A Byzantine rotary hand mill in Thorikos

The excavation of Cistern No°1 has shown that the latest occupation phase in Thorikos might extend further in time than has been thought initially. Among the finds, two uncommon rotary hand mill’s fragments, belonging to the cistern’s upper layer, allow expanding upon the knowledge of this latest phase. This contribution presents several aspects of these finds, like their typology and raw material, and discusses their chronology. It also sums up archaeological data relative to Late Antique and Byzantine remains in Thorikos and Lavrio to put the finds into a broader perspective. The paper concludes that the rotary hand mill might date from the 7th – 8th century AD or later and emphasizes the need to publish such kind of data systematically.