Τοπία-Αρχαιολογικοί χώροι

ΟΙ ΒΡΑΧΟΓΡΑΦΙΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΑΣ

The Punched/Engraved Spirals of Herakleia Island,
Greece

A number of spirals, punched or engraved on rocks, that have
been located during the last decade by archaeophiles on the
small Cycladic island of Herakleia and, according to the KA΄
Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, are dated in the
Early Bronze Age, that is in the third millennium BC, should be
documented and studied thoroughly by expert archaeologists.
The Herakleia spirals are not unique, since similar representations
printed on rocks and cliffs also occur in more Aegean islands,
such as Naxos, Andros, Astypalaia, etc, as well in mainland
Greece, where Maroneia, Asphendou, Sykourion and Paggaion
Mount, among other locations, offer analogous examples. The
problem, however, becomes more complex and extremely interesting,
given that such spirals printed on rocks have been located
all over the world. Since spirals are not simple, random or meaningless
geometric forms, their curious, wide use in so many different
civilizations has to be investigated, while the reason motivating
people to execute them on rocks must be explained. Furthermore,
the continuously increasing sites in Greece preserving
spirals punched or engraved on rocks demands the research and
study of these artifacts of the past.