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The Mastos Hill

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The History of Mastos

The Neolithic & Early Helladic settlement

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The Potter’s Quarter

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Late Antique & Medieval Mastos

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The Swedish Excavations

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THE MASTOS HILL

The Neolithic & Early Helladic settlement

The hill of Mastos takes its name from its likeness to a female breast. The conic limestone formation, whose top raises to 246 masl, lies in a geological landscape of marl and flysh fans of fertile soil, in the westernmost corner of the Berbati Valley. On the northeastern side of the hill runs the deeply eroded ravine of the Kephalari with the previously perennial stream of the Asterion.

The earliest pottery on Mastos date to the Middle Neolithic period (c. 5800-5300 BC) and habitation seems to have displayed continuity through the Late Neolithic and into the Final Neolithic period (c. 4500-3200 BC), when Mastos Hill became the site of a substantial village about 2ha in size, a thriving farming community with excellent access to reliable water-sources and good soils. During the Final Neolithic period, the inhabitants of Mastos Hill appear to have shared the Berbati-Limnes area with several other notable communities situated in locations with greater potential for arable agriculture but also with smaller pastoralist sites in the hills.

No architectural remains have been dated this early, but the situation changes in the Early Helladic period with architecture appearing in the EH II period (c. 2650-2200 BC), when the settlement of Mastos is estimated to have been at its largest. Two rectangular house-complexes flanked by a small street laid with stone pebbles, numerous bothroi (artificially-created depression or pit used for the disposal of various waste garbage) and massive amounts of pottery of functionally diverse shapes were found over a remarkable concentrated area, suggesting that additional buildings must have occupied the south and southeastern side of the Mastos hill and indicating activities performed in an elaborate architectural and societal setting during the EH II period. The pottery shares close affinities with other settlements on and around the Argive plain and the Corinthia.

The house complexes testified to a high standard of housing as well as a highly developed social system, a yeoman culture which had advanced considerably towards a genuine city-culture with planned concentrated housing and with some branches of handicraft –the craft of making vessels in clay- already independent of the individual house-unit. One of the houses belonged to the megaron type, with a large hall, in the middle of which a round hearth of terracotta with an associated ashpit was found.

While the Early Helladic III turmoil (c. 2200–2000 BC) led to a rapid process of depopulation in the remaining Berbati Valley, a smaller or more nucleated settlement on the southern slope of Mastos Hill continued to exist, possibly due to its favorable location in the valley, but also because of its sizeable and viable community in the generations before the significant cultural transformations which occurred around 2200 BC.

Mastos continued to be the only settlement in the entire Berbati Valley at the end of the Middle Helladic and well until the earliest phase of The Late Helladic period (c. 1550–1500 BC).

View of the western side of the Mastos Hill in 1935
Åke Åkerström Archive, the Swedish Institute at Athens

Circular Hearth and Bothros, Megaron, Early Helladic Settement Säflund G., Excavations at Berbati 1936-1937

Early Helladic settlement, Excavations
Säflund G., Excavations at Berbati 1936-1937

Early Helladic settlement, Excavation area
Säflund G., Excavations at Berbati 1936-1937

Early Helladic settlement, Pithos
Säflund G., Excavations at Berbati 1936-1937

Early Helladic settlement, Askoid vessel 2200-2000 BC
On display at the Archaeological Museum of Nafplio

THE MASTOS HILL

The Potter’s Quarter

At the end of the Middle Helladic (c. 2000–1600BC) and well into the earliest phase of the Late Helladic period (c. 1600–1070BC), there was only one settlement in the entire Berbati Valley, situated at Mastos hill. Beginning in the fourteenth century BC, substantial expansion over the whole valley and also into the Limnes plateau took place and during the Late Helladic IIA period (c. 1500-1440BC), Berbati appears to have evolved into the location of a small but independent chiefdom, as substantiated by the presence of the tholos tomb some 400 m north of Mastos and other Late Helladic structures.

But the main evidence for Late Helladic activity at Mastos, comes from an area on the lower east slope of the hill, where in the Late Helladic II period (c. 1500-1390BC), a Middle Helladic burial ground was replaced by a potter’s workshop, comprising a kiln with associated wasters and at least one building, most likely marking the beginning of specialized production of Mycenaean pottery at the site. Findings are dominated by small, open vessels of high quality, suggesting that the pottery workshop at Mastos was directed towards a specialized production of fine ware drinking vessels from the very outset.

In LH IIIA1 (c. 1390-1370BC) intensified activity took off at Mastos, spreading to incorporate most of the hill and from there to the entire Berbati Valley, where during the Late Helladic IIIA2 (c. 1370-1300BC) to the Late Helladic IIIB1 period (c.1300-1270 BC) increased settlement activity and intensified utilization of the land took place, with a number of new sites spreading out all over the valley. On Mastos a dramatic quantitive increase in finds over the preceding phase as well as a substantial expansion of the activity areas, which spread to incorporate most of the hill, was identified. A shift in the focal point of activity occurred from the east lower slope to the west and southwest slopes suggesting some kind of structural reorganization of the activity areas at the beginning of LH III.

The potter’s workshop at the lower east slope of Mastos hill appears to have been in use until the Late Helladic IIIA1 (c. 1390-1370BC), when it ceased to function and was replaced later by a larger building covering the previous structure. Pottery production appears then to have been relocated to the lower west-southwest slope of the Mastos hill at some point in the Late Helladic IIIA period (c.1390-1300BC), for reasons that may be related to a change in the consumption pattern of the pottery produced at the beginning of the Late Helladic III period, which could no longer be met sufficiently by the organization of the old workshop.

Although no further kiln has yet been found, Pottery production on Mastos was extensive during the peak of the Mycenaean period. The emphasis on small, open shapes points to a specialized production directed towards a market beyond the local. There are indications that the LH IIIA2 period (c. 1370-1300) was also the main period when female figurines were produced at Mastos for an external market.

There can be little doubt, that the structural reorganization of the activity areas which took place at the Mastos settlement in the beginning of the LH III period, were the result of the political and economic interaction with the ruling elite at the contemporary palatial center of Mycenae and was thus influenced by Mycenae’s rise and decline.

The site of Mastos hill -the settlement and the workshop- appears to have been abandoned peacefully during the later part of the LH IIIB2 period (c. 1240-1190BC).

View of the Potter’s Quarter from the slope in 1935
Åke Åkerström Berbati Archive, the Swedish Institute at Athens.

The Potter’s Quarter from the south in 1999
Photograph by Berit Wells

Excavations in the Potter’s Quarter in the late 1930s
Åke Åkerström Berbati Archive, the Swedish Institute at Athens

SPECIAL

The “Little Women” of Berbati

During excavations of the Mastos Hill in the 1930’s and 1950’s, fragments of 139 well-produced female figurines were documented, that were most likely part of the production in the Potter’s workshop and might have been destined for distribution within the region and perhaps even beyond.

Another 7 complete figurines were found in two chamber tombs in the Western Necropolis of Berbati during excavations in the 1930’s. The parts of seven female figurines were assembled during the Berbati-Limnes survey and in 1999 several female figurines were found during a survey covering the whole of Mastos.

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THE MASTOS HILL

After Mycenae’s decline

Despite obvious advantages, such as an easily defendable position and proximity to water sources and nearby fertile soils, the Mastos Hill and its immediate surroundings were not utilized for settlement in the period after the Late Bronze Age.

It has been suggested that in the Early Iron Age (1100-800 BC) and later, Bronze Age sites -especially the more elevated parts- may have been generally reserved for religious uses until the beginning of the Hellenistic period (c. 323-31 BC). The awareness of a heroic past during the Archaic and Classical periods might have rendered the very centers of the Bronze Age sites untouchable. It is therefore possible that a cult place, a shrine or some other type of religious structure, existed on the top of Mastos Hill that was later obliterated by construction in the Byzantine and Medieval periods.

In the Early Hellenistic period (c. 323–167 BC) , the determining factor when deciding where to settle had changed to proximity to routes of communication rather than a safe location. Thus, the focal point of settlement in the Berbati Valley moved from Mastos to the eastern part of the valley, close to the Kontoporeia, which was the main route of communication between the Argolid and Corinthia, where a cluster of towered farmsteads as well as a shrine to an unknown deity were identified.

Thus, no evidence or settlement or other activity during the periods between the end of the Bronze Age and Late Antiquity was found at Mastos.

THE MASTOS HILL

Late Antique & Medieval Mastos

During the Late Antiquity (c. 250 BC–750 AD) there is no evidence of a large or even permanent settlement on the hill of Mastos, with the exception of a couple of small habitations that appear to have been in use only for a short period of time, a sign that the hill was used rather for cultivation and pastoralism.

The situation changes during the medieval period, when a fortified settlement of fairly large dimensions, centered on the hilltop and with activity areas on the surrounding terraces and on the northwestern slopes, existed during the 11th-13th century. It is uncertain, if the fortification was used by the inhabitants of the valley during periods of turbulence, or by more or less permanent garrisons or defense forces.

At the same time, a number of smaller settlements and farmsteads existed in the Berbati Valley, along with a number of chapels and perhaps one monastery. According to local tradition, the “Old Village” of Berbati was located on a slope northeast of Mastos, until it was abandoned around 1700 and moved to its current location in the eastern part of the valley. Thus, there is no doubt that the area around Mastos was well inhabited during medieval times and the hilltop fortification might have been associated with the old village to the northeast.

The pottery covers all types of wares: glazed ware, plain household ware, storage vessels, and cooking ware. Architectural remains consist of a robust fortification wall that runs from the eastern corner of the hill, along the northern side of the hilltop to the northwestern corner, following the topography closely. Two bastions were built into the wall, one in the northeast corner and another on the northern side. The wall and the bastions are built in dry stone wall technique and consist of seemingly uncut fieldstones of different sizes and of local origin, a majority of which were probably reused from earlier constructions on the hill. The entrance to the hilltop was located at the western end of the northern wall where an opening is still visible.

The purpose of the hilltop wall was probably dual: it was used partly as a terrace wall, keeping the masses of soil on the top terrace in place, partly as a fortification wall. The steep character of the hilltop on its eastern, southern and western sides made terracing impossible and fortification unnecessary. 

The site of Mastos was abandoned sometime after the Frankish takeover in 1204, towards the middle of the thirteenth century. The division of the Peloponnese among the Franks caused repeated wars between the Byzantines and Franks and Franks and Venetians during the latter part of the 13th century. Land divisions and land ownership probably changed repeatedly, which led to the abandonment of the site of Mastos Hill.

The Medieval Wall, seen from the Northeast

The Medieval Wall, seen from the Northwest

The Medieval Wall, view to the East

The steep SW side of the hilltop of Mastos in the summer of 2023
MEDIEVAL MASTOS

Natural fortification

During the medieval period, Mastos was a fortified settlement of fairly large dimensions with activity areas on the surrounding terraces and on the northwestern slopes of the hill. The steep character of the hilltop of Mastos on the eastern, southern and western sides made fortification unnecessary. Access was only possible on the northern side, where a robust fortification wall was built.

Whether this fortification was associated with the “old village” to the northeast and used by inhabitants of the valley during periods of turbulence, or by more-or-less permanent garrisons or defense forces remains unclear.

Hilltop settlements were very common from the 12th to the 14th century mainland Greece, and are a reflection of the politically turbulent circumstances of these centuries.

At Mastos, the hillstop should be seen as a reflection of the history and political situation of the area during the 12th and 13th centuries.

THE MASTOS HILL

The Excavations at Mastos

In the summer of 1934, Axel W. Persson (1888-1951), Gösta Säflund (1903-2004) and Erik J. Holmberg (1907-1997) together with Persson’s foreman at the Dendra excavations, Kostas Bakakas, spent a day prospecting the Berbati Valley and decided that the most promising location was the eastern slopes of the Mastos Hill.

Explorations of what became later to be known as the “Potter’s Quarter” began in 1936 by Persson, with Åke Åkerström (1902-1991) joining him. They built their camp on the northern slopes of Euboea, close to the Panayia chapel with harnessed waters of a rich spring, where they washed the potsherds.  This work continued in 1937, and that same year on the south slope, Gösta Säflund found the Early Helladic (EH) through Middle Helladic (MH) settlement. During 1937-1938, Åkerström continued work in the Potter’s Quarter until the Second World War put a stop to all excavations in Greece. Investigations were not resumed until 1953, the last full season of excavations. A brief season in 1959 brought the excavations on the Mastos to an end.

The excavations in the 1930s and the 1950s on Mastos Hill revealed a long prehistoric sequence of habitation from the Neolithic to the Late Helladic, with activities also in medieval times.

In the late 1980s’, Berit Wells (1943-2009) initiated fieldwork on a large scale in the Berbati Valley, with the aim to give a diachronic account of this politically and economically important area in a little-known corner of the Argolid, but the Mastos Hill had to be excluded initially from the field permit due to the extensive excavations conducted there in the 1930’s and 1950’s.

It was only in 1999, that an intensive surface survey was carried out during August-September on the Mastos Hill. The hill was divided into small units and the strategy was one of intensive sampling where fieldwalkers walked shoulder to shoulder and collected all artifacts visible on the surface of each unit. The collected material, roughly 97.000 pottery fragments, was studied in the summer of 2000 in the Nauplion Museum storerooms, the results published in detail period by period in 2012.

Excavations in the Potter’s Quarter in the late 1930s
Åke Åkerström Berbati Archive, the Swedish Institute at Athens.

Bibliography

Gain more in-depth knowlege on the Mastoll Hill by studying the sources


Säflund G., “Excavations at Berbati 1936-1937″, Stockholm studies in classical archaeology IV, 1965

Wells, B. & M. Lind­blom (eds.), “Mas­tos in the Berbati val­ley: an in­ten­sive ar­chae­o­log­i­cal sur­vey”, Ac­taAth-4°, 54, Stock­holm, 2011

MORE TO EXPLORE

The LH Tholos Tomb

The Tholos Tomb of Berbati is located c. 550 m northwest of the Mastos Hill and is constructed into a steep poros-stone hillside. It’s presence suggests that Berbati was a small but independent chiefdom…

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The Western Necropolis

The Berbati Chamber Tomb Cemetary was located about one kilometer WNW from Mastos Hill, on the lower slopes of the Phytesoumia ridge and oriented to the once perennial river of Asterion…

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The rural site of Pyrgouthi

Earliest human activities at the site of Pyrgouthi can be dated to the end of the Early Iron Age, when the focal point of settlement in the Berbati valley moved from Mastos Hill to the eastern part of the valley…

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