192 EVI MARgARITIS
The Archaeobotanical Remains
The extensive sampling for organic remains at Kompoloi included every
archaeological context and the archaeobotanical material recovered consisted
of limited quantities of cereals, pulses, olives and figs, originating mainly from
the rooms in the living quarters and from the few hearths found at the stoas
surrounding the courtyard (Poulaki, Mourati and Margaritis forthcoming). The
vast majority of the archaeobotanical material, however, belonged to grape
remains, present in almost every context of the site. The most interesting find
was the thousands of grape pips accumulated at the bottom of the huge pithoi
located at the storage area. In order to interpret these large quantities of grape
remains, ethnographic and experimental work was initiated, based on grape
processing (Margaritis and Jones 2006 ). This work suggested that it is possible
for grape pips to escape the sieving process during treading or afterwards and
end up in the fermentation vessel, where they can remain if the actual product,
the wine, is not subsequently transferred to a different vessel, with a possible
further and more elaborate sieving. This can easily be the case, particularly with
very large containers, such as the storage vessels found at Kompoloi.
Beyond the storage area, large quantities of grape remains were found in
the living quarters, in several places in the courtyard and in the ditches, indi-
cating wine dregs used as fuel and disposed in the courtyard in the first case,
and wine dregs used firstly as fuel and then as manure in the ditches in the
second (Margaritis and Jones 2006 ). Wine was also stored in a considerably
smaller quantity in the basement of the living quarters, indicating perhaps a
different use or quality, perhaps the owner’s personal supply. In the basement,
indications of the presence of stored raisins were also found (Margaritis and
Jones 2006 ). Although the engagement in viticulture is evident from the plant
remains, no related archaeological finds such as wine making installations, for
example, were found at Kompoloi, leaving the identification of this major part
of the economy of the site solely to the evidence of archaeobotanical remains.
A stone wine press was retrieved at some distance from the site, although it
is not possible to confirm with certainty its relation to the complex (Poulaki
2004 ). This lack of installations may suggest that the initial processing of the
grapes could have taken place in the fields, with the must subsequently trans-
ferred to the site. A similar practice has been recorded in rural Greece until
recently (Psaraki-Belesioti and Geroulanou 1978 ).The Site of Platania
The Archaeology
The site of Platania is, like Kompoloi, situated on alluvial soil next to the ancient
road connecting Thessaly with Macedonia. The site is located 4.5 km southeast
of the city of Heraklio and very close to the possible location of the ancient city