Medieval Towers of Euboea: An Approach to construction phases with Radiocarbon Dating and Mortar Analysis

Central Greece once contained over 200 medieval towers, approximately two-thirds of which were located on Euboea. Many still dominate the landscape around Chalcis, either within village centers or on isolated hilltops. From the early medieval period onward, the region underwent successive political transitions, from Byzantine authority centered at Thebes to Latin, Catalan, Florentine, and Venetian control after 1204, culminating in the Ottoman conquest of Chalcis in 1470. Within this context of political instability between the late thirteenth and early fifteenth centuries, this pilot study investigates the chronology and construction phases of the Euboean towers. An integrated approach was applied, combining radiocarbon dating of wooden structural elements with the analytical characterization of mortars to assess their chronology and manufacturing technology. Radiocarbon dating indicates that all towers were constructed between 1270 and 1434 cal AD. More precise construction phases were established for three towers through wiggle-matching: Mistros (1283–1323 cal AD), North Mytikas (1330–1374 cal AD), and Skounteri (1391–1414 cal AD). Complementary analyses of mortars, including optical microscopy, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), petrography, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), reveal compositional variability reflecting different preparation techniques and the selective use of local resources. Evidence for two construction phases was identified at Bailelekas and North Mytikas. The integration of high-resolution radiocarbon dating with mineralogical and geochemical analyses provides new insights into the multi-phased construction history of Euboean towers and demonstrates the value of an interdisciplinary approach for the study of medieval fortifications.