A lecture entitled "The Byzantine urban fortress at Kastro Apalirou, Naxos - Results and questions from recent field work", will be held at the Norwegian Institute at Monday March 26th at 19:00. David Hill, archaeologist at the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, will present the results.
Kastro Apalirou was probably established as a fortification as early as the seventh century AD on an inaccessible mountain top in the middle of the island of Naxos. Apalirou evolved to become the Byzantine center of power on the island until the city was besieged and taken by the Venetian Marco Sanudo, who conquered the Cyclades and formed a feudal dynastic rule on the islands.
Under the aegis of the Norwegian Institute at Athens, archaeologists from the University of Oslo have undertaken a survey of the standing remains at Kastro Apalirou in 2010 and 2011. Even though Kastro Apalirou has been well known both locally and in general studies of the Byzantine period in the Cyclades, this marks the first proper archaeological documentation of the settlement. The fortifications, church complex, buildings and over 30 cisterns have been recorded and planned using total station and GIS.
Archaeologist David Hill will present the results so far and discuss how they illustrate the Venetian takeover of Naxos and the subsequent formation of the Duchy of The Archipelago. The project raises a number of questions concerning the Byzantine settlement on Naxos and the changes that came about under Venetian rule.
Download the invitation from the top right corner of this web page
For more information visit the website of the Norwegian Institute at Athens