Η θέση της αρχαίας Σκαπτής Ύλης

Abstract

Those who have attempted to identify the ancient Scapte Hyle, which
was the most famous centre of gold-mining on the mainland opposite Thasos
in the 6th and 5th centuries B.C., usually lack personal knowledge of the topography
of this area and are not familiar enough with the evidence of ancient
authors. These are the two main fields where the contribution of this article
will be confined.
Most of the scholars have placed Scapte Hyle on or around the Mount
Pangaeum and especially on the NE side of it. There is, however, a disagrement
concerning the exact location of it. It has been situated near the monastery
of Eikosiphoinissa, in the village called Palaeochori, on the hills between
Palaeochori and Nikisiani, and elsewhere. The author of this article believes
that Scapte Hyle was not a town but a wider area which comprised the valleys
of both Nikisiani and Palaeochori. The centre, however, of gold-production,
especially in the period when Scapte Hyle flourished, was Nikisiani. Some
of the indications for this are the following:
a) The heaps of slag («scoriae») are more extensive here than in the neighbouring
places.
b) Herodotus says that the tribe of Satrai, who had the main share in the
gold-production, used the steep rocks of Pangaeum as a refuge when attacked
by an enemy. The side of this mountain facing Nikisiani is the most inaccessible
of all.
c) There is plenty of water in this valley.
d) There are names of places, like «Silver holes», «The water of gold» and
so on, which might be reminiscences of the existence of metal-workings in this
area.
e) Scapte Hyle means «dug wood» and this is the most richly wooded
side of Pangaeum.