 2017

SCIENTIFIC CULTURE, 2024

Scientific Culture, 2024

J CULTURAL HERITAGE, 2023

Journal of Cultural Heritage, May 1, 2023

The Kastrouli Late Mycenaean/Helladic settlement in Phokis near Delphi has produced extremely sig... more The Kastrouli Late Mycenaean/Helladic settlement in Phokis near Delphi has produced extremely significant data since its inception in 2016, that has enriched our knowledge of the peripheral Mycenaean world. New radiocarbon dating data are presented and critically assessed with earlier reports concerning the span of the habitation and its later reuse. Five new dates are presented and modelled by Bayesian statistical analysis and critically discussed along with other radiocarbon (14C) and both optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and thermoluminescence (TL) dates (a total of 22) from the site. When considering the 95% probability range, there are two charcoal dates from Building 1 with ranges from 1411 to 1128 (calibrated) BC. For Building 2 the dates span between 1447 and 1281 BC, also if the limits of range are considered. The two dates on the burnt wood base of Building 2 suggest an earlier date ca.1440-1300 BC (Phase A), and a charcoal sample in the floor of building 1 suggests a later range of ca.1290 to 1130 BC (Phase B) same with a human femur bone from tomb A 1382-1221 BC. Phase A (part of the new ages falls well within the Late Helladic era LH III B/C. Phase B includes also five radiocarbon ages of the bones from Tomb A which were about the same span of 1360-1112 BC (LH III B/C), concordant with archaeological typology. These 14C set of dates are expected as they derive from a comingled burial. The lower 95% probability boundary of 14C ages corresponds to middle LH III C interval. Long calibrated age ranges are largely a product of wiggles in the calibration period for the period concerned, suggesting that any
desired accuracy less than at least a century is unattainable. The results of OSL/TL and radiocarbon have wide enough uncertainties to allow that Kastrouli may have been occupied throughout the LH III B-C eras, and it is confirmed that the tomb was reused sometime during the Sub-Mycenaean, Geometric and later eras.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jan 10, 2023

Equinox Publishing Ltd. eBooks, Feb 18, 2022

WAC-9, 2020

Dear Colleagues. We are pleased to announce our Session on RIVER CULTURES: COLLAPSE & GROWTH in ... more Dear Colleagues.
We are pleased to announce our Session on RIVER CULTURES: COLLAPSE & GROWTH in the WAC-9 Prague conference (see below).

Theme
21. World Archaeologies: the past, the present and the future
Title:
RIVER CULTURES: COLLAPSE AND GROWTH
(deadline of Abstracts: 15 Nov 2019)
Organisers:
Prof.Ioannis LIRITZIS (University of the Aegean, Lab. of Archaeometry; Lab of Environmental Archaeology & Preventive Conservation, Rhodes, Greece & Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development & College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng, China) liritzis@rhodes.aegean.gr; www.liritzis.eu
Prof.Changhong MIAO (Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development & College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, 475001Kaifeng, China)

Abstract
The evolution of human societies and in general of human history, do not follow a liner trend but rests mainly on mutual interactions amongst different components. The interacted multifactorial issues derive from three concentric circles or dynamical systems, a) the internal (issues derived from within a given society), b) the external (issues derived from interaction with neighbor societies) and c) the environmental (issues related to the context and other environmental phenomena). Thus, cultures experience cycles of birth, life, decline and death, often supplanted by a potent new culture, formed around a compelling new cultural symbol. In the 4th millennium BC, at around the same time, communities in the valleys of a few large river of Asia and Africa, widely separated from each other, took to growing crops systematically. Rivers provided ancient societies with access to trade; not only of products, but ideas, including language, writing, and technology. River-based irrigation permitted communities to specialize and develop, even in areas lacking adequate rainfall. For those cultures that depended on them, rivers were the lifeblood. The earliest forms of civilizations were said to be located on the four river valleys: the Tigris-Euphrates River in ancient Mesopotamia, the Nile River in ancient Egypt, the Huang He (Yellow River) and Yangtze River in China, and the Indus River in ancient India. These four river valley civilizations had many differences yet still lived common life-modes. Also, along river valleys in other parts of the World nuclei of settlements have developed that helped societies to grow and trade. What are the advantages and drawbacks for an ancient river valley societal culture to grow and collapse? What is the evidence for small and grand scale river valleys that accommodated great cultures? How the cultural heritage of these ancient river valley civilizations can be sustained?
Keywords: disaster archaeology, river valleys, ancient cultures, human evolution, civilization.
We look forward to receiving your ABSTRACT!
Deadline of Abstracts 15 Nov 2019!
Kind Regards,

Ioannis & Changhong

PREPARE your ABSTRACT maximum 250 Words and you may add a few references and submit to us:
liritzis@rhodes.aegean.gr
or
chhmiao@henu.edu.cn

***

The 4th Luminescence in Archaeology International Symposium will be hosted by the Sedimentary Geo... more The 4th Luminescence in Archaeology International Symposium will be hosted by the Sedimentary Geology and Quaternary Research Group at the University of Freiburg (Germany) 3-6 April 2019.
LAIS 2019 continues the series of symposia initiated in Delphi 2009, Lisbon 2012 and Paris 2015. It is an international initiative focussing on the use of luminescence for the dating and analysis of materials in archaeological and geoarchaeological context. In addition it supports archaeological and archaeometrical communities to further develop and expose luminescence methodology.

CONTENT OF SPECIAL ISSUE IN MEDITERRANEAN ARCHAEOLOGY & ARCHAEOMETRY ON VIRTUAL ARCHAEOLOGY, MUSE... more CONTENT OF SPECIAL ISSUE IN MEDITERRANEAN ARCHAEOLOGY & ARCHAEOMETRY ON VIRTUAL ARCHAEOLOGY, MUSEUMS & CULTURAL TOURISM, 1st INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP DELPHI 2013
FREE DOWNLOAD from: www.maajournal.com

Brief and helpful elucidations for comprehension The so called pyramidals i.e. megalithic like st... more Brief and helpful elucidations for comprehension The so called pyramidals i.e. megalithic like stone (mainly limestone) structures in Greece has been an attractive subject for the amateurs, imaginary specialists, naturalists, romantics, wrong or predetermined or (mis)-understood specialists, yet also a few skeptical, open minded and seriously considering any scientific result produced. Retired ones but active and updated with strong memory and innovative concepts are a few, most should retreat and enjoy but not intervening to scientific affairs. Each is free to expression, but I recommend those hobbyists first to be conscientious and have the sense of moderation before they write while tired. In a recent academia summary pdf file entitled: The So-Called Pyramids of the Peloponnese. A Compilation and Reconsideration of the Evidence, by D. J. Windell and R. Webb (2019), this hot subject appears again. These authors give an account of travelers' drawings and engravings as well as nice photos. Although they tried to present a subject out of their adoration of Greek archaeology gathering as much as possible references, the reading of some the papers and published scientific work has been jeopardized: misunderstood, preoccupied as it seems and biased. Regarding my own work I should like to clarify the following:

A ceramic assemblage selected from a recently excavated Late Helladic settlement at Kastrouli (Ce... more A ceramic assemblage selected from a recently excavated Late Helladic settlement at Kastrouli (Central Greece) has been chemically analyzed and statistically elaborated, to add new information and contribution to the Mycenaean culture in the wider studied area. The chemical composition of 142 ceramic sherds represented by wide range of household typologies was measured by using a calibrated non-destructive portable X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) setup. Fired briquettes prepared from 8 local clay sources and several mixtures of them were similarly analyzed. A robust statistical analysis is applied based on 15 major and minor/trace elements employing hierarchical cluster analysis with several linkages, descriptive statistics, biplots and boxplots, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), as well as, Euclidean and Mahalanobis distances on standardized ratio transformed data. Τhe chemical characterization and the statistical evaluation were coupled by petrographic analysis. The results obtained revealed that some local clay sources and their mixtures are placed within the archaeologically identified broad ceramics group, providing, thus, evidence for a local production of the studied pottery, and artisan's skills employed a variety of manufacture technologies.

K. Ernstson, C. Sideris, I. Liritzis, A. Neumair, 2012

Archaeological excavation at Chieming-Stöttham in the Chiemgau region of Southeast Germany reveal... more Archaeological excavation at Chieming-Stöttham in the Chiemgau region of Southeast Germany revealed a diamictic (breccia) layer sandwiched between a Neolithic and a Roman occupation layer. This exotic layer bears evidence of its deposition in a catastrophic event that is attributed to the Chiemgau meteorite impact. In the extended crater strewn field produced by the impact, geological excavations have uncovered comparable horizons with an anomalous geological inventory intermixed with archaeological material. Evidences of extreme destruction, temperatures and pressures including impact shock effects suggest that the current views on its being an undisturbed colluvial depositional sequence as postulated by archaeologists and pedologists/geomorphologists is untenable.

Academy of Athens, 1991

Archaeomagnetic (Greek and Balkan) and Limnomagnetic (British Lake sediments) data analysis over ... more Archaeomagnetic (Greek and Balkan) and Limnomagnetic (British Lake sediments) data analysis over the past 10,000 years. Time series analysis, periodicities, and compatibility of these two data sets.

In Honor of Prof. Liritzis Ioannis: Essays in Archaeology & Archaeometry and the Hellenic Contrib... more In Honor of Prof. Liritzis Ioannis: Essays in Archaeology & Archaeometry and the Hellenic Contribution to Egyptology