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Survey Methods

The 2013-14 surface survey was conducted in two phases, with Phase 1 offering a comprehensive overview of Stélida, while Phase 2 targeted specific areas rich in cultural material or featuring noteworthy artefacts.

Phase 1

The initial phase of our work aimed to systematically survey a large section of Stélida, focusing on the chert outcrops located at the hill’s highest point.

In pairs, we conducted fieldwork by walking survey transect lines along the cardinal directions (North, South, East, West) within a site grid. At 10-meter intervals, we paused to collect all artefacts within a designated 1m² area.

survey lines and collection points were established with tape and compass over an artifact concentration hill.

Phase 1 (continued)

Transects were spaced 40 meters apart, with fieldwalkers recording artefact concentrations within 20 meters on either side to ensure comprehensive site documentation.

Survey lines and collection points were established using tape and compass, while collection points were precisely mapped with recreation-grade GPS. Over two seasons, we completed 29 transect lines, ranging from 70 to 820 meters in length, systematically surveying approximately 40 hectares.

As we conducted transect surveys and processed 1m² collection units, we systematically documented data to better understand the distribution of artefacts across the site.

However, these findings require careful evaluation, as artefact concentrations do not always indicate prehistoric activity areas. Manufacturing debris and broken tools may have originally been produced higher up the hillside, only to be displaced downslope over millennia by gravity, rainwater, and other natural forces.

Similarly, areas with no recorded artefacts are not necessarily devoid of archaeological significance. Artefacts could be buried beneath hillwash sediments, concealed by modern vegetation, or shifted away from their original locations. Additionally, agricultural terrace walls often act as artefact traps, accumulating stone tools washed downslope over time.

To assess how natural processes may have altered or obscured our data, we recorded ground slope, vegetation cover, and photographed collection points for analysis. As a result, we now hold the most extensive visual database of Naxian bushes ever compiled!

For areas where no artefacts were found, future test excavations will be necessary to determine whether the archaeology is hidden below the surface or to confirm that certain parts of Stélida were never used in prehistory.

1 m^2 collection points mark the artifact area of interest.

Phase 2

The second phase of the survey aimed to collect larger samples of dateable artefacts from key areas of interest.

These locations were systematically investigated by either placing targeted 1m² collection points or laying a grid over the area, within which multiple standardized 1m² collections were gathered.

Phase 2 (continued)

Over two seasons, we established 43 survey grids, varying in size from 3×3m to 75×80m, with the largest positioned in front of Rockshelter A.

Grids were carefully mapped using tape-and-compass or a TOPCON total station, while collection points were recorded using both GPS and the total station for precise documentation.