TAESP: Places of Special Interest Dataset

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POSI Number TP066
GU number
Intensive Survey Zone Asinou
Village Ayios Yeoryios
Locality Aspri
Easting 497170.00
Northing 3874160.00
Elevation (m) 959.00
References [Link to Bibliography]
Source GPS
Sheet Map 1:5000 37-VII
Team Leader MJG
References Northing 3874160
Summary Abandoned late Medieval village with church
Topography High spur-ridge
Vegetation Pine, terebinth, asphodel, cistus, Quercus alnifolia, rhizocarpen tiniae
Access Forest track heading to Kapoura from saddle south of Kakos Anemos
Description Environment Slopes above and around the spur covered with pine and Quercus alnifolia. No obvious views across the landscape - but the trees are large and old on the spur. Huge amount of Quercus alnifolia on hillslopes all around - especially to south. Large amount of rhizocarpentinae (green lichen) on stones of church - especially east facing tumble beyond apse.
Pottery Some
Tile Abundant
Chipped Stone None
Ground Stone None
Slag None
Architecture Abundant
Description POSI Taken there by Panayiotis Loppas. This is what he told us about it; needs revisiting and recording properly. People went from Aspri to work at Foukassa. Houses partitioned (like those of Mandres tous Jerenides and Pera Yitonia (TP038, TP039)) and divided to separate inhabitants from the animals (goats). Water can be found on the mountain top. His father spent 6 months a year with his goats at Aspri. It was ruined then, though the walls were rather higher; it's probably 400 years old. His father laid pine logs and branches over the walls as a roof. The goats grazed; they liked the urtica leaves. Then they would move on to Asinou or Karterouni; once the goats had eaten the food there, they would move on again. They spent 6 months in each place. The whole area had grapes, figs, and ????fa (zizifa; Zizyphus spinochristi?): with the zizifa they would eat the fruit, cut the stone on each side, put a hole through for string, and use it as a worry bead. He was here in 1941-42. There were lots of old sherds, with colours [like a 15-16c sgraffito base we found]: they put oil and a wick in them, and used them for lamps. His father told him, 'Don't break them, leave them here for next year.' The church was full of coloured glazed vessels [like the sgraffito base, which came from the same place]. Now they've bulldozed it totally, to make the water tank and the bulldozed terrace it sits on. It had a paved floor. The apse was on the east side, on the edge of the bulldozed terrace. It was the church of Ayios Efxivios. The icon of Ayios Efxivios was taken to the church at Astromeritis. 100 year old pine in middle of settlement; grew up since the settlement. [Ribbed pithos from church site] His grandfather, from his grandfather, remembers that there used to be 8,000 people at this settlement. [Water trough by tank has '19/7/91 ???T? ?????' inscribed in concrete27 July 2003.Returned after two years to record Aspri more fully - LHS with SMJ, CSA & AKR. Whether anything ever stood where the water tank now stands (See 2001 POSI Record, above) I don't know, but the ruins of a church sit at the NE end of the spur. The walls of the church stand 2-3 courses high - several good stretches of face on interior and exterior and at least one good corner. No signs of current religious activity. An area of settlement is spread along the middle section of the spur, on both sides of the ridge. Nowhere is this area as clear as the church. Toward the road, the settlement area is truncated by the bulldozed platform now graced by the water tank and a partridge cage.
Condition Long ruined (not unlike Vouni/TP031 or Mitsero Mavrovounos)
Settlement Yes
Church Yes
Building Yes
Bridge No
Check Dam No
Threshing Floor No
Tomb No
Kiln No
Other Structure No
Rock No
Mine/Adit No
Botany No
Extraction No
Road No
Pottery No
Lithics No
View No
Geomorphology No
Prehistoric No
Iron Age No
Hellenistic/Roman No
Medieval/Ottoman Yes
Modern No
Slag No
Shrine No
Entered By MJG
Entered Date 8/9/2001 00:00:00
Recorded By MJG
Recorded Date 30/8/2001 00:00:00


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