Kynos

Kynos or Kynus (Greek Κῦνος; Latin Cynus ) was the most important port city of the Locrians Opuntian in central Greece on the northern Gulf of Euboea and was the port of the city of Opus. It is now within the boundaries of the village Livanates that belongs to Locri.

Tradition

Already Deucalion said to have lived in Kynos and his wife Pyrrha was buried there. Also Lokros, the son of Physkios and namesake of the Locrians, to have lived here. Named after the city was finally Lokros ' Kynos grandson, the son of Opus. The city also took Kynos under the leadership of Aias the Locrian in the fight against Troy in part. The inhabitants of Kynos founded the city Kanai in Aeolian opposite the island of Lesbos. 426 BC Kynos was destroyed by an earthquake. In the year 207 BC Publius Sulpicius Galba Maximus landed with his fleet in Kynos after his plan to take Chalcis, had failed.

Strabo reports that Kynos lay on a headland and 60 stages ( about 11 miles) of Opus 90 stages ( about 17 miles) from Daphnus and 50 stages ( about 9 miles) from the mountain Knemis was removed. The distance to Aidipsos, which was opposite to Euboea is said to have amounted to 160 stadia ( about 30 km).

Research

The English archaeologist William Martin Leake identified early 19th century the hill Palaipyrgos with Hellenistic ruins at Livanates as the remains of Kynos. From 1985 to 1995, the 14th of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities Ephorie led under the direction of archaeologist Fanouria Dakoronia every summer for six weeks each systematic excavations.

Archaeological history reconstruction

The hill Palaipyrgos, which is also called Pyrgos, Loutra and Pati, is located directly by the sea and was (4300-3200 BC) to the early Byzantine period continuously inhabited from the Neolithic period ( 500-600 AD). Most previously discovered remains of buildings date from the Late Helladic period ( LH III C, 12th century BC)

From the late Neolithic and Early Helladic period from potsherds were discovered. From Middle Helladic period come cist tombs. The houses had from LH III C walls of mud bricks, which rested on a base of dry stone masonry. The houses there would have storage rooms and garages. From the same period we also found a pottery kiln including dump with false fire. Here discovered slag also points to a metal processing plant. The large number of loom weights, spindle whorls and purple snails suggests also the existence of textile mills and dye houses in Kynos. The palaeobotanical study of plant remains shows that at that time einkorn, emmer wheat, lentils, beans, barley, grass pea and olives were grown.

While we can only speculate on the Mycenaean period if it was already announced vineyards, this applies to the classical period as secure as it was passed down through the ancient literature and on the Opuntian coins grapes were shown. In the ancient heaps were found numerous animal bones. So were many bones of sheep and goats, pigs, horses and a small bovine species. It also numerous bones were found by donkeys, but these were used for transportation. The abundance of each species shows that the hunt was not only a sport but also a source of food and raw materials for craft and shipbuilding. Their skin, hair and even bones and horns were extensively used (eg for shoes, tunics, tanks, yarn, tools, jewelry, clothing accessories, etc.). Bones of wild boar were less well represented. Overall, it can be concluded that there were many dense forests around Kynos from the large proportion of wild animal bones from the Late Bronze Age. This is confirmed by the finds of tools of woodcutters, carpenters and wood carvers.

Mid-12th century BC the city was destroyed by an earthquake. In this destruction layer was found significant shards of a crater with ship representation. Kynos was rebuilt, but destroyed at the end of the 12th century BC by fire a second time. Since the debris were scattered and also found marine deposits, it is assumed that a tsunami caused this second destruction.

The city was established again, but this time only small houses were built. In the floor of these houses were found small stone cist graves for children. From the 10th century BC they found a home with pottery. The fortifications on the hill date from the Hellenistic period and were probably built by Demetrius I Poliorketes. Most walls dating from the 1st millennium BC, however, were destroyed in Roman times, as you einebnete the site before the construction of new houses. Other foundations date back to Roman and Byzantine times. By the sea are still remains of the former port facility visible.

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