George Kazantzis | University of Ioannina/Greece (original) (raw)

Books by George Kazantzis

Excavations on the border between Greece (sector Promachon) and Bulgaria (sector Topolniča) in th... more Excavations on the border between Greece (sector Promachon) and Bulgaria (sector Topolniča) in the basin of the river Strymonas, in Macedonia northern Greece, have revealed a flat-extended' settlement dating to the Late Neolithic. In addition to the rich array of material culture evidence, the excavation yielded a substantial quantity of animal bones, thus offering an unparalleled opportunity to study the human–animal relationships. This book focuses on the study of the faunal assemblage from the Greek sector of Promachon and examines the role and the contribution of domestic and wild animals in subsistence. This information is especially valuable considering the scarcity of faunal data from contemporary settlements across the basin of the Strymonas during a time period (the 5th millennium BC) that is considered one of the most dynamic eras in the prehistory of southeastern Europe. This study also clarifies trends in animal management at both the micro and the macro scales, through a detailed comparison of faunal data between Promachon and other contemporary sites from northern Greece and the Balkan regions.

Papers by George Kazantzis

Elsevier Reference Collection in Social Sciences, 2023

Zooarchaeology (or archaeozoology) focuses on the study, analysis and interpretation of animal re... more Zooarchaeology (or archaeozoology) focuses on the study, analysis and interpretation of animal remains (or faunal remains) from archaeological sites. Though zooarchaeologists also study the remains of invertebrates such as insects and molluscs, the remains of vertebrates [birds (Aves), bony fishes (Actinopterygii), cartilaginous fishes (Chondrichthyes) amphibians (Amphibia), reptiles (Reptilia) and mammals (Mammalia)] constitute the most regularly studied material from excavations. Even though the majority of animal species on the planet are invertebrates, most of the human deliberate interactions are with vertebrates and it is these that are most closely involved with human economies and cultures. This entry serves as an introductory text for the value of zooarchaeological analysis in archaeological interpretations and provides basic information on “traditional” methodological tools, analytical techniques and sophisticated lab-based analyses used in the study of vertebrate remains from archaeological sites.

Genome-wide analysis of 67 ancient Near Eastern cattle, Bos taurus, remains reveal regional varia... more Genome-wide analysis of 67 ancient Near Eastern cattle, Bos taurus, remains reveal regional variation that has since been obscured by admixture in modern populations. Comparisons of genomes of early domestic cattle to their aurochs progenitors identify diverse origins with separate introgressions wild stock. A later region-wide Bronze Age shift indicates rapid and widespread introgression of zebu, Bos indicus, from the Indus Valley. This process was likely stimulated at the onset of the current geological age, ~4.2ka, by a widespread multi-century drought. In contrast to genomewide admixture, mtDNA stasis supports that this introgression was male-driven, suggesting that selection of arid-adapted zebu bulls enhanced herd survival. This human-mediated migration of zebu-derived genetics has continued through millennia, altering tropical herding on each continent. One Sentence Summary: Ancient Near Eastern cattle show ancestry from multiple aurochs strains plus a massive zebu influx at the onset of the Meghalayan Age. The extinct Eurasian aurochs (Bos primigenius) was domesticated ca. 10,500 BP within the restricted locality of the Upper Euphrates and Tigris drainages of the Fertile Crescent (1, 2). However, the true extent and nature of interactions between humans and aurochsen resulting in modern day domestic cattle are obscure. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity in modern Bos taurus cattle suggests a highly restricted initial domestic pool of ~80 females (3-5). However, a more complex relationship with wild populations is evidenced by introgression from local aurochsen into British cattle and the genomic divergence of B. indicus (zebu) cattle from the Indus Valley region (6, 7). Zebu genomic influence is pervasive in modern Near Eastern herds (8). Two theories account for this: one suggests an origin from genomically intermediate Near Eastern aurochsen whereas a second hypothesizes they resulted from an introgression of domestic zebu genomes into the region from the east, either in a discrete active process, perhaps responding to climate fluctuation, or a passive diffusion over many millennia (9). In order to analyse now-obscured early cattle genome strata from the region of Bos taurus domestication we retrieved genome-wide data from 67 ancient bovines (including six aurochsen). These date from Mesolithic to early Islamic periods and despite poor preservation, typical of the region, we obtained an average genome coverage of 0.9✕ (Table S1). The pattern of genetic variation in extant cattle is well established. European B. taurus, West African B. taurus and B. indicus of South Asian origin, represent three distinct apices in plotted principal components (PC) (Fig. 1A). Geographically intermediate populations, such as Near Eastern and East African animals, fall in genetically intermediate positions (7, 8, 10). Projecting ancient cattle genomes against this genetic landscape (Fig. 1A) we observe that to the left of PC1, earlier (Neolithic and Bronze Age) genomes fall in three geographical clusters (a, Balkans; b, Anatolia/Iran; and c, southern Levant) along with modern European and African B. taurus while B. indicus breeds are separated and represented on the far right of the PC plot (Fig. 1A). This confirms that cattle origins included two divergent aurochs populations that formed the basis of the indicus-taurus divide.

In this paper we discuss domestic livestock morphometric data from the Late Neolithic Greek regio... more In this paper we discuss domestic livestock morphometric data from the Late Neolithic Greek regions of Macedonia and Thessaly. Six sites are considered, including a substantial and previously unpublished dataset from Promachon (Macedonia). The analysis of the size and shape of the animals indicates great variation between sites and regions, suggestive of the co-existence of multiple styles of husbandry. The site of Sitagroi stands out for its large and robust cattle and sheep, probably a consequence of its environmental setting, as well as the dynamism of its cultural and economic connections. In Thessaly, despite the existence of inter-site connections documented through the material culture, different sites maintained their independence in terms of husbandry choices.

in Sarris, E., Kalogiropoulou, E., Kalayci, T., Karimali, L. (eds) Communities, Landscapes, and Interaction in Neolithic Greece, Proceedings of the International Conference, Rethymno 29-30 May, 2015

In this paper, I discuss the animal bone assemblage from the Greek sector of the Late Neolithic f... more In this paper, I discuss the animal bone assemblage from the Greek sector of the Late Neolithic flat-extended settlement of Promachon-Topolnica in Macedonia, northern Greece. The faunal evidence indicates a small-scale economy, with a highly mixed composition of livestock, particularly tuned to the production of meat. However, other secondary products, such as milk, might have also been used, though they might have been less important. Although caprines form the most frequent species throughout the course of the Late Neolithic, cattle was probably the most prized animal. Among the principal domesticates, cattle would have provided the largest quantities of meat, hence it would have been far more important than caprines (and pigs). The substantial number of bucrania recovered from a large circular timber-framed subterranean structure (Structure 4) attest to the species symbolic significance as well. The faunal evidence is largely consistent with the argument of the excavators regarding the ‘public’ function of this particular structure, which was probably ‘reserved’ exclusively for large-scale feasting. This contradicts the information from the rest of the deposits, for which, a more likely household origin is suggested.

In Stefani, E. Merousis, N. Dimoula, A. (eds) A Century of research in Prehistoric Macedonia, International Conference Proceedings, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, 2014

This paper presents the preliminary results from the ongoing doctoral research associated with th... more This paper presents the preliminary results from the ongoing doctoral research associated with the study of the animal bone assemblage from the Greek sector of the Promachon-Topolnica settlement...

Assemblage, Proceedings of the Postgraduate Zooarchaeology Forum, Sheffield November 2012

For almost 800 years, life in the prehistoric settlement of Promachon-Topolnica in Greek central ... more For almost 800 years, life in the prehistoric settlement of Promachon-Topolnica in Greek central Macedonia was practically uninterrupted. Excavations of the site revealed the existence of a Late Neolithic settlement of the 'flat extended' type, situated exactly on the borderline between Greece and Bulgaria, covering two adjacent hilltops and encompassing an area of almost 5 hectares. From September 2011 onwards, the faunal assemblage recovered from six successive layers from the Greek side of the border (sector Promachon) is being studied as part of a doctoral research at the University of Sheffield, UK. What is being presented here, are the preliminary results of this research.

Conference Presentations by George Kazantzis

Νέα δεδομένα από τον οικισμό της Τελικής Νεολιθικής περιόδου στη Μεθώνη Πιερίας Ρένα Βεροπουλίδου... more Νέα δεδομένα από τον οικισμό της Τελικής Νεολιθικής περιόδου στη Μεθώνη Πιερίας Ρένα Βεροπουλίδου, Γιώργος Καζαντζής, Νίκη Όροβα Στέλλα Παπαδοπούλου, Παναγιώτα Τσιλογιάννη Οι ανασκαφικές έρευνες του 2014 στο πλαίσιο του έργου «Αποχέτευση Μεθώνης-Αγαθούπολης» έφεραν στο φως τμήμα προϊστορικού οικισμού στη θέση «Κυπαρίσσια» του οικισμού της Μεθώνης Πιερίας. Οι ενδείξεις της κεραμικής τοποθετούν χρονολογικά τον οικισμό στη μεταβατική περίοδο από την Τελική Νεολιθική στην Πρώιμη Εποχή του Χαλκού. Στην ανακοίνωση θα παρουσιαστούν τα πρόσφατα δεδομένα από τη μελέτη της κεραμικής, των λίθινων εργαλείων, των πηλόμαζων, των οστών και των όστρεων, που συντελούν στον προσδιορισμό της μορφής και της οργάνωσης του οικισμού.

Περίληψη Oι ζωοαρχαιολόγοι επικρίνονται συχνά ότι εστιάζουν περισσότερο σε ζητήµατα που αφορούν τ... more Περίληψη Oι ζωοαρχαιολόγοι επικρίνονται συχνά ότι εστιάζουν περισσότερο σε ζητήµατα που αφορούν την οικονοµία, την κτηνοτροφία και τη ζωική διαχείριση, και λιγότερο σε ζητήµατα που αφορούν τόσο την κατανάλωση της τροφής όσο και την οικονοµική, πολιτιστική και κοινωνική της διάσταση. Αυτο είναι εν µέρει αλήθεια, καθώς κάποια απο τα σηµαντικότερα πρόβληµατα που περιορίζουν τη δυνατότητα του ζωοαρχαιολόγου να εξάγει τέτοιου είδους συµπεράσµατα εντοπίζονται στα µικρά µεγέθη ζωοαρχαιολογικών συνόλων αλλά και στις ταφονοµικές " παρεµβάσεις " που αυτά έχουν δεχθεί πρίν, κατά τη διάρκεια και µετά την απόθεση τους. Το µεγάλο µέγεθος του ζωοαρχαιολογικού υλικού απο την θέση Κρυοπήγαδο Αλιάκµονα Βοΐου έδωσε τη δυνατότητα για µια εµπεριστατωµένη µελέτη που αφορά την οικονοµία, την κτηνοτροφία και την διαχείριση του ζωικού κεφαλαίου της περιοχής κατά την Εποχή του Χαλκού. Παράλληλα, η πολύ καλή διατήρηση των ζωικών οστών σε συνδυασµό µε τις συστηµατικές µεθόδους ανασκαφής και τη ξεκάθαρη εικόνα οικιστικών και µή καταλοίπων (ορύγµατα-κατοικίες, απορριµατικοί λάκκοι), επέτρεψε µια " κατά-χώραν " ανάλυση (spatial analysis) των δεδοµένων. Η ανάλυση αυτή αποκάλυψε µια σειρά απο ενδιαφέρουσες διαφοροποιήσεις ως προς τις πρακτικές κατανάλωσης και απόθεσης των ζωικών οστών ανάλογα µε το είδος, το ανατοµικό µέρος, την ηλικία, και τη µέθοδο τεµαχισµού, γεγονός ιδιαίτερα σηµαντικό καθώς συµβάλλει στην κατανόηση µοτίβων αρχαίας (Εποχής του Χαλκού) ανθρώπινης συµπεριφοράς.

Τα ζωικά κατάλοιπα από την θέση «Σουλουκιά» λιγνιτωρυχείου Ποντοκώμης (αγροτεμάχιο 943): προκαταρ... more Τα ζωικά κατάλοιπα από την θέση «Σουλουκιά» λιγνιτωρυχείου Ποντοκώμης (αγροτεμάχιο 943): προκαταρκτικές παρατηρήσεις Δρ. Γιώργος Καζαντζής Ζωοαρχαιολόγος ΕΦ.Α. Κοζάνης Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Αιανής Περίληψη Η ανασκαφή στο Αγροτεμάχιο 943 (θέση Σουλουκιά) του λιγνιτωρυχείου Ποντοκώμης απέδωσε ένα μεγάλο σύνολο ζωικών οστών, που με βάση τα κινητά ευρήματα χρονολογείται από τα τέλη της Αρχαιότερης Νεολιθικής (6.500-5.800 π.Χ.) μέχρι τα μέσα της Μέσης Νεολιθικής (5.800-5.400 π.Χ.) περιόδου. Αυτό είναι σημαντικό, ιδιαίτερα άν ληφθεί υπ' όψιν ο μικρός αριθμός αρχαιολογικών θέσεων-και συνεπώς ζωοαρχαιολογικών συνόλων-αυτής της περιόδου, τόσο στη Δυτική, όσο και στην Ανατολική Μακεδονία. Το ζωοαρχαιολογικό υλικό από τη θέση Σουλουκιά παρουσιάζει άριστη διατήρηση, προσφέροντας τη δυνατότητα για μια εμπεριστατωμένη μελέτη της σχέσης των ανθρώπων και των ζώων κατά τη διάρκεια μιας χρονικής περιόδου (Αρχαιότερη και Μέση Νεολιθική), η οποία έχει χαρακτηριστεί ως μία απο τις κρισιμότερες της ανθρώπινης προϊστορίας. Η ανακοίνωση θα παρουσιάσει τα προκαταρκτικά αποτελέσματα της ανάλυσης ενός μέρους του ζωοαρχαιολογικού υλικού, εστιάζοντας στις πρακτικές αγροτικής οικονομίας και διαχείρισης του ζωικού κεφαλαίου της περιοχής, επιχειρώντας παράλληλα να αναδείξει τη σχέση των Νεολιθικών ανθρώπων με το φυσικό τους περιβάλλον. Αναλύοντας τις πρακτικές κτηνοτροφίας των οικόσιτων και τις πρακτικές θήρευσης των άγριων ζώων (domus & agrion), θα τοποθετηθεί το σύνολο του ζωοαρχαιολογικού υλικού σε ένα ευρύτερο χρονολογικό (temporal) και τοπογραφικό (regional) πλαίσιο, δίδοντας έμφαση σε συγκρίσεις που αφορούν την κτηνοτροφική δραστηριότητα με άλλες, ήδη γνωστές και δημοσιευμένες θέσεις της Δυτικής Μακεδονίας.

This paper will focus on husbandry strategies at the Greek sector of Promachon and will examine the role of the domestic livestock and their contribution to the economy of the site. Within Promachon, animal remains indicate an economy particularly tuned to the production of meat; however, a small-scale exploitation of caprines and cattle for milk could also be inferred. This information is valuable, considering the scarcity of data from contemporary settlements across central Macedonia in general, and the basin of Strymonas in particular. The substantial better representation of cattle in Promachon than any other settlement in Greek Macedonia, suggests that, to some extent, husbandry practices in Promachon are linked to settlements of the Balkans. Of additional interest is the presence of a “communal” structure in Promachon, rich in material culture evidence and animal bones, thus creating an interesting contrast to the rest of the deposits, which indicate a more likely household origin.

This paper will present new information on subsistence strategies in an underrepresented area of northern Greece during a time-period (fifth and fourth millennium BC), that is considered one of the most dynamic eras of the prehistory of southeastern Europe. It will also clarify both temporal and regional trends in animal management, placing Promachon in the broader spectrum of contemporary agro-pastoral communities and creating an integrated picture of human-animal relationships that encompasses both the basin of Strymonas and Greek Macedonia.

Η παρούσα έρευνα εκπονήθηκε στα πλαίσια μεταπτυχιακού στο τμήμα Αρχαιολογίας του Πανεπιστημίου το... more Η παρούσα έρευνα εκπονήθηκε στα πλαίσια μεταπτυχιακού στο τμήμα Αρχαιολογίας του Πανεπιστημίου του Sheffield της Μ. Βρετανίας κατά τον Ιούνιο-Σεπτέμβριο του 2009. Ο σκοπός της μελέτης ήταν διττός:
1. Να αντιληφθούμε τη φύση, τη σημασία και τη κλίμακα της
κτηνοτροφικής δραστηριότητας στο Νεολιθικό Προμαχώνα.
2. Να ενσωματώσουμε τον οικισμό στο ευρύτερο πλαίσιο των
γεωργοκτηνοτροφικών κοινοτήτων του μέσου και κάτω ρού του
Στρυμόνα και της περιοχής της Μακεδονίας κατά την Ύστερη
Νεολιθική.

Talks & Seminars by George Kazantzis

Ελλάδα – Βουλγαρία: Γέφυρες πολιτισμού για την πρόοδο και την αειφορία

Seminar presentation delivered to the students of the field school of the Dhaskalio-Keros excavat... more Seminar presentation delivered to the students of the field school of the Dhaskalio-Keros excavation October 2016

Drafts by George Kazantzis

PhD Thesis by George Kazantzis

Excavations on the border between Greece (sector Promachon) and Bulgaria (sector Topolnica) in th... more Excavations on the border between Greece (sector Promachon) and Bulgaria (sector Topolnica) in the basin of the river Strymonas, Central Macedonia, have revealed a ‘flat-extended’ settlement dating to the Late Neolithic. In addition to the rich array of material culture evidence, the excavation yielded a substantial quantity of animal bones, thus offering an unparalleled opportunity to study the human-animal relationships.
The current thesis focuses on the study of the faunal assemblage from the Greek sector of Promachon, and examines the role and the contribution of domestic and wild animals to the economy of the site. Within Promachon, the study of the animal remains indicates an economy particularly tuned to the production of meat; however, a small-scale exploitation of milk could also be inferred. This information is valuable, considering the scarcity of faunal data from contemporary settlements across the basin of Strymonas. Of particular interest is the presence of a large ‘public’ structure, rich in material culture evidence and animal bones, which creates an interesting contrast to the rest of the household deposits. In addition, the faunal evidence is consistent with the suggestion of the excavators of the site that significant changes occurred during the third phase of occupation at Promachon.
On the other hand, the substantially better representation of cattle in Promachon than any other settlement in Greek Macedonia, along with the evidence from pottery decoration and structural features, suggests that - to some extent - Promachon was linked to Balkan Late and Final Neolithic communities. Biometric analysis also provided interesting insights into the diverse husbandry practices among Late Neolithic sites in Macedonia and Thessaly. This information is particularly important, in view of the fact that the comparison of the size of domestic ruminants and pigs between Late Neolithic Macedonian and Thessalian sites has not been attempted prior to this study. In this respect, the collection of a larger body of metrical data from Late Neolithic Macedonian and Thessalian settlements should represent a priority for future research, in order to provide clarification to some of the issues discussed in this thesis.
The current research presents new information on subsistence strategies in an underrepresented area of northern Greece during a time-period (fifth and fourth millennium BC), that is considered one of the most dynamic eras of the prehistory of southeastern Europe. It also clarifies both temporal and regional trends in animal management, placing Promachon in the broader spectrum of contemporary agro-pastoral communities and creating an integrated picture of human-animal relationships that encompasses both the basin of Strymonas and northern Greece.

Elsevier Reference Collection in Social Sciences, 2023

in Sarris, E., Kalogiropoulou, E., Kalayci, T., Karimali, L. (eds) Communities, Landscapes, and Interaction in Neolithic Greece, Proceedings of the International Conference, Rethymno 29-30 May, 2015

In Stefani, E. Merousis, N. Dimoula, A. (eds) A Century of research in Prehistoric Macedonia, International Conference Proceedings, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, 2014

Assemblage, Proceedings of the Postgraduate Zooarchaeology Forum, Sheffield November 2012