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"Nezi Field 2007 by Lydia Herring, Josh Langseth, Kris Lorenzo (2007-04-09 to 2007-05-18)","","","","","EXCAVATION SUMMARY; ; Six weeks ago, on April 10, 2007, we, Lydia Herring, Josh Langseth, and Kris Lorenzo, opened an excavation area at the extreme north of the Nezi field under the supervision of Guy Sanders, James Herbst, and Alicia Carter.  Nezi field is an orchard south of the area excavated by H. Robinson in the 1960s, which is itself south of the South Stoa in the Forum.  We worked with a crew of workmen including Kleomenis Didaskalou (pickman), Billy Papanikolaou (pickman), Andreas Oikonomou (pickman), Vassilis Kollias (shovel/barrowman), Iannis Oikonomou (shovel/barrowman), Andreas Didaskalou (shovel/barrowman), Vangelis Kollias (shovel/barrowman), Sotiris Raftopoulos (shovel/barrowman), and Thanasis Notis, the foreman.; ; The original area of excavation covered ca. 160 m² between 263E to 279E and 1002N to 1008N (minimum) / 1013.85N (maximum).  The northern edge of the excavation area is an escarpment left by the excavations of 1936 and 1961, and thus irregular.  On Wednesday, April 18, 2007, we extended the excavation area in order to find the limit of an orange-clay and stone feature at the southern boundary of the excavation area.  The addition covers 266E to 271E and 1002N to 1001N, thus bringing the total excavation area to ca. 165 m².  ; ; Our objective was to investigate Turkish, Frankish, and Byzantine remains and connect them to what was excavated in the area called Agora SW section E (NB 227, 228, and 237) and Agora SW section J (NB 254, 262, 267, 294) in 1961, along with the exploratory trench dug by Amyx and Morgan in 1936 at the southern extreme of the Giambourani field (the field just north of the Nezi field).  This essay will describe the activity in our area in chronological order based upon our interpretation of the stratigraphy.; ; FRANKISH (1210-1458 CE); ; The earliest contexts in our excavation area are two walls whose top courses have just been uncovered.  The first, revealed with B65, B115, B117, B131, B137 (the fill of a possible robbing trench), and B139, runs north-south, and is preserved between 1003N and 1006N.  At its southern terminus, there are two flat squared blocks, each of which has a pivot hole, and have been tentatively identified as a threshold.  The closest date for the wall so far, based on the pottery date for the fill (B115) covering the wall, is the Frankish period.  The second wall, revealed with B129 and B138, also runs north-south, between 1003N and 1007N, but forms a corner with a wall running east-west between 268E and 269.80E.  The closest date for this wall so far is the date of a coin (2007-189) in the fill coving the wall (B129), issued by William Villehardouin between 1246 and 1267 CE.  The two walls appear to be parallel—their southern extents are only approximately 20 cm different—so we hypothesize that they are from the same structure.  It is possible that these walls may be earlier than the Frankish period, but only continuing excavation will determine their date of construction.; ; Above the second wall, the next activities in our excavation area are represented by a stone and clay feature (B26=B86, B88, B90, B123) which may be an oven or furnace, and an associated series of clay floors (B94, B99, B100, B102=B105=B106=B108, B110, B113=B118, B119, B120, B121, B122, B124) laid down over time in the third quarter of the 13th century CE and before the early 14th century CE.  This chronology is based on a reading of the pottery and coins in significant contexts that pre- and post-date the clay floors (B129, B86).  The hypothesis that the stone and clay feature is an oven is supported by the absence of bone inside it, the high percentage of cookware among the pottery recovered from the clay floors, its shape and construction, the burnt stones of the flooring (B90), and the ash outside the oven on one of the clay floors (B100=B102=B105=B106=B108).; ; Before the construction of either the oven or the floors, however, the ground was leveled to prepare the area (B125, B126, B129) in the late 13th century CE, sometime after 1246–1267; this date is based on pottery in a deposit underneath the leveling fill (B128) and the presence in the fill (B129) of a coin issued by William Villehardouin (2007-189).  The first layer of flooring (B122), which was well-preserved, was then laid and the wall of the oven (B123) built on a clay bedding (B124).  The wall is comprised of two lengths (E-W: 96 x 35 cm; N-S: 152 x 35 cm) that meet at a right angle.  Only one course of squared limestone blocks over a layer of tiles is preserved.  ; ; A poorly preserved second layer of clay floors (B110, B113=B118=B119, B120, B121) soon followed, prior to a third, again well-preserved, layer of floor (B100=B102=B105=B106=B108).  After the construction of this third phase of flooring, the area inside the oven was leveled (B89, B92, B93) for the oven’s floor which was constructed with stone packing and clay (B90), and several layers of clay were deposited in the oven (B26=B86, B88).  It is possible that the clay is one single thick deposit that eroded from the walls of the oven after it went of out of use.  We know that the floor of the oven was constructed after the third phase of flooring because the third phase is cut by the leveling for the floor of the oven.  Since the wall of the oven itself predates the third phase of clay floors – this third phase was built up around the wall - it is likely that there was also an earlier floor in the oven, most likely associated with the first phase of clay floor (B122).  The removal of the original flooring and clay in the oven may be related to a deposit of black ash over the third phase of clay floors (B100 et al.).; ; There is also a rubbish pit cut into this third phase of floors (cut = B76).  This pit is oval-shaped, with a maximum diameter of 1.20 m and minimum diameter of 0.90 m.  The density of inclusions, especially cookware and coarse pottery sherds, supports the suggestion that this is a rubbish pit.  The clay floor (B100=B102=B105=B106=B108) is also disturbed by a large stony pile of rubble (B77) that reinforces the interpretation that the oven and floors are situated in a space that is unenclosed by walls.  We found no evidence of either walls or robbing trenches around the clay floors.; ; The primary indicator of roofing over the area is a destruction collapse in the form of a concentrated scatter of roof tiles (B51=B58=B59) that do not extend beyond the rectilinear extent of the clay floors.  This tile scatter also contains worked marble fragments.  The deposit of scattered tiles contains pottery dating to ca. 1260-1280, but the collapse must date to the early 14th century CE because the tiles postdate the deposits in the clay oven, the latest of which contained a coin (2007-113) of Isabelle Villehardouin dating between 1297 and 1301 CE.; ; Other early 14th century CE Frankish activities are the creation of a possible irrigation canal and the robbing out of an earlier wall.  The possible irrigation canal, to the east of the oven and clay floors, takes the form of a roughly north-west/south-east trench (cut=B70) with two east-west subsidiary trenches.  All three trenches are linear, with parallel sides, and the main canal was filled with large amounts of pottery and intact bone after it went out of use.  The presence of an irrigation canal would suggest that the eastern portion of the excavation area is outdoor space and that the levels of fill in this area (B45, B47, B48, B60, B63, B66, B69, B84=B85, B98, B101, B104, B111) were for agricultural or horticultural purposes.  This is in contrast to the western half of the excavation area, where the architectural contexts are located (note: there is also dumping or leveling fill [agricultural?] in this western area: B56, B95, B103, B109, B115=B130, B116=B143, B135, B136, B139). ; ; The robbing trench (cut = B54) removed the top of a wall projecting from the northern scarp into the area excavated in 1961.  At the bottom of this trench are the remains of the wall constructed with stones and tiles, running roughly north-south.  The wall appears to bound a space demarcated by the roof tiles and floor surface visible—though as yet unexcavated—in the northern escarpment because the roof tiles end at the eastern face of the wall.; ; [Addendum 6/14/07: It is now believed that B129 and B131 in fact date to the Ottoman II period and thus some of the Frankish material discussed in this summary has been re-evaluated.  It is now thought that the oven and its associated floors all date to the Turkish period because of their stratigraphic relationship to B129. Some of the fills (B129 and B131) that covered the N-S walls mentioned at the beginning of the Frankish section of this summary also must be associated with Turkish activity in the area. For additional details, see the relevant baskets and the summary by Angela Ziskowski and Lina Kokkinou.]  ; ; ; OTTOMAN II (1715-1831 CE); ; We have uncovered a series of lenses of fill, and, based on the make-up of these contexts, some appear to be dumped, perhaps for leveling purposes (B28, B42, B53, B55, B65=B78=B80, B79, B87, B114).  A large pit or well cuts these deposits (B36, B37, B39, B41, B43, B46; 1008.08N to 1005.96N, and 268.40E to 266.40E).  This pit contained three lenses of fill with pottery dating to the second Ottoman period.  This pit also cuts the Frankish destruction debris discussed above.  We have temporarily ceased excavating this pit because it is 1.41 m deep and difficult for the workmen to climb in and out of; excavation will resume once the surrounding deposits have been excavated to a more manageable height.  The date of the construction of this pit (or well) is clear because it cuts deposits of the Ottoman II period (B65, B49), so the pit had to have been both dug and then mostly filled in during the Ottoman II period.; ; It is interesting to note that the Ottoman II deposits are located solely in the western and northern portions of the excavation area.  This perhaps suggests that they are all associated with a structure or structures outside the excavation area.; ; EARLY MODERN (1831-1949 CE); ; In the Early Modern period, a property boundary wall (B64, B67, B73), running roughly E-W, was constructed.  Within our excavation area, the wall is 16.28 m long, 0.57 m wide, and preserved to a maximum height of 0.55 m above ground.  Its maximum northing is 1011.70N, and its minimum northing is approx. 1009.20N, where it joins the northern scarp of the excavation area.  This wall continues past our excavation area both east and west, but is not preserved to the same height from 275.80 E to beyond the eastern edge of our excavation area, where it has collapsed (B72), thus revealing the north scarp to the eye.  It is constructed of field stones arranged in random courses with mud as a bonding agent.  This wall was presumably excavated in part by Amyx and Morgan in 1936 (NB 153, 154).   It cuts an Early Modern deposit (B40), and has a pottery date of the 19th – early 20th century CE. ; ; The Early Modern activity in the excavation area is agricultural in nature and consists primarily of two layers of plow zone.  The first, B2=B24, lies above a series of plow furrows (B22) in the southern portion of the excavation area and has an average depth of 0.5 m. ; ; At the bottom of the first layer of plow zone, plow furrows were defined which cut into the soil below (furrows = B22).  The furrows vary in length and width and run from the eastern extreme of the excavation area to the western extreme.  They first appear approximately one meter south of the E-W boundary wall.  The plow furrows cut into the walls and uppermost clay deposit of the Frankish oven.; ; The second layer of plowzone (B23=B27=B30=B33=B34=B50=B58=B62), into which the plow furrows were cut, has an average depth of 21 cm.  Perhaps the difference in depth between the first and second plowzones reflects a change in plowing technology.; ; The layers of soil (B14, B38, B44, B57, B61) below the second layer of plow zone (B23 et al.)—perhaps some form of ground leveling—also show signs of Early Modern human activity in the eastern half of the excavation area in the form of an ash pit (B44), probably from a fire.  The top of the pit (discussed above; cut = B71) to the west, which dates to the second Ottoman period, was topped of with one layer of fill (B36) in the Early Modern period, probably to correct for the settling in of the rest of the fill below).; ; Also associated with Early Modern agricultural activities is a linear pile of stones (B4).  This layer abuts the south face of the E-W boundary wall and is most likely a pile of field cobbles which farmers cleared from the field.  These cobbles predate the later phases of fencing (see below for B16, B17) between Nezi field and Giambourani field. ; ; MODERN (post-1950 CE); ; Along both sides of the E-W wall in the Modern period are several fill deposits.  The uppermost fill on the north side of the wall (B3) contains worked marble fragments that may be the result of dumping from the 1936 excavation, or also (in this case) from the later 1960’s excavations under Robinson in sections E and J, north of the Nezi field.  South of the E-W wall are two fill deposits (B5, B14) that may perhaps be the result of terracing for agricultural activity.  However, the uppermost fill (B5) also included marble fragments, some of which were worked.  Because similar fragments also occur in the fill north of the E-W wall (B3)—which, along with B5, also directly borders Amyx and Morgan’s 1936 excavation trench in what was later called section E—we hypothesize that this fill is most likely fill dumped by the 1936 excavators.  Worked marble fragments have been found at this level of elevation only in these two contexts in the area along the north scarp.; ; South of the E-W wall, in the Modern orchard, a series of tree pits and irrigation trenches were cut into the most recent plow zone (B2 = B24).  The irrigation trenches (B18 = B32, B19) comprise two linear cuts running north-south up to the south-west side of individual tree pits, but not joining it (B18 ran up to B7 (cut = B10), B19 ran up to B11 (cut = B15).  Each trench contained a black plastic irrigation hose.  The irrigation trenches continue south out of the excavation area, and probably are connected with other tree pits within the presently growing orange orchard south of the excavation area.  They also cut into the uppermost clay deposit and walls of the Frankish oven.; ; The five tree pits in the excavation area are arranged in three north-south rows, ca. five meters apart.  Each of the tree pits (B6 [cut = B9], B7 [cut = B10], B8 [cut = B12], B11 [cut = B15], B21 [cut = B25]) contained an orange tree and root system, all of which the workmen cleared; the workman, most of whom have extensive agricultural experience, estimate the age of the trees to be no more than forty years old.  Each pit cuts into the surface cut by plow furrows (furrows = B22) and the soil into which the furrows were cut (B23=B27=B30=B33=B34=B50).; ; Tree pit B6 (cut = B9) contained very dark black specially fertilized soil with small white polystyrene inclusions and small areas of yellowish white clay.  Both the specially fertilized soil and yellowish white clay would have been part of a mix of soil and other matter that surrounded the orange sapling when it was put in the pit. The clay and the polystyrene most likely functioned to retain moisture for the sapling.; ; The latest activity in our excavation area is the construction of two phases of cement foundations used to anchor a series of posts supporting chain-link fencing.  This fencing runs along the northern boundary of Nezi field.  Both phases of cement foundations were cemented in part onto the E-W wall (ca. 1011.70N).  Parts of the wall were removed to lay the cement foundations after the wall had gone out of use.; ; The first phase (B17) is a series of small, whitish gray cement foundations.  The second phase of fencing (B16) is comprised of a series of noticeably larger concrete slabs spaced at regular intervals.  We know this phase is later because the metal posts were still intact as a functional fence at the beginning of the 2007 excavation season.; ; CONCLUSION; ; The past six weeks of excavation in Nezi field have produced a stratigraphic sequence and grouping of associated finds to indicate four phases of activity—Modern, Early Modern, Ottoman II, and Frankish.; ; In the Frankish period, there is a distinction between indoor and outdoor space, as seen in the existence of built structures, including what we interpret as an oven, in the western half of the excavation area and agricultural activity in the eastern half.; ; In the Ottoman II period, there is leveling, perhaps for agricultural activity, and the creation of a possible pit or well.; ; In the Early Modern period, there is more agricultural activity (plowing) and the creation of a new division of property, at least since the Frankish period (the boundary wall at the north of Nezi field cuts through the middle of single Frankish deposits).; ; In the Modern period, there is a different type of agricultural activity—the planting of an orchard rather than plow zone—but also archaeological activity at the northern extreme of the excavation area.; ; There remain a number of questions that we hope will be addressed in future excavation:; ; --Are the squared blocks in the southern scarp, between 269E and 271E, part of a wall?  Are they associated with the structure enclosed by the two north-south walls currently being excavated?  ; ; --Does the large cut stone block revealed in the western scarp of the robbing trench (cut = B54) in the northern third of the excavation area indicate the presence of a wall running perpendicular to the wall at the bottom of the robbing trench (B54)?  ; ; --What is the Ottoman II pit (cut = B71) that we have not finished excavating, a pit or a well?; ; --The removal of several contexts (B40, B56, B116=B143, B135, B136) in the northern quarter of the excavation area has revealed a deposit of clay with a flat-bottomed linear depression and a flat surface cut by the Early Modern boundary wall’s construction trench (cut = B73).  Is this clay deposit indoor space or outdoor space?  Is the flat-bottomed linear depression the bedding for a wall similar to the clay oven’s (cf. B124)?; ; --Is the tile scatter revealed under B135 and B136—its northern edge was always visible in the north escarpment—a destruction horizon?  What is its full extent and relationship, if any, to the wall at the bottom of the northern robbing trench (cut=B54)?     ;   ; --Since we have begun to uncover several contexts that suggest the presence of interior space, in addition to numerous exterior contexts, what is the sequence of changes in outside vs. inside space in Nezi field?; ; And finally, one brief observation and a caveat.  Several baskets (B86, B105, B129) in closely-dated contexts within our excavation area have had their pottery dates raised significantly by coins found in the deposits—this is unusual for archaeology at Corinth.  And the caveat: a portion of a number of deposits—primarily the clay floors and their related contexts—was set aside for water sieving, which has not yet been performed.  The data provided may alter some of our pottery readings and interpretation of the activities associated with the floors.","","Corinthia | Ancient Corinth | Central Area | Nezi Field","Frankish to Modern Strata in the Southern End of Nezi Field","Corinth:Report:Nezi Field 2007 by Lydia Herring, Josh Langseth, Kris Lorenzo (2007-04-09 to 2007-05-18)","","Report","Corinth",""
"Temple E, Southeast 2015 by Danielle Smotherman and Tim Brannelly (2015-05-04 to 2015-05-22)","","","","","Danielle Smotherman; Timothy Brannelly; Temple E, Southeast Excavations; Session II; Unit 2, Room 9; N: 1086.73, S; 1079.10 N, E: 132.85 E, W: 126.83 E; 4-22 May 2015; ; 2015 Session II, Frankish activity in Unit 2, Room 9; ; This is the final summary of the second session excavation for 2015 in Room 9 of Unit 2 in the Frankish quarter, Temple E Southeast. Guy Sanders (director) and Larkin Kennedy (field director) supervised. Danielle Smotherman and Timothy Brannelly (area supervisors) recorded. The workmen were Thanasis Sakellariou (pickman), Christos Sakellariou (shovelman), and Panagiotis Rontzokos (barrowman, sieve). ; Excavation work focused on Room 9. In Room 9, the area of excavation was bounded by the walls of the room: the East wall (Wall 659: N. 1087.97; S. 1079.86; E. 133.18; W. 130.68), the North wall (Wall 700: N. 1087.11; S. 1086.23; E. 126.99; W. 130.93), the West wall (Wall 720: N. 1086.14; S. 1079.21; E. 128.46; W. 126.48), and the South wall (Wall 729: N. 1079.62; S. 1078.48; E. 132.11; W. 128.35). Excavation in room 9 was done in order to clarify the dating and the relationship between the walls of this room to the other areas of Unit 2 in preparation for the area being presented to the public as part of the Frankish Quarter. Especially of interest was the relationship between the church and the construction of Room 9. ; ; Excavation in Room 9 was begun in Session I 2015, prior to that it had not been excavated since 1996 (NB888 P1-46). The final two days of Session I excavation, 27th and 28th of April, were spent in Room 9. In Session II, Room 9 was excavated 4th-22nd May 2015. The majority of the excavation time in Session II was dedicated to the removal of a very large pit cut into the space, which produced an enormous amount of soil, pottery, bones, and small finds. On the 11th of May, there was a significant amount of rain, which necessitated putting aside soil to dry on the morning of the 12th prior to sieving and created a backlog on the sieve. This soil was not completely sieved until the 15th.  The large pit has been a massive endeavor and the team has been greatly aided by Angela Stamati (sieve), Vasillis Kollias (barrowman), Kostas Arberoris (acting as shovelman), Wesley Bennett (sieve, pottery, small finds), Kurtis Tanaka, and Emilio Rodriguez-Alvarez (sieve).; ; Unit 2, Room 9, excavated 4/5/2015-15/4/2015; ; Frankish Period (AD 1210-1458):; All contexts excavated in the Session II excavation in Room 9 date between the late 13th and 14th centuries by pottery and coins. ; During the third quarter of the 13th century, it is most likely that the space of Room 9 was outdoor. A courtyard surface (Context 772) is preserved in the eastern half of the room, cut by several pits. That courtyard surface is securely dated to the second half of the 13th century by three William Villehardouin coins (coins 2015-227, 2015-228, and 2015-230) all of the CORINTVM type that date AD 1250-78. The courtyard surface was prepared by a leveling fill (Context 792) that was probably put down at one time, even though the pottery represents a mix of periods, because the fill is homogenous throughout. The fill contained three minor finds: a marble stopper (MF-2015-18), a fragment of a glass bracelet (MF-2015-17), and a glass tessera with gold leaf (MF-2015-34). The leveling fill was above an earthen surface, which was not excavated this season. The fill is also securely dated to the second half of the 13th century by three definite William Villehardouin coins, two CORINTI (coins 2015-266 and 2015-313), the other a CORINTVM (coin 2015-312), and two other coins that are most likely also Villehardouin CORINTVM or CORINTI (coins 2015-316 and 2015-320).; ;  A large pit (Context 733/717/726/747, L. 5.7 m, W. 3.1 m, N. 1083.88; S. 1079.99; E. 130.80; W. 127.50) was dug into the courtyard surface during the fourth quarter of the 13th century and filled with a mix of pottery, animal bones, industrial rubbish such as iron crucibles, part of a glass kiln, and domestic refuse including crochet hooks. The middle layer in the pit, Context 726, contained a stamped amphora handle from Zakynthos (C-2015-1), and the following minor finds: an iron weight (MF-2015-11), an iron door handle (MF-2015-10), an iron knife (MF-2015-35), an iron blade (MF-2015-38), a square iron buckle (MF-2015-36), a pierced bronze disc (MF-2015-37), a bone die (MF-2015-30), a bronze pendant (MF-2015-33), a glass bead (MF-2015-39), a silver pendant (MF-2015-9), and a silver necklace with a coral pendant, silver cross, bronze cross, and glass bead (MF-2015-21). The top level of the pit, which spills outside of the cut of the pit, included a pilgrims’shell (MF-2015-19) and a bronze earring (MF-2015-40). The pit most likely represents a trash dump that may not reflect the use of nearby spaces. Excavation of the pit also revealed the side of a cistern, which was not excavated this session as it remains under nearly a meter of fill in the eastern half of the room. ; ; Numismatic finds in the pit were numerous with a total of 40 coins found, several of which securely date to the Frankish period. In addition to several Byzantine coins, several of which belong to Manuel I, AD 1143-1180 (coins 2015-143, 2015-161, and 2015-204), Context 726 yielded several Frankish coins belonging to William Villehardouin as well as several French Royal coins also belonging to the 13th century. Coins 2015-124 and 2015-127 are Villehardouin CORINTI coins, Coin 2015-139 is a Villehardouin CORINTVM coin (both dated c. 1250-1278). Coin 2015-138 is a French St. Martin of Tours coin utilizing the imagery of the castle Tournois, which Villehardouin also used on some of his coins, dated to the 13th century, while coins 2015-145 and 2015-201 belong either to the reign of Louis VIII or Louis IX and are dated 1223-1270. In addition, coin 2015-149, although illegible, is most likely either a French royal or a Frankish Villehardouin coin. Likewise, Context 747, the lower sense of the large pit, yielded a similar assortment of coins, albeit a smaller number. Several of the coins from Context 747 were unfortunately illegible, but are most likely Frankish, including coins 2015-184 and 2015-186. The only secure Villehardouin coin from context 747 is Coin 2015-164, a CORINTVM type. Furthermore, the deposit at the bottom of the pit (Context 773), which, according to pottery, is actually not part of the pit and represents the level to which the pit was cut, has a date of the fourth quarter of the 13th century, indicating that the pit must have been cut and filled during the later part of the fourth quarter of the 13th century. Context 773 also yielded a single Villehardouin CORINTI coin (Coin 2015-215), which may have found its way into this lower level when the pit was cut. For a list of all the coins by their respective contexts and with their dates, see the attached chart. It is worth noting that none of the coins postdates William Villehardouin and 1278.; ; In the fourth quarter of the 13th century, the area ceased to be used as a trash dump and became an indoor space. The first wall definitely constructed in the space of Room 9 was the North wall (Wall 700: N. 1087.11; S. 1086.23; E. 126.99; W. 130.93). The pottery from the foundation trench for the N. Wall, Context 706, indicates a date of the fourth quarter of the 13th, and the three Villehardouin CORINTVM coins from the trench, Coins 2015-111, 2015-112, and 2015-113, can be dated 1250-1278, thus confirming the date from the pottery. A leveling fill which covers the foundation trench also dates to the late 13th century by the pottery (Context 696) and indicates the beginning of the indoor use of the space. The floor itself was excavated in 1996 (NB888 B38 P42; NB888 B41 P45-46), at a higher elevation. The East wall (Wall 659: N. 1087.97; S. 1079.86; E. 133.18; W. 130.68) and its respective foundation trench (Contexts 673/672) is only generally dated to the early 14th and late 13th centuries by the pottery. The West wall (Wall 720: N. 1086.14; S. 1079.21; E. 128.46; W. 126.48) rests on the bottom of the large pit (Contexts 733/717/726/747), which could have served as the foundation trench for the wall in the late 13th century and was partially robbed out in the later 13th/early 14th centuries, so the foundation and the robbing out of the wall may be very close in time (Contexts 664/663). Excavation thus far has not indicated a date for the South wall (Wall 729: N. 1079.62; S. 1078.48; E. 132.11; W. 128.35), but it may be contemporary with Wall 720 because they do meet at the SW corner of the room along with Wall 156. It is not clear how the walls bond, so their stratigraphic relationship is in question. In general, the corners of the room are obscured or the walls appear to rest against one another without clear stratigraphic relationships: the Northwest corner of the room is obscured by a robbing trench (Walls 700 and 729), the Northeast corner includes touching walls (Walls 659 and 700), the Southeast corner is disturbed by the pit in the corner (Walls 659 and 729), and the Southwest corner (Walls 720 and 729) meet. It is possible that the relationship at the corner of 729 and 720 could be clarified by further excavation, but it is not clear at the current level of excavation. Wall 729 was later extended to the west by Wall 156, which dates to the mid- to late-13th century (cf. Bennett Session I summary), indicating that Room 9 was an interior space prior to either the creation of an enclosed passageway north of the Church or prior to the enclosure of the southern end of Room 8.; ; Multiple layers of fill, unevenly distributed in the room, were excavated and represent multiple depositional activities in the space during the late 13th - early 14th centuries, dated generally by the pottery (Contexts 652, 674, 676, 679, 683, 685, 699, 694, 704, 712, 715). These layers of fills appear to be contained within the walls, with only the unexcavated earthen surface appearing to go under the east wall (Wall 659).  In part, some of these could be leveling fills to raise the floor level, possibly to the 14th century floor level excavated in 1996, a small portion of which was excavated in Session I (NB888 B38 P42; NB888 B41 P45-46; Contexts 628 and 634). Among the levels of fill, a bronze hinge comes from a layer of ashy fill (MF-2015-32, Context 652), a lead mending strip was recovered from Context 712 (MF-2015-20), a lead seal was recovered in the trench 692/695 (MF-2015-31), and another bone die in the fill directly above the pit (MF-2015-29, Context 685). It is possible that the space went out of use for a short period of time when two small and relatively shallow circular rubbish pits (Contexts 660/665 and 661/666), a small post hole (Context 689), and a larger rectangular trench of unknown use (Context 695/692, L. 1.87 m., W. 1.0 m., D. 0.20 m., N. 1083.60; S. 1083.00; E. 129.50; W. 127.68) were cut into the fill.; ; Above the tile floor removed in 1996, the previous excavators also encountered a layer of destruction debris, primarily tiles, which was originally dated to the late 13th-early 14th century and now thought to be 14th century in date (NB888 B32 P36, NB888 B37 P41) providing evidence for when the room went out of use. ; ; Early Modern:; The pit in the center of Room 9 is a later intrusion (NB888 B18 P22-23; NB888 23 P26; NB888 B24 P27; NB888 B25 P28). It was excavated in 1996 to a total depth of 0.80 m and the material of the fill dated primarily to the 18th and 19th centuries, with some earlier materials included (a 12th century coin, Coin 1996-150, and some 16th century pottery). The final lense in the pit contained 13th century pottery, but this most likely indicates material disturbed by the cut of the pit rather than the date of the pit itself. This pit cut through a portion of the large pit (Contexts 733/717/726/747) excavated in Session II. ; ; Future goals:; 1.    Full inventory of all the minor finds from Room 9. As time was limited, not all minor objects were fully inventoried by the end of Session II, although all were noted. These objects can provide more information on the use of the space in the late 13th-early 14th centuries. ; 2.    Try to find a foundation trench for the South wall (Wall 729) of Room 9 to help clarify the construction dates of the wall as well as to identify the relationship between Wall 729 and Walls 270, to the North, and 156, to the West. ; 3.    Explore the cistern under the courtyard, the side of which was revealed by the excavation of the large pit, and which needs to be excavated and filled prior to the final consolidation of Room 9. ; 4.    Further excavate the room to get a better understanding of its function prior to becoming an indoor space and its relationship to the church. ;  ; APPENDIX I: COINS; ; Context 639; Coin 43 (sieve)    Byzantine (1204-1261); ; Context 647; Coin 49 (sieve)    Not a coin; Coin 51 (sieve)    Frankish (1223-1250); Coin 53 (sieve)    Frankish (1200-1299); ; Context 652; Coin 56 (sieve)    Illegible; Coin 57 (sieve)    Not a coin; Coin 62 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 63 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 64 (sieve)    Not a coin; Coin 65 (sieve)    Byzantine (1143-1180); ; Context 663; Coin 75 (sieve)    Byzantine (1143-1180); ; Context 676; Coin 91 (sieve)    Byzantine (1204-1261); ; Context 679; Coin 93 (sieve)    Byzantine (1204-1261); Coin 94    Illegible; Coin 95    Frankish (1223-1270); ; Context 683; Coin 96 (sieve)    Not a coin; ; Context 688; Coin 97 (sieve)    Frankish (1223-1270); ; Context 692; Coin 98 (sieve)    Byzantine (1143-1180); ; Context 696; Coin 100 (findspot)    Frankish; Coin 106 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); ; Context 704; Coin 109 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); ; Context 706 (foundation trench for Wall 700); Coin 111 (findspot)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 112 (findspot)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 113 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); ; Context 715; Coin 130 (sieve)    Frankish ; Coin 117 (sieve)    Byzantine (1143-1180); Coin 132 (sieve)    Not a coin; ; Context 717 (top of large pit?); Coin 118 (findspot)    Greek (400-300 BC); Coin 119 (sieve)    Frankish (1223-1270); Coin 120 (findspot)    Byzantine; Coin 121 (sieve)    Byzantine (1143-1184); Coin 122 (sieve)    Greek ; Coin 123 (sieve)    Byzantine (1204-1261); Coin 125 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 126 (sieve)    Frankish; ; Context 720 (Wall, under a loose rock); Coin 212 (findspot)    Illegible; ; Context 726 (large pit); Coin 124 (findspot)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 127 (findspot)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 128 (findspot)    Roman Imperial; Coin 129 (sieve)    Frankish; Coin 137 (findspot)    Byzantine (1204-1261); Coin 138 (findspot)    Frankish (1235-1278); Coin 139 (sieve)    Not a coin; Coin 141 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 143 (sieve)    Byzantine (1143-1180); Coin 144 (sieve)    Byzantine (1143-1180); Coin 145 (findspot)    Frankish (1223-1270); Coin 149 (findspot)    Frankish (1223-1270); Coin 152 (sieve)    Byzantine (1150-1190); Coin 153 (sieve)    Byzantine ; Coin 154 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 155 (sieve)    Not a coin; Coin 156 (sieve)    Illegible; Coin 159 (sieve)    Not a coin; Coin 160 (sieve)    Illegible; Coin 161 (sieve)    Byzantine (1143-1180); Coin 162 (sieve)    Not a coin; Coin 194 (sieve)    Illegible; Coin 201 (sieve)    Frankish (1223-1250); Coin 203 (sieve)    Byzantine (1143-1180); Coin 204 (sieve)    Illegible; Context 747 (large pit); Coin 163 (sieve)    Not a coin; Coin 164 (sieve)    Illegible; Coin 180 (sieve)    Byzantine (1082-1118); Coin 181 (sieve)    Byzantine (1075-1080); Coin 183 (sieve)    Illegible; Coin 184 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 185 (sieve)    Illegible; Coin 186 (sieve)    Illegible; Coin 187 (sieve)    Illegible; Coin 196 (sieve)    Byzantine (1078-1081); Coin 199 (sieve)    Byzantine (1070-1095); Coin 202    Not a coin; ; Context 772 (courtyard paving); Coin 227 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 228 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 229 (sieve)    Illegible; Coin 230 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 231 (sieve)    Byzantine (1143-1180); Coin 232 (sieve)    Byzantine (1143-1180); Coin 261 (sieve)     unread; ; Context 773 (level at bottom of large pit); Coin 213 (sieve)    Byzantine; Coin 215 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); ; Context 792 (leveling fill under courtyard paving); Coin 261    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 262 (findspot)    Greek Imperial (193-217); Coin 266 (findspot)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 268 (findspot)    Byzantine (1081-1118); Coin 270 (findspot)    Byzantine (1204-1261); Coin 291 (sieve)    Roman Imperial; Coin 293 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 309 (sieve)    Not a coin; Coin 310 (sieve)    Byzantine (1204-1261); Coin 311 (sieve)    Roman Imperial; Coin 312 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 313 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 314 (sieve)    Roman Imperial; Coin 315 (sieve)    Roman Imperial; Coin 316 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 317 (sieve)    Illegible; Coin 318 (sieve)    Illegible; Coin 319 (sieve)    Not a coin; Coin 320 (sieve)    Frankish (1250-1278); Coin 321 (loose dirt in Wall 659)    Frankish (1250–1278)","","Corinthia | Ancient Corinth | Central Area | Temple E, Temenos | Temple E, Southeast","2015 Session II, Frankish activity in Unit 2, Room 9","Corinth:Report:Temple E, Southeast 2015 by Danielle Smotherman and Tim Brannelly (2015-05-04 to 2015-05-22)","","Report","Corinth",""
"Temple E, Southeast 2015 by Danielle Smotherman (2015-04-21 to 2015-04-30)","","","","","Danielle Smotherman; Temple E, Southeast Excavations; Session I; Unit 2, Room 2; N: 1066.50 N, S: 1065.00 N, E: 119.27 E, W: 116.57 E; Unit 2, Room 9; N: 1086.73, S; 1079.10 N, E: 132.85 E, W: 126.83 E; 21-28 April 2015; ; 2015 Session I, Late Byzantine - Early Frankish activity in Unit 2, Room 2 and Frankish fill in Unit 2, Room 9; This is the final summary of the first session excavation for the 2015 season in Room 2 of Unit 2 and Room 9 of Unit 2 in the Frankish quarter, Temple E Southeast. Guy Sanders (director) and Larkin Kennedy (field director) supervised. Danielle Smotherman (area supervisor) recorded. On the last day of excavation, Danielle was assisted by Alžbĕta Lorenzová. The workmen were Thanasis Sakellariou (pickman), Christos Sakellariou (shovelman), and Panagiotis Rontzokos (barrowman, sieve). ; On account of the delayed permit, the first half of Session I was spent on research and development of a webpage for the Frankish Quarter of Corinth as well as cleaning the areas for excavation in Unit 2. Excavation during Session I was limited to six days. ; Excavation work focused in Room 2 and then moved to Room 9. In Room 2, the space was subdivided and only the northern portion of the room was excavated this session. The full extent of Room 2 is bounded by walls 556, 557, 558, and 559 (N: 1066.50 N, S: 1061.55 N, E: 119.27 E, W: 115.30 E), and the area under excavation is: N: 1066.50 N, S: 1065.00 N, E: 119.27 E, W: 116.57 E. In Room 9 the area of excavation was bounded by the walls of the room, which have not yet been numbered (N: 1086.73, S; 1079.10 N, E: 132.85 E, W: 126.83 E). Excavation in both rooms was done in order to clarify the dating and the relationship between the walls of those rooms to the other areas of Unit 2 in preparation for the area being presented to the public as part of the Frankish Quarter. Consolidation and restoration work continued contemporaneously to the excavations. ; ; Room 2 was previously excavated in 2014 Session III by E. Wilson and J. Swalec. During the first session of the 2015 season, only the northern part of the room was excavated on account of the limited time available. The goal was to find a foundation trench or means of dating the construction of the North wall of the room (Wall 556: N: 1067.50 N, S: 1066.10 N, E: 119.80 E, W: 114.20 E) to better help our understanding of the date of construction  of Room 2, its function, and how it relates to the rest of the complex. This was also facilitated by sectioning the room. As part of the restoration work of Unit 2, portions of  the N, E, W and S walls (Walls 556, 557, 558, and 559) have all been restored since the 2014 excavation season, leaving a c. 20 cm wide construction trench abutting each reconstructed wall in the room. At points, these construction trenches cut contexts and obscured relationships between the walls and contexts. The construction trench for the N wall of the room did not cut across the one original block of the wall, thus contexts that bordered the wall at that point were still able to be discerned. Excavation in Room 2 ceased when it was clear that we had not found a foundation trench for Wall 556 and that we were now in Byzantine period levels, which appear to be earlier than the construction of the wall.  ; Excavation then turned to Room 9, which had not been excavated since 1996 (NB888 P1-46). The final two days of Session I excavation, 27th and 28th of April, were spent in Room 9. During those two days, we removed the surface that had been exposed since 1996 throughout the room, cleaned the edge and sides of the big pit, removed two construction fills and stones resting on the surface, and defined the edges of a previously unexcavated pit in the S part of the room that will be excavated in Session II. Excavation will continue in Room 9 during Session II. ; ; Unit 2, Room 2, excavated 21/4/2015-27/4/2015; ; Middle Byzantine Period (AD 802-1058):; During the Middle Byzantine period, there was a small patch of hardened fill (Context 627; 1066.90 N, 119.05 E, L. 0.9 m, W. 1.35 m). Shortly after the deposit of this hardened fill, the floor level was raised. Only an iron tack, a bronze strip, and two very small pieces of glass were found in this layer. ; Late Byzantine Period (AD 1058-1210):; During the Late Byzantine period, a deep fill (D. 0.29 m) with cobbles, tiles, and pottery was dumped to raise the floor level (Context 620), although the floor the boundaries of this room were different during this period. The material of the fill dates from the late 11th to the early 12th centuries by pottery and included coins from the Late Roman period (Coins 2015-25, 2015-27). The plastered floor (1066.60 N, 118.17 E, L. 1.6 m, W. 2.86  m, Context 617), dating to the second half of the 12th century by pottery, surmounted this raised level and appears to go under Wall 557, indicating that the room as it was excavated belonged to a later period. Two separate fills cover the floor (Contexts 612 and 614), related to use activity of the space during the Late Byzantine period, in particular the mid to late 12th century by the pottery. The activity layers contained few finds other than the pottery, although the earlier layer had a piece of glass making waste and a piece of iron slag.  ; ; Frankish Period (AD 1210-1458): ; A robbing trench for wall 556 cuts through the Byzantine fills (1066.60 N, 118.60 E, L. 3.2 m, W. 0.23 m, D: 0.26 m, Cut 643, Context 608). Previous excavations along the wall had encountered a robbing trench dating to the Turkish period (Context 553, Skeleton 562, NB839 B13, B15, B24). The excavated trench (Cut 643, Context 608) represents an earlier robbing activity in the room, which was then cut by the later robbing trench. The trench included pottery dating to the mid-13th century. This fill is consistent with the overlying context (Context 603) and could represent a slump of this fill. ; The continued use of the room during the Frankish period is indicated by five separate deposits of fill in the space (Contexts 593, 599, 602, 603, and 607), likely to continue raising the floor level, which are all dated to the mid 13th century by pottery. These deposits include coins dating from the Greek (Coin 2015-20), Late Roman (Coins 2015-11, 2015-12, 2015-13, 2015-14), Byzantine (Coins 2015-9, 2015-21), and Frankish (Coins 2015-15, 2015-16) periods. The two Frankish coins date between 1250 and 1278 (both from Context 603), which corroborates the date of the pottery. A bronze pendant, generally dated to the Byzantine period, was recovered in the earliest lense of fill in the room (MF-2015-3). Its decoration includes an inscribed circle on the body of the pendant with an inscribed cross with letters at the ends of each arm of the cross. The vertical axis (top to bottom) reads Chi and Rho. The horizontal axis (left to right) reads Theta and Epsilon. In the later lenses of fill, domestic items such as a bronze crochet hook and bronze and bone sewing needles were recovered along with industrial refuse, including iron slag, glass wasters, and crucibles, indicating a mixed origin for the fill material. ; ; Conclusions:; The dates for the construction of Room 2 and, in particular, the N wall of the room are still uncertain, but must date to the Frankish period since the Late Byzantine floor goes under the later eastern wall of the room. The excavations revealed that the space had been used as an indoor space since at least the Late Byzantine period, albeit with different boundaries. The robbing trench indicates that there was some robbing activity of the N wall of the room during the mid-13th century, which may have also included some rebuilding as the space continued to be used as a room afterwards, and is distinct from the later robbing activity of the wall.; ; Future goals:; 1.    Excavation in Room 2 this Session revealed another large block under the orthostate in the North wall (Wall 556). If excavation were to be resumed in the room, continuing excavation along the N wall to find the bottom of the original wall could aid in the understanding of the development of the space and dating of the room.; 2.    The southern portion of the room was not excavated this session. Further excavation in this area could help clarifying the dating of the Frankish levels. In particular, if Context 620 is continued in the southern part of the room, further investigation of the fill could help clarify if the date of the fill represents the date of the dumping activity or if the material was brought in from elsewhere in the site that contained earlier materials. The dating of the East and West walls would be important for understanding the change in the use of the space from the Late Byzantine to Frankish periods.; ; Unit 2, Room 9, excavated 27/4/2015-28/4/2015; ; Frankish Period (AD 1210-1458):; All contexts excavated in the two days of excavation in Room 9 date to the 14th century by pottery. Multiple layers of fill, unevenly distributed in the room, were excavated and represent multiple depositional activities in the space during the 14th century (Contexts 628/634, 638, and 639). The earliest fill removed contained a Latin imitative coin dating 1204-1261 (Coin 2015-43). A reused threshold block (L. 0.596 m, W. 0.510 m, H. 0.157m, N: 1086.45 N, S: 1085.30 N, E: 131.25 E, W: 130.50 E, Context 631) rested on a 14th century floor, perhaps also represented by by a small patch of tile floor left over from the 1996 excavations (NB888 B33 P37; NB888 B38 P42; NB888 B41 P45-46). The threshold could have been used as a step up to a doorway, as previously thought, although there does not seem to be evidence for a doorway in that wall.; The tile floor encountered across the room in the previous excavations (NB888 B33 P37; NB888 B38 P42; NB888 B41 P45-46) had a bottom elevation of 85.03 m and rested on a clay surface that was left exposed for 19 years, [the remnants of ?] which may be included in Contexts 628 and 634. The bottom elevation of the floor, (85.07) is very close to the top elevation of Context 628 (85.05 m). The difference between the elevations most likely is a result of weathering during the 19 years of exposure of the area. The pottery of Contexts 628/634 dates to the 14th century and included one 18th century intrusion, probably from the central pit previously excavated. A pit was identified in the SW portion of the room and its edges defined; excavation of the pit, however, was left for the next session. Above the tile floor, the previous excavators encountered a layer of destruction debris, primarily tiles which was originally dated to the late 13th-early 14th century and now thought to be 14th century in date (NB888 B32 P36, NB888 B37 P41) providing evidence for when the room went out of use. ; ; Early Modern:; The big pit in Room 9 is a later intrusion (NB888 B18 P22-23; NB888 23 P26; NB888 B24 P27; NB888 B25 P28). It was excavated in 1996 to a total depth of 0.80 m and the material of the fill dated primarily to the 18th and 19th centuries, with some earlier materials included (a 12th century coin, Coin 1996-150, and some 16th century pottery). The final lense in the pit contained 13th century pottery, but this most likely indicates material disturbed by the cut of the pit rather than the date of the pit itself. Only the edges and sides of the pit were cleaned during Session I, but it may need revisiting in Session II. ; ; Future goals:; 1.    Assign wall numbers to each of the walls in the room to facilitate discussion of their dates and relationships with the use periods within the room. ; 2.    Determine the relationships of the walls to one another within the room and to the walls of the other rooms, such as Wall 156 that abuts the southern wall of Room 9. Was Room 9 a later addition to the complex or was it a free-standing building at one point? When were the walls subdividing Room 9 from the rooms to the north and west added? ; 3.    Complete cleaning of the pit excavated in 1996 which has been exposed since 1996. ; 4.    Explore the unexcavated pits in Room 9: the pit in the SW corner and the pit N of the big pit. ; 5.    Further excavate the room to get a better understanding of its function.","","Corinthia | Ancient Corinth | Central Area | Temple E, Temenos | Temple E, Southeast","2015 Session I, Late Byzantine - Early Frankish activity in Unit 2, Room 2 and Frankish fill in Unit 2, Room 9","Corinth:Report:Temple E, Southeast 2015 by Danielle Smotherman (2015-04-21 to 2015-04-30)","","Report","Corinth",""
"Temple E, Southeast 2014 by Sarah Rous, Rebecca Worsham (2014-04-06 to 2014-04-25)","","","","","Sarah Rous, Rebecca Worsham; Session I; Temple E Southeast Excavations; N: 1087 N, S: 1075.25 N, E: 129 E, W: 116.5 E; 6–25 April 2014; ; Introduction; ; This is the final summary of the first session of excavation in 2014 in Rooms 6 and 8 N of the church in Unit II in the area of Temple E SE. Room 6 was last excavated in 1996 and recorded in NB 864 (p. 57–119). Room 8 was last excavated in 1995 and recorded in NB 877 (p. 73–198) and 845 (p. 33–75).  In Room 6 excavation was conducted from April 6 to April 23 of 2014, while Room 8 was excavated from April 23 to April 25 of 2014. Guy Sanders (director) and Jody Cundy (field director) supervised, and Sarah Rous and Rebecca Worsham recorded. In Room 6, excavation was carried out exclusively by Sarah Rous and Rebecca Worsham. In Room 8, Athanasios Notis and Panagiotis Stamatis were pickmen, Angeliki Stamati and Hekouran Çoli were shovel(wo)men, and Panagiotis Rontzokos was the barrowman.; ; Excavation in Room 6 was bounded by Wall Context 58 (1076.94–1083.30N, 117.20–118.12E), the W wall of the room, and by Wall Context 59 (1077.48–1084.33N, 119.64–121.55E), the E wall of the room, and its associated robbing trench. The S boundary was effectively a pedestal surrounding the reused Hymettian orthostate at the entrance to the narthex of the church to the S (1076.5N). The N boundary was artificially established at 1082.5 N as the northern extent of Room 6 is as yet unknown. Coordinates for our excavation area are: N at 1082.5 N, S at 1075.25 N, E at 122.5 E, and W at 117.5 E.; ; Excavation in Room 8 was bounded on all sides by walls. At the N was Wall Context 154 (1085.91–1086.65N, 124.04–126.17E) and the abutting Wall 166 (1086.27–1087.30N, 126.20–130.82E). At the E was Wall Context 155 (1079.23–1086.27N, 126.50–128.65E). At the S was Wall Context 156 (1077.50–1078.97N, 123.58–128.40E), and at the W was Wall Context 157 (1078.37–1085.05N, 122.55–124.63E). Coordinates for our excavation area are: N at 1088.00 N, S at 1077.00 N, E at 129.00 E, and W at 121.00 E.; ; We did not excavate in Room 7, between Rooms 6 and 8, at this time. Goals for the excavation season included the clarification of the function and phasing of the rooms N of the church to prepare them for consolidation.; ; Frankish (1210-1458 CE); ; Room 6; ; The earliest level reached in this room is the unexcavated Floor 7 of NB 864, previously exposed beneath NB 864 B62 on the E face of Wall 58. It may also have been revealed in a small area in the southern central portion of Room 6 under our Context 90 (possibly equal to later Floor 6; 1077.93–1078.76N, 119.62–119.93E), which dates to the late 13th to early 14th centuries. Floor 7 must therefore antedate the late 13th–early 14th centuries. Beneath Context 90 the surface was not finely finished, and so it may not be the same as the Floor 7 revealed by earlier excavations. ; ; Grave 2014-02, a child burial, was cut into this surface and filled also in the late 13th to early 14th centuries (Cut Context 125; 1077.96–1078.61N, 118.57–119.79E; Fill Context 71). The grave was a simple pit, 1.23m long, 0.38m wide, and 0.24m deep. The burial was oriented roughly W-E with the W end against Wall Context 58. It contained a fairly well preserved skeleton of a subadult (Skeleton Context 72) in a supine position with the head at the W. In association with the skeleton were a tile supporting the chin and a heavily worn Latin imitative coin (2014-48) made after 1204. This burial was overlying another unexcavated burial of which only the top of the skull and possibly part of another skull were visible at the W end of the grave. No cut was found for this earlier burial, and so it cannot be firmly associated with the chronology of this room. ; ; Apparently a short time after the filling of Grave 2014-02, another overlying burial was made, Grave 1996-5, which certainly truncated the cut of Grave 2014-02 at the W and may also have truncated the face of the skeleton associated with this burial (Context 72). Another infant burial was made to the N along the face of Wall Context 58, Grave 1996-6.  Neither of these graves contained closely datable pottery. All three of these burials were sealed by Floor 6 (NB 864 B62) of the previous excavations of Room 6, which the excavators had dated to the mid-13th c., but which clearly must post-date the fill of Grave 2014-02, which is dated by pottery to the late 13th to early 14th centuries. A probable portion of Floor 6 (Context 90) was dated by pottery to the late 13th–early 14th centuries.; ; Into Floor 6 was cut Grave 1995-2, which truncated the central portion of Grave 2014-02. The tibiae of this later grave seem to have been set almost directly on top of the femur of the earlier grave, indicating the heavily disturbed nature of this area and the extremely high density of burials, and may suggest a botched effort to re-associate disturbed bones with the correct skeleton. No date is given for this burial, but it was covered by a leveling fill (NB 864 B59, 1250s–1260s) for another floor, Floor 5 (NB 864 B56), dated by the excavators to the 1260s to 1270s, though again it must actually date somewhat later.; ; Several burials were then cut into Floor 5, including the previously excavated Graves 1996-1, 1996-2, and 1996-4, as well as Grave 2014-05. Grave 2014-05 was a pit grave (L. 0.65m, W. 0.20m, depth at least 0.14m) containing an infant burial cut into the floor against the E face of Wall Context 58, oriented roughly N-S (Cut Context 165; 1079.50–1080.14N, 118.03–118.37E). Pottery from the fill of this grave (Context 130) was not able to be dated before the end of the first session. The skeleton (Context 54), laid supine with the head at the N, was fairly well preserved and had tiles on each side of its skull, as well as a necklace of red glass beads in situ around its neck (MF 2014-16). ; ; This grave was truncated by the probably roughly contemporary Grave 2014-01, a tile-lined cist (L. 0.48m, W. 0.29m, depth 0.15m)containing the S-N oriented skeleton of a neonate (Context 37). The skeleton was positioned supine, slightly twisted to the right, with the head at the S. The fill of this grave (Context 13) was dated to the mid-13th c. by pottery. A lead disc with a string hole, probably an undecorated lead seal (MF 2014-01), was also found in association with this infant. The burying group was perhaps related to the burying group of Grave 2014-05, as an effort was apparently made not to disturb the bones of the earlier skeleton (Context 54), left in situ below, although the skull is at the same level with this later burial and must have been visible. The infant was then covered over with fragments of the same tile used to line the cut of the grave (Context 128; 1079.54–1079.99N, 118.08–118.44E). These burials were then sealed by Floor 4 (NB 864 B52, B53, and B54), dated by the excavators to the last quarter of the 13th c.; ; No further investigation of this room was conducted during the first session of the 2014 season.; ; Room 8; ; The earliest level reached in Room 8 was an unexcavated surface hardened by foot traffic (under Context 184) with flat-lying sherds, possibly extending across the S portion of the room (unexcavated, under Context 174 and 168). This surface was probably a part of a general fill, onto which a lens of inclusion-rich leveling material (Context 184; 1079.01–1081.51N, 125.99–127.63E) was spread. This construction fill is dated to the third quarter of the 13th c. by pottery. It abuts Wall Context 156 (1077.50–1078.97N, 123.58–128.40E), the S wall of the room, which should then be earlier. Because Wall Context 156 may bond with Wall Context 155, this fill may be related to the construction of both these walls.; ; Following the laying of this fill, the foundation trench of Wall Context 155 (1079.23–1086.27N, 126.50–128.65E), the E wall of the room, was cut into it (Context 182; 1079.24–1081.03N, 127.28–127.86E). Wall 155, the wall dividing Rooms 8 and 9, was then constructed. This wall seems to bond with Wall Context 166 (1086.27–1087.30N, 126.20–130.82E), which forms the N wall of Room 9, at its N end. It may however, also bond with the S wall of the room, Wall Context 156 (which otherwise seems to predate it). The foundation trench of Wall 155 was then filled (Contexts 176 and 177). This fill is dated by pottery to the late 13th–early 14th centuries. In the N preserved section of the foundation trench (Context 176), some disturbance represented by an unexcavated soft fill and a later red, stony deposit excavated in Context 183 (1082.59–1083.72N, 126.61–126.96E) intruded into the foundation trench. The red stony deposit is not closely datable, but contained a coin of 602–604 CE (2014-74) on its interface with the unexcavated level below (possibly the same as Context 181).; ; At the W side of the room, a firm fill including many cobbles was laid along the wall (Wall Context 157; 1078.37–1085.05N, 122.55–124.63E), possibly as a foundation for a bench (Context 175; 1078.93–1081.26N, 124.05–124.80E). A lens of ashy debris—remains of the earlier use of this room?—was laid against this foundation (Context 174; 1079.24–1081.07N, 124.39–125.27E) and contained a bronze weight (MF 2014-4) and a mould for lead seals (MF 2014-15). A more finely finished white clay floor was laid over the entire southern half of the room, excavated in Context 168 (1079.15–1083.27N, 124.90–127.76E).  With this floor was found a small bronze buckle (MF 2014-9). This floor covered the fill of the foundation trenches, and may continue in fugitive patches to the N, excavated in Context 153 (1081.41–1085.81N, 123.50–126.04E), though this context was marked by a much higher density of inclusions. Both of the contexts representing the possible floor are dated to the late 13th to early 14th c.; ; Into the N part of the room, a large pit was cut into this surface (Context 159; 1082.60–1085.07N, 124.30–125.80E). The fill of the pit (Context 162) was dated by pottery to the 14th c. A coin (2014-66, postdating 1204 CE) and a bronze earring with silver and gold plating (MF 2014-17) were recovered from the fill, along with discarded ceramics, bone, and iron. The upper elevations of this fill may have been composed of eroded floor surface.; ; On the S side of the room, some disturbance was caused perhaps by the installation of furniture along the N face of the S Wall 156. The first of these was a strip along the S wall that may represent a bench or perhaps untrodden soil along this wall (Context 151; 1078.93–1079.02N, 125.42–126.83E), similar in dimensions to the earlier bench excavated in Context 175. This context was dated to the late 13th c. by pottery, and contained a coin dating to after 1204 CE (2014-63). Both of these possible benches were later disturbed by a circular deposit, perhaps also representing furniture, in the SW corner of the room (Context 150; 1078.73–1079.15N, 124.65–125.39).; ; The so-called Frankish floor of the earlier excavations was found across the full length of this room as a well-preserved light clay floor. This was excavated in Context 140 (1078.58–1086.12N, 123.07–127.84E), though after years of exposure it was no longer recognizable as a floor. Within the make-up of this surface were deposited a number of significant finds, including a bone die (MF 2014-6) and a bronze weight (MF 2014-5) similar to that found with the ashy deposit against the bench (Context 174, MF 2014-4). Additionally, two coins (2014-59 and 2014-60) were recovered, both dating to the Byzantine period, the first to after 1204 and the second to 1143–1152 CE. The floor itself was dated by pottery to the 14th c.; ; The N wall, Wall Context 154 (1085.91–1086.65N, 124.04–126.17E), seems to have been laid on this surface, perhaps indicated by a lens of sandy clay directly beneath it that may be the ""Frankish floor."" The wall is therefore built without a foundation, directly on the surface of the room. It abuts Wall Context 166, the N wall of Room 9, and closing off Room 8 on the same line.; ; Following this, the room was abandoned, and tile fall (a small portion excavated in Context 149; 1079.04–1079.84N, 127.29–127.76E) covered the whole room (NB 877 B91, B92, B114, B149, B150, B167, Lots 1995-14 and 1995-16). This fall (nerk) has been dated to the late 13th–early 14th c. by pottery, and to ca. 1300 CE by the previous excavators. If the floor is 14th c., it must be later.; ; ; Conclusion; It is likely that the bottoms of the two sections of the foundation trench (Context 176 and 177) have not yet been reached. Context 181 was only partially excavated out of sequence and its relationship to the surrounding features should be established.; ; Recommendations for Future Excavation:; ; Room 6; 1. Finish removal of the skeleton Context 54 in Grave 2014-05. Finish removing the fill (Context 130) to the bottom of the cut (Context 165). Elevations must be taken beneath the skull and at the bottom of the cut. Read pottery. Take sample up to flotation.; ; Room 8; 1. The soft, dark soil surrounding and possibly interrupting  the foundation trench (Contexts 182 and 176) in the NE part of the room should be removed in order to continue the excavation of the foundation trench and because it seems to be the latest deposit in this area of the room.; ; 2. Clean the intersections of Walls 155 and 156 and 156 and 157 to see how these walls are bonded and abutting. The foundation trench for Wall 157 should be near the current excavated level.; ; 3. In the scarp on the N side under Wall 154, the grey clay floor visible in the sides of the cut Context 159 is clearly visible and apparently running under Wall Context 166. If it is going under this wall, how is it related to the foundation trench of Wall Context 155 at its N preserved section?; ; 4. Explore the interfaces of the red, pebbly soil along the S part of the room. A similar soil is visible in the center of the room under Context 184 (at the NW of this context) and at the N of the unexcavated area under Context 174.","","Corinthia | Ancient Corinth | Central Area | Temple E, Temenos | Temple E, Southeast","Unit II, Room 6 and Room 8, Session I","Corinth:Report:Temple E, Southeast 2014 by Sarah Rous, Rebecca Worsham (2014-04-06 to 2014-04-25)","","Report","Corinth",""
"Temple E, Southeast 2016 by Kaitlyn Stiles (2016-05-04 to 2016-06-25)","","","","","Introduction: ; ; This is the finalreport of the second and third sessions for the excavation of the interior of the church in Unit 2 of the Frankish Quarter of the Temple E, southeast area. Guy Sanders (Director) and Danielle Smotherman (Field Director) supervised. Kaitlyn Stiles was the area supervisor and contributed as pickwoman when possible alongside AngelikiStamati (shovel and sieve), Sula Anastasopoulou (shovel and sieve) and KostasArberores (pickman).; ; The excavation area was bounded in the north by the north wall of the church (Wall 20, 1075.11 – 1074.52 N, 129.51-122.06 E), to the east by the east wall of church comprised of three sections, including two straight sections and an apse (North section: Wall 925, 1075.65-1073.90 N, 130.40-129.75 E; Apse: Wall 926, 1073.95-1070.7N, 131.70-129.70; South section: Wall 927, 1070.30-1068.95N, 131.05-120.5E), to the south by the south wall of the church (Wall 929, 1069.00-1067.6 N, 131.15-123.25E), and to the west by the west wall of the church (Wall 21, 1074.44-1067.99 N, 123.52-121.98 E) and the later threshold (Structure 22, 1072.09-1070.55 N, 123.31-122.25 W) built into Wall 21. ; ; The nave of the church was previously excavated in 1990 (NB 831, 835) down to a cement subfloor. The 2014 field season continued excavation in the NW quadrant of the church during which time portions of the narthex and nave were recorded down to the Frankish period (A.D. 1210-1458) revealing the bench-like structure (302) aligned with Wall 21 north of the later threshold (Structure 22), which was dated to the early 14th century. The excavations also recovered a large amount of human skeletal material which was common in the fills used in the late 13th and early 14th century phases of the church. Excavation was not continued within the church in the 2015 season, but was concentrated in Corridor North and Rooms 3, 6 – 9 in Unit 2. ; ; The 2016 Sessions II and III field work resumed the excavation of the interior of the church,primarily focusing on the eastern two-thirds covering the north and south aisles, the nave, and the transept. The subfloor revealed by the 1990 season and excavated in the NW quadrant of the church was completely removed from the nave, the transept, and the SE corner of the church. In Session IIwe worked toward understanding relationships of the surface under the cement floor with joining areas containing overlapping fill deposits and grave cuts throughout the entire interior of the church. Numerous fill deposits associated with various stages of flooring and floor repair, a threshold structure (Structure 924), and six graves (2016-01, 2016-02, 2016-03, 2016-04, 2016-05, 2016-06) were excavated during Session II. In Session III, we continued excavation in the church, but focused primarily on the south aisle. Mostly burials were excavated including three large graves (2016-07, 2016-08, 2016-09), which each contained a complicated series of burials.; ; The overarching purpose for excavating the church area at this time was to bring down the level of the interior church to a period consistent with the rest of the Frankish area so that it can be preserved and opened to the public. Because the church was used as a burial ground throughout many phases, one of the main goals of these sessions was to understand the chronological sequence of burials in relation to the use of the church as well as record information pertaining to grave usage and burial practices. ; ; Frankish Period (1210-1458); ; Grave 2016-09; ; Grave 2016-09 (Cut 1023, 1068.95-1068.40 N, 126.60-124.05E, filled by Deposits 1020 and 1024, Structure 1016, and Skeleton Contexts 1022, 1025, and 1027) is located in the southwest quadrant of the church, parallel to Grave 1990-40 on its south side, and truncated by Grave 2016-08 on its east side. This grave was discovered during the course of excavating Grave 2016-08 in which the eastern portion of the tile covering (Structure 1016) within Grave 2016-09 was found. Grave 2016-09 contained the remains of at least 3 individuals represented by one primary inhumation (Context 1025), and a jumble of bones (Context 1027). This grave evidently cuts an as yet unexcavated grave directly to the north as a cranium (Context 1022) was found essentially within the cut (1023) for the grave, indicating the burial of another individual beneath or beside it. The primary inhumation (1025) of Grave 2016-09 was enclosed by a covering (Structure 1016, L 1.69 x W 0.52 x D 0.11) made of ceramic and marble tiles, which also lined the north side of the grave. The original burial and burials prior to the inhumation of Skeleton 1025 are represented by the bone jumble (Context 1027) exposed beneath and to the south side of Skeleton 1025. These remains were stacked on the south side of the jumble and beneath the lower limbs of the inhumation. Very few bones were found directly on top of the primary inhumation (Skeleton 1025), including both in the fills above (Context 1020) and below (Context 1024) the covering (1016). One disarticulated infant femur was found under the covering, but on top of the inhumation. This bone indicates that the grave may have also been used for infant burials in addition to adult burials.; ; The primary inhumation (1025) was that of an elderly woman, oriented W-E, laid supine with her head elevated facing east and turned slightly to the south. The head was framed by a worked stone to the north and tiles to the west and south. The mandible was likely supported by a rock, which later fell out of place and came to rest on the sternum. The shoulders were elevated and the humeri drawn in so that they rested directly against the anterior-lateral aspects of the rib cage. The forearms were bent at the elbow and crossed over the chest with the left forearm over the right. The legs were straight but positioned so that the knees and ankles were almost touching. The femora were rotated medially toward one another. The arrangement of the arms and legs suggests that this woman was tightly wrapped in something like a shroud at the time of burial. The shroud may have caused her spinal column to contract in the burial as there was a noticeable curve in the spine to the north in the thoracic vertebrae around T6. An examination of the bones will provide more information about whether this was a result of positioning or reflected the spinal column in life. The left hand was found disarticulated around the midshaft of the right humerus, which suggests that the hand was held against the body when the shroud was still in place, but likely fell apart as the body decomposed. The shroud likely also prevented bones from the jumble from becoming interspersed within the inhumation.; ; The date of the most recent use of Grave 2016-09 is in the late 13th century or later based on the pottery from the fills both above (1020) and below (1024) the tile covering (1016). Finds from this burial included an iron ring (MF-2016-62) found still around a proximal phalanx of the left hand, which was wedged against the north side of the grave. There was one small piece of lapis lacedaimoniusthat may have come from a floor disturbed in the process of burial, possibly that represented by a subfloor (Context 1029) apparent along the south wall of the church (Wall 929). The single coin (Coin 2016-170) from the grave dates from 1143 to 1180 AD. A six-pointed iron spur or decorative star was found in the fill (Context 1020) above the cover tile (Context 1016), which may have been from a previous burial and was re-deposited in the fill for subsequent burials.The grave is cut by Grave 2016-08 (Cut 1009), which dates to the 15th century or later.; ; Grave 2016-03; ; Grave 2016-03 (Cuts 144 and 146, 1074.85-1074.05 N, 127.5-125.5 E) lies south of Wall 20, in the middle of the north aisle. It was parallel to Grave 2016-02on its north side and nearly forms a 90-degree angle to the east with Grave 2014-06. This grave was both a cist and a pit grave used for multiple interments, which were split into two distinct use phases. Phase I, represented by Cut 944, was cut by Phase II, represented by Cut 946. Both phases of burials are oriented W-E and are inline or within a stone lining (Structure 950). However, the stone lining (Structure 950) was disturbed during or prior to the burial of the primary inhumation (Skeleton 961) of Phase I. Structure 950 (L 0.82 x W 0.66 x D 0.24)is represented by one rectangular stone block on the north side and two rectangular stone blocks with a medium cobble between them on the south side. The stones run parallel to one another about 0.41m apart.; ; The Phase I burials are located on the west side of the grave(1074.85-1073.80 N, 126.20-125.05). They are represented by loose bones found in the fills (Contexts 958, 969, and 962), one distinct bone pile (Context 959), and one primary inhumation (Skeleton 961). The skeletal material in the fill contexts and bone pile are the remains of individuals buried in the grave prior to the burial of the articulated primary inhumation. The bone pile (Context 959) consisted of long bones placed over and to the side of a mostly intact cranium, which were all located on the south side of the burial. A small part of the cranium was under the tile covering (Structure 960) of the primary inhumation, but the height of the other bones in the pile above the tile covering indicate that the cranium may not have been intentionally placed under the tile but settled there over time. The loose bone in the fills located above (Contexts 958, 969) and below (Context 962) reinforce the picture of multiple burial as previous burials were cleared and then later placed on top of the primary burial or included with the fill of the burial.; ; The primary inhumation (961) represents the last burial before the location of the Phase I burials in the grave was forgotten. This inhumation was truncated by Grave 2014-06 (Cut 137) on the south side and by the Phase II burial activity (Cut 946) on the east side. The skeleton was essentially divided in half with the upper half of the skeleton preserved from the ribs to the cranium in the west end of Grave 2016-03. This portion of the skeleton was mostly articulated and in situ. The individual was covered by a concave ceramic tile (Structure 960), which was damaged by the truncation of Phase II burials and later by Grave 2014-06.Many tile fragments were found lying directly east of the tile covering within Cut 946 and were used to cover the head of the primary inhumation (Skeleton 956) of Phase II. The individual (Skeleton 961) was laid in a supine position with the arms drawn tightly toward the sternum and the elbows bent at acute angles placing the left hand close to the right side of the head and the right hand close to the left armpit. The articulated right hand was exposed with the fingers curled and one phalanx bearing an iron ring (MF-2016-32) in the excavation of the fill to the north (right) of the inhumation (Context 969). Another iron ring (MF-2016-31) was found over the left shoulder in the course of excavation. The position of the arms, shoulders, and hands indicates that the shoulders were constricted by something like a shroud, a coffin, or the pit prepared for the inhumation. The head was elevated and a medium size rock was located on its left side. There may have been a stone on the other side of the head but was excavated from truncating Grave 2014-06. This would have acted as the other “cheek piece” to hold the head in place. There was a larger rock and a large tile fragment laying on the lower half of the right rib cage. Upon removal of the rock, it was evident that the right ribs were disturbed. The sternal body had also been disarticulated to the south (right) side of the body and rotated so that it was oriented in the opposite direction (E-W instead of W-E). Disarticulated remains of other burials including a skull fragment, an extra right radius, and vertebrae were laid on the lower right ribs under the rock. Because this inhumation was truncated on the south side by Grave 2014-06, it is likely that some of the remains from this section of Grave 2016-03 were included in the fill of Grave 2014-06.; ; The fills (Contexts 958, 962, 969) of the Phase I burial have been dated by pottery and stratigraphy to the 14th century. They did not contain any grave goods other than the two iron rings (MF-2016-31, MF-2016-32) which date to the first half of the 11th century based on comparanda in Corinth 12 (Davidson 1952). Other small finds included one piece of coral, glass vessel fragments, and one iron nail.; ; The Phase II burials were designated by Cut 946 which truncated the Phase I burials. This burial phase involved at leastsix burials including one primary inhumation (Contexts 943, 945, 952, and 956). As with Phase I, many disarticulated bones were found in the fill (Context 943) and there was a distinct bone pile (Context 945). There was also a layer of bones (Context 952) laid on the legs and lower torso of the primary inhumation (956). The layer and other miscellaneous bones found in Fill 943 contained elements from every part of the body suggesting that the individuals represented by them occupied the tomb prior to the primary inhumation (Skeleton 956). They would have beenexhumed to provide spacefor the new primary burial and re-deposited with or, likely, before the soil was replaced. It is not possible at this time to determine which bones belonged to the originally inhumed individual as the Skeletal Layer (952) consists of at least four individuals including three adults and one juvenile based on the presence of three right adult femora and one unfused juvenile tibia. ; ; The bone layer (Context 952) was overlaid by another bone pile (Context 945),which was located in the upper levels of the fill (Context 943). It is difficult to say when this bone pile (Skeleton 945) was deposited relative to the skeletal layer (Context 952) as the soil of fill 943 was fairly consistent throughout the deposit (dark, reddish brown with frequent red clay lumps). However, the bone pile (Context 945) was located on top of the most eastern stone of Structure 950 and seemed to be lying directly upon Cut 946. Cut 946 was likely started at the same place as Cut 944, but once the diggers hit the stone lining (Structure 950), they angled the cut inward. It is unclear why the bone pile (Context 945) would have been placed higher in the fill on top of one of the cist stones.It may be due to how the grave was filled in after the placement of the primary inhumation (Skeleton 956).; ; The primary inhumation (Skeleton 956) consists of a probable male adult, age at death to be determined, who was laid in the grave in asupine position,oriented W-E with arms crossed over thechest at the lower sternum, right arm over left, with the right hand moderately curled. The shoulders were drawn in toward the spinal column, the elbows were elevated, and the head was raised and framed by broken tiles on either side of the face, over the face, and on top of the head.The constricted position of the shoulders suggests that this individual may have been buried in a shroud, though less tightly wrapped than Skeleton 961.The broken tiles are similar to the tile covering (Structure 960) over the inhumation of Phase I; thus, it is probable that these tiles were broken in the course of creating the Phase II burials and reused as a head covering in this case. A rock was removed from beneath the mandible, but it is unclear whether it was used to prop the head up from the chest. The legs were straight, and the right foot was laid out on the plantar surface, but the left foot had fallen to the left side (north) slightly. It is apparent that the cist tomb (Structure 950) was not originally built for this individual since the right upper arm is positioned where the next stone block of the cist tomb would have been located on the northwest side of the tomb. Thus, part of the stone lining of the cist was either removed for this burial or had been removed prior for another inhumation. This was supported by the Phase I burials lacking any cist stone lining on the west side of the grave.; ; Fill 943 contained pottery, many glass vessel fragments, coins, and a number of iron nails (4 complete, 17 fragments).The pottery has been dated to the 14th century, which is consistent with the overlying strata (Contexts 923, 915, and 914) which also date to the Frankish period. Three coins were discovered in the sieve (Coins 2016-138, 2016-139, and 2016-142). Coin 2016-139 dates to the Roman Imperial period and was minted between AD 341-346 under Constantius II. Coin 2016-142 is also from the Roman Imperial period, dating to the 4th century. Coin 2016-138 is of W. Villehardouin (1246-1278 A.D.), whichcorroborates Frankish dates provided by the pottery. The iron nails may indicate the presence of a coffin in one or more of the burial events of Phase II.One silver-plated bronze earring (MF-2016-27) was found in fill 943, which looks almost identical to an earring (MF-2016-28) found in fill 923 directly above Grave 2016-03.; ; Grave 2016-06; ; Grave 2016-06 (Cut 978, 1074.10-1073.50 N, 124.95-124.05 E, filled by Context 976, Structure 979, Skeleton Contexts 977 and 981) was a pit grave andwas positioned in line with Grave 2016-03 to the west and parallel with NW Pier Base (Structure 23).It appears to have been created after Grave 2016-03 based on its placement rather close to the west extent of Grave 2016-03. Like Grave 2016-03, Grave 2016-06 was also cut by Grave 2014-06, making it earlier than 2014-06, but later than Grave 2016-03. The grave contained two individuals, both infants. The original burial (Skeleton 977) was oriented W-E, with the cranium in the west end, supported by two small rocks on either side of the head. Only the cranium, the left scapula, right fibula, and potentially left foot phalanges were still in situ beneath the later inhumation (Skeleton 981). These elements indicate a supine body position. The remaining elements were disarticulated and primarily placed on the sides of the grave, with the majority being on the south side. The primary inhumation (Skeleton 981) was fully articulated and supine. The head was elevated,slightly turned to the north, and supported on the north side by a medium sized rock and on the south side by a large tile fragment. The apex of the crown was covered by a stone tile (Structure 979, L 0.27 x W 0.145 x D 0.05). The arms were bent at the elbow and crossed over the chest, right over left, directly below the sternum. The legs were laid out straight with the left foot flexed resting against the east wall of the cut. The age of the primary inhumation (Skeleton 981) is around 1 year of age based on in situmaximum femoral length. The originally buried individual (Skeleton 977) is a little older, possibly 18 months to 2 years old, based on comparative fibula lengths.; ; The fill of Grave 2016-06 contained only pottery and one small glass fragment. The pottery (2 sgraffito IV fragments) dates the grave to the 14th century, which is consistent with the relative chronology of Graves 2014-06 and 2016-03. The excavation of the bottom of the grave revealed a stone block very similar to those making up the cist lining of Grave 2016-03 (Structure 250). The block is in line with the south side of the cist lining and may be associated with it.; ; Grave 2016-04; ; Grave 2016-04 (Cut 965, 1073.50-1073.15 N, 126.85-126.10 E, filled by Context 963 and Skeleton 964) wasan oval pit grave placed in the central area of the nave to the south of Grave 2016-03 and to the east of Grave 2014-06, oriented W-E. The grave contained a single primary inhumation of an infant, around 1-year-old based on estimated maximum femoral length. The skeleton was supine, the head was elevated, and the arms were crossed over the chest, right over left, just below the sternum. The bones were in poor condition and the cranium fairly fragmentary. The grave cuts into an as yet unexcavated fill level. However, it lies beneath the concrete subfloor (Context 909) and its leveling fill (Context 918), which date to the 14th century. The pottery from the burial provides an 11th century date. However, based on its stratigraphy and the similar top elevation of Grave 2014-06, this burial likely dates to the Frankish period. The fill (963) contained a few glass vessel fragments, iron nails, and an iron needle. There were not enough iron nails to suggest a coffin, so it is possible these nails were brought in with soil from elsewhere.; ; Grave 2016-02; ; Grave 2016-02 (Cut 933, 1074.90-1074.65 N, 127.2-126.85 E, filled by Context 932) was cut into a surface abutting the robbing trenchon top of Wall 20. Only a quarter of the burial remained intact with the spine of the skeleton (Skeleton 934) protruding from the scarp wall. The proximity of the cut and burial to Wall 20 suggests that the wall may have served as the northern boundary of the burial pit. The cut (Context 933) of the burial suggests an oval shape, but it was truncated on the north and east sides by the robbing trench over Wall 20. The presence of human perinatal bones in Fill 932 also suggests that the grave may have been used for more than one interment. ; ; If the grave was used for more than one interment, the original burial was for a younger juvenile, likely perinatal (less than 1-year-old) based on the size of rib fragments and a scapula. The primary burial excavated from the grave consisted of the upper right side of the body. The cranium and most of the cervical vertebrae were missing as were all the lumbar vertebrae and at least a quarter of the thoracic vertebrae. The individual was placed in a supine position-oriented W-E with the right arm bent at the elbow over what would have been the pelvic region. The elbow was elevated due to its resting on a stone which was part of the stone lined cist Grave 2016-03 directly south of this burial. The upper ribs had collapsed on top of the lower ribs. Based on the size of the bones and epiphyseal fusion pattern, this individual was a child at the age of death (2-3 years old, based on estimated maximum length of the right humerus).; ; Kennedy and Cundy(2014) identified this grave while cleaning the south scarp of the robbing trench (Context 524) and suggested that it might be associated with a silver gilded bronze pendant (MF-2014-56) collected during this cleaning. None of the material culture collected during the excavation of the burial could confirm this suggestion. The fill (Context 932) containing the skeleton included very little pottery, a few small pieces of glass, a moderate amount of charcoal, and large chunks of hard, whiteish inclusions similar to the material from the cement subfloor cleared as Deposit 909. This presence of cement chunks suggests that the cut of the burial went through the cement subfloor. The cement subfloor (47)from the previously excavated portion of the nave was dated to the 14th century, which indicates that Grave 2016-02 may also date to the 14th century or later.; ; Disturbed Grave 2016-01; ; Grave 2016-01 (Cut 916, 1074.90-1074.2 N, 127.10.-126.30 E) was located directly on top of Grave 2016-03 next to Wall 20. It was extremely truncated by a leveling fill layer (Deposit 914). Cut 916 was quite shallow and contained the scattered remains of at least one adult and one juvenile, designated Skeleton 917. An unfused occipital was laid with the foramen magnum oriented up against the SE corner of the cut. The shape of the cut appeared to be oval, but it may have been more rectangular and extended toward Wall 20. The small size of the cut, even if it extended to Wall 20 indicates the grave was dug for a juvenile individual. The overlying fill (Context 914) contained a notable amount of human bone material, including unfused juvenile osacoxae, which was widely dispersed and not gathered in piles or a uniform layer as in Graves 2016-03, 2016-05, and 2016-06. This suggests that leveling activities that resulted in the fill of Context 914 destroyed most of Grave 2016-01, which also destroyed the primary inhumation. The skeletal material was then mixed with the dirt used for the fill level. The fill (Context 915) of Grave 2016-01 contained pottery dating to the 14th century. The pottery and Coin 2016-132 found in the fill above (Context 914) date to the late 13th or 14th century. It is much higher than Graves 2016-07 and 2016-08, but was disturbed by the implementation of the Cosmati-style floor (likely 15th c.) Therefore, the date of Grave 2016-01 is likely in the 14th century.; ; 15th Century ; ; Grave 2016-08; ; Grave 2016-08 (Cut 1009, 1069.30-1068.20 N, 128.30-124.90 E, filled by Deposits 1003, 1004, 1013, and 1015, Skeleton Contexts 1005, 1006, 1011, and 1012, contains Cut 1014) is located in the middle of the south aisle, against Wall 929, and parallel to and cut by Grave 2016-07. The designation of the burials contained by Cuts 1009 and 1014 as Grave 2016-08 is perhaps misleading as the area contained by Cut 1009 likely represents the outer limits of multiple grave cuts that could not be distinguished in the soil at the time of excavation due to repetitive use of the soil for burials within a short period of time. However, as that is what could be recognized, the burials contained in the limits have been defined as belonging to Grave 2016-08. Differences in elevations do allow some discussion of the sequence of burials. At least five individuals were contained in Grave 2016-08, represented by two disarticulated skulls (Skeleton 1005), two partial primary inhumations (Skeleton Contexts 1006 and 1011), and the majority of a third primary inhumation (Skeleton 1012) contained by Cut 1014.; ; Skeleton 1012 is the earliest burial contained within Grave 2016-08. The cut associated with it is Cut 1012, which is within the larger Cut 1009. Cut 993 from Grave 2016-07 truncates the north side of Cut 1012, which mayhave resulted in the cranium associated with Skeleton 1012 having been disturbed by the digging of Grave 2016-07.  As such, the skull of Skeleton 1012 may be with the bone jumble(Skeleton Context 992) of Grave 2016-07. The inhumation (Skeleton 1012) is oriented W-E and consists of the right torso including ribs and some cervical vertebrae but missing the remaining spinal column. The mandible lay more or less on the present cervical vertebrae near a tile that may have been used to prop the head up. The body is not centered within the reconstructed dimensions of the cut, but rather appeared to be set against the north side of the burial space. The trunk was slightly twisted to the south, which caused the lower limbs to also twist to the south, with the left femur and knee at a higher elevation than the right and the left metatarsals and phalanges nestled in the arch of the right foot. The arms were crossed over the chest with the right forearm crossed over the left, but the left hand had somehow bent backwards so that it rested on the dorsal aspect rather than the palmeraspect, which would be expected given the position of the arms. This positioning of the left hand and the relatively constrained position of the body suggests that the individual was wrapped in a shroud at the time of burial. As with many of the other burials in this church, there was a scattering of disarticulated bones in the fill (Context 1004) above Skeleton 1012 including a mandible over the right pelvis.; ; The next burial within Grave 2016-08 was Skeleton 1006, which consists only of the articulated legs and feet of a child. The remains lay above Skeleton 1012, ca. 1.00m from the east edge of Cut 1009, at about the mid-point of Skeleton 1012. The legs were straight with the feet resting on the plantar aspect. The legs were truncated directly below the proximal epiphyses on both the tibiae and fibulae. This truncation was most probably from the construction of Grave 1990-22, which was described as an ossuary in the 1990 field season Notebook 829 in Basket 68. The excavation of the mixed deposits (Contexts 983 and 984) over Grave 2016-07 and Grave 2016-08 included soil from in Grave 1990-22 and produced a number of disarticulated bones from the pit that remained after its excavation. ; ; Grave 1990-22 also truncated Skeleton Contexts 1005 and 1011, which rested at a higher elevation than Skeleton 1005 and thus represent the latest burials within Grave 2016-09. Skeleton Context 1005 consisted of two child crania. These were positioned on either side of a third cranium (Skeleton 1011), which was articulated with some cervical vertebrae, the right clavicle, and Ribs 1-4. The two crania from Skeleton Context 1005 represent two earlier burials in the same space as Skeleton 1011. The crania were high in the most western portion of Grave 2016-08. The truncation of the burial by Grave 1990-22 and root action caused the loss of the lower portion of Skeleton 1011 and any other disarticulated bones that would have been associated with the crania of Context 1005. These burials were directly over the eastern portion of Grave 2016-09 and may have truncated the upper fill of Grave 2016-09 in that area.; ; While all of these burials occurred at different times, they all appear to have been dug through a concrete subfloor (Context 1029; L: 1.86m, W: 0.23m, D: 0.07m) that was exposed at the bottom of fill 1003. The south edge of Cut 1009 clearly cut through this concrete subfloor which is apparent along the middle of Wall 929. The concrete subfloor continues along Wall 929 to the west and was also cut by Grave 2016-09. As this subfloor might belong with the original use of this church, it provides information about the use of the church for burials. The fill (Context 1004) for Grave 2016-08 dates to the 15th century AD based on the pottery representation. Coin2016-166 from this fill dates to the Frankish period, being of William de la Roche and in circulation between 1280 and 1308, which provides a firm terminus post quem within the Frankish period. The other coins (2016-164, -167, and -168) from the context date primarily to the Roman Imperial period with one (Coin 2016-165) dating to the early 3rd century BC. This prevalence of old coins indicates that the fill of these burials was highly mixed and in use over a long period of time. The data from the pottery and the coins of Grave 2016-08 indicate that these burials date to the 15th century AD. However, it may be that the earliest burial, Skeleton 1012, is earlier than this based on its depth in the burial and the lack of a firmly associated fill.; ; ; ; Grave 2016-07; ; Grave 2016-07 (Cut 993, 1070.00-1068.90 N, 128.1-125.65 E, filled by Deposits 989 and 997, Skeleton Contexts 991, 992, 994, and 996; Cut 1000, 1070.00-1069.15 N, 128.00-126.05 E, filled by Skeleton Context 998) is located in the middle section on the north side of the south aisle of the church. This grave was used for at least six burials including one full primary inhumation (Skeleton 994), an articulated left foot with an associated fibula (Skeleton 992), a pile of bones (Skeleton 996), a disarticulated bone jumble (992), and articulated remains of two individuals (Skeleton 998). The order of these burials is complicated, but the presence of articulated remains provides a good place to begin understanding the sequence of events. Due to the number of burial events in this location, Cut 993 likely represents a series of cuts that enlarged the overall grave. The earliest of these burials (Skeleton 998) is within cut (1000) that was truncated by the burials on top of it within Grave 2016-07, contained by Cut 993.; ; The first series of burial events of the grave is represented by Skeleton 998, which consisted of a partially articulated spinal column associated with ribs, a left scapula and a left humerus. The lower portion of the spinal column had shifted south, which disturbed the ribs from that portion. The cervical vertebrae of the spine were resting on top of a curved ceramic tile with thick grooves running parallel. The skeleton was oriented with the cervical (neck) vertebrae in the west and proceeded to the east. This torso had been placed on top of the remains of another burial represented by a right scapula and both humeri. The left humerus was located directly beneath the left humerus of the articulated torso. Therefore, these lower remains probably represent the earliest burial in Grave 2016-07. These or the overlying remains are also likely associated with an articulated right foot found within Cut 1000 at the east end. The small size of the earlier remains suggests a female individual. The laterremains on top of these are more robust and may represent a male individual. These two individuals were contained in Cut 1000. Cut 1000 was defined on its north side by Structure 1002, which is a stone lining along the north edge of Grave 2016-07. However, it is unlikely that Cut 1000 was originally cut for this stone lining nor was Cut 993 (discussed below); neither of which extended beyond the northern limits of the lining.; ; The second series of burial events is represented by Skeleton Contexts 991, 992, 994, and 996, contained by Cut 993.The north side of the grave is partly defined by the stone lining structure 1002. The earliest burials are likely represented by the bones making up Skeleton Context 992, which was a jumble of bones along the east and south sides of the grave. The jumble contained at least three skulls, a number of long bones, and miscellaneous smaller elements. These bones were not as carefully placed on top of the inhumation as in other cases (such as in Grave 2016-03) but were mixed with broken tiles and not laying parallel with the W-E orientation of the primary inhumation (994). Skeleton Context 996, which included a pair of articulated feet and a cranium, represents the next burial event. These remains were found beneath the feet of the primary inhumation (994). The cranium may not be associated with this pair of feet, but it is possible. Skeleton Context 991, consisting of an articulated left foot and fibula, represents a burial that was truncated by the burial of individuals in the same space as Skeletons 992, 996, and 994. It appears to have been a much shallower burial than the other burial events. Within the west end of the bone jumble (992), excavation exposed an object made of small iron balls (pea-size) with short spikes, likely for linking them together. The material and potential reconstruction of the object indicates that it might be a belt.; ; Finally, the primary inhumation (994), was a fully articulated adult, possibly male, individual who was oriented W-E, supine with the head turned slightly to the north. The arms were bent moderately at the elbow with the hands over the pelvis. The shoulders appear to be constricted with the distal ends of the clavicles drawn superiorly and medially. The right forearm was over the left forearm with the right hand resting on the pelvis extended toward the head of the left femur. The left hand was under the right forearm. The legs were straight with the feet flexed, side by side. Three items were excavated with the inhumation including a bone spool (MF-2016-53) found near the left hip and two iron boot heel cleats (MF-2016-71A, MF-2016-71B). The cleats were found in situ essentially on the heels of Skeleton 994, which indicates that they were buried on the individual. ; ; Although the main cut for this grave was not made clear until after the excavation of two fills; (Contexts 983 and 984), the relationship of the grave cut(993) with Cut 985(filled by Deposit984) suggests that Cut 993 began at the level of Cut 985, truncating fill (Context 987) used in the remodeling of the interior church near the end of the Frankish period. The pottery of fill 989 provides a date of the late 14th or early 15th century AD for the burial of inhumation 994. Because Cut 993 truncates the cut(1009) adjacent to Grave 2016-08, which dates to the 15th century based on pottery in its fill (1004), the date for this Grave is the 15th century or later. Coins (2016-155, -157, -159, -160) from fill context 989 are mostly from the Roman Imperial period, but Coin 2016-156 dates to the early Frankish period (1204-1261). The presence of so many old coins indicates that the soil making up this grave fill had been re-deposited a number of times. As in Grave 2016-08, the earliest burials from Grave 2016-07 may date earlier than the 15th century based on their depth in the grave and their association with a different cut (Cut 1000).; ; Post-Medieval Period (Turkish I [1458-1680]); ; Double Burial Grave 2016-05; ; Grave 2016-05 (Cut 968, 1069.50-1069.00 N, 129.90-128.90 E, filled by Contexts 966 and 973, Coffins 972 and 975, and Skeletons 967, 970, and 974) is located in the southeast corner of the church, enclosed by Wall 930, Wall 927, and Wall 929. Wall 929 serves as the southern border of the cut (Context 968). This grave was used for at least three separate juvenile burials (Skeletons 967, 970, and 974). However, it presents a unique case among the graves found in the church thus far as two of the burials were seemingly contemporaneous (Skeletons 970 and 974) in coffins situated side by side in the same cut (Context 968). It is also possible that the individuals died around the same time and the grave was enlarged to accommodate the second individual. ; ; The burial on the north side of the grave (Coffin 972, Skeletons 967 and 970, overlaid by fill 966) contained the remains of a single primary inhumation (Skeleton 970) overlaid by a disarticulated layer of skeletal material (Skeleton 967). The layer of bone (Context 967) consisted of juvenile bones including a fairly intact skull, a number of long bones, ribs, and vertebrae. These bones (Context 967) were situated directly on top of the primary inhumation (Skeleton 970), primarily on the eastern half below the distal end of the femora, with the disarticulated skull sitting just beyond the feet of Skeleton 970. The lines of the coffin (972) became clear as the bone layer (Context 967) and the inhumation (Skeleton 970) were exposed. They were further attested by in situ iron nails positioned along the west, south, and east sides of the inhumation in clear lines. The disarticulated bone layer appears to be confined to the limits of the coffin, which suggests they were placed in the coffin on top of the body. The individual inhumed within the coffin (Skeleton 970) was an infant (ca. 1-year-old based on estimated maximum femoral length), oriented W-E, andlaid in a supine position with a slight twist to the right side (south). The head was turned toward the south on its right side. The arms were bent at the elbow with the hands over the abdomen, right arm over left. The legs were slightly bent at the knee and the feet had fallen to either side to the north and south. The coffin (972) appeared to be too large for the individual as the skeleton only occupied about two-thirds of the coffin space, providing ample space for the disarticulated skeletal material at the east end of the coffin.; ; The burial on the south side of the grave (Coffin 974, Skeleton 974, overlaid by fill 973) was discovered in the course of excavating the northern burial. The presence of another coffin (Coffin 975) was attested by two nails in the SE corner of the northern burial pointed in opposite directions, one to the north and one to the south. It became apparent that the southern nail belonged to a coffin that had been positioned parallel to and flush against the south side of coffin 972. The southern coffin (Context 974) fit snugly between Wall 929 on its southern side and Coffin 972 on its northern side. A series of nails in a line along Wall 929 confirmed the presence of Coffin 975. Coffins 972 and 965 were almost identical in size despite the difference in the size of the children. The inhumation (Skeleton 974) in Coffin 975 was a child(ca. 2.5-3 years old based on estimated maximum femoral length), oriented W-E, and laid in a supine position with the head turned to the south on the right side. The left arm was bent at the elbow and crossed over the chest with the hand over the sternum, but the ulna (part of the forearm) was displaced. The upper right arm was articulated at the right side, but the ulna and radius had been displaced inferiorly and did not appear to be in anatomical position. It is unclear what may have caused these odd displacements. The soil around and filling this grave exhibited a significant amount of root activity, which may have contributed to displacing some elements of the inhumation. The legs are both slightly bent at the knee and turned outwards with the feet turned out as well. Only a few disarticulated remains were found in the vicinity of this inhumation, which contrasts with the bone layer (Context 967) found with skeleton 970.; ; The fills for these inhumations (Contexts 966 and 973) are from the same burial event and were thus considered together for dating and find interpretations. There were no significant finds in the fill, but the pottery provides a Middle Byzantine date. Alternatively, Context 957, located directly above Grave 2016-05, contained a number of iron nails that were likely used for the top portions of Coffins 972 and 975, which means that at least some of the fill belongs to Grave 2016-05. The fill above Grave 2016-05 (Context 957) contained three coins (2016-143, 2016-144, and 2016-145). Coins 2016-143 and 2016-145 date to the 5th century, but Coin 2016-144 dates to 1030-1042 AD. Context 957 also held fragments of a Slipped Plain Glazed bowl and a sgraffito III vessel, which were both dated to the post-medieval period. As discussed above, one piece of rossoanticoand one piece of grey schist were found in Context 957, which may have been part of an overlying Cosmati floor extending across the church during the Frankish period. This suggests that the grave may have been dug through theCosmati-style Frankish floor, thus dating to a later, post-medieval period, as the pottery suggests. This has been further supported by the excavation of Graves 2016-07 and 2016-08 to the west in the middle of the south aisle. The pottery from their fills (989 and 1004) suggests a 15th century AD date. Given the much higher elevation of Grave 2016-05, a post-medieval date would be fitting. Previous excavation in the area from the 1990 field season (NB 828 B69) also exhibits at least one context in an “L” shape along Walls 930 and 927, which indicates that the cut mark was evident at a higher elevation than was defined for its actually excavation. Furthermore, the use of coffins and the differences in the body positions of these burials versus the other burials at lower elevations suggests a change in practice that might be associated with a later date.; ; Architectural Features; ; To learn more about the chronology of the church and its construction, a section in the apse was excavated at a greater depth than the rest of the church interior. This section revealed a number of fill deposits (Contexts 1035, 1036, 1037, 1038, 1042, and 1043) and two working surfaces (Context 1039 and an unexcavated surface). Although much of the church appears to have been used for human burials throughout and after its use as a church, the apse was free of human burial. It did, however, contain a number of animals remains, consisting primarily of sheep/goat and other smaller mammals. The earliest surface (unexcavated) was covered by a deep level of fill (Context 1043), which was 0.53 in depth. This fill had an uneven slope at the top and included a high level of orange-ish/reddish clay inclusions mixed in a clayey silt matrix. It also included large chunks of mortar adhered with limestone. The surface it overlaid was much lighter and harder with mortar around the edges of the apse along Wall 926. The inclusions in the fill level and the characteristics of the surface, suggest that it may have been a working surface on which the debris from dressing the limestone blocks making up the apse wall fell. There appears to be a later working surface (Context 1039) located above this unexcavated surface, which was laid on top of Fill 1042. Fill 1042 was likely used to level the uneven layer of Context 1043. The surface (Context 1039) is covered by Fills 1036 and 1037, which are two artificial levels of the same deposit, with a combined depth of 0.53 (the same as Fill 1043 above the unexcavated working surface). There were a few (ca. 4) flat lying tiles (Context 1038) on the surface of Context 1039. The surface itself consisted primarily of limestone, mortar and plaster, but also contained some tile fragments that may have served to level this surface. Two horizontal cuts were found within the apse wall (Wall 926) on the north (at 84.84m) and south (at 85.00m) sides, which likely represent cuts for scaffolding as the church was being initially constructed.; ; The dates for the fills (Contexts 1043, 1042, 1038, 1037, 1036, 1035) overlying these two working surfaces come primarily from pottery. The pottery from these fills dates mainly to the 12th century. As they are fills, it is likely that the soil used for the deposits had been deposited in many other places prior to the apse. The pottery from Fill 1036, above the later working surface (1039), provides the latest date as the second half of the 12th century.The coins from the fills in the apse date to either the Roman Imperial Period (Coin 2016-187) or to the early Byzantine period (Coin 2016-189). Although these fills and surfaces, provided more information about the construction of the church, it did not yield evidence of the lime-concrete subfloor (Context 1029) found along the middle of the southwall, nor any other floor level. This may indicate that the floor represented by Context 1029 and other potential preceding floors were taken out when the most recent floor, the Cosmati-style floor laid on subfloors 47, 909, 910, 911, and tile (sub?)floor 941.; ; This lime-concrete subfloor (Context 1029) was exposed along the middle of the south wall (Wall 929) of the church during the excavation of Grave 2016-08 (Context 1003). The fill is dated to the 15th century, but the subfloor is likely earlier as Context 1003 was part of Grave 2016-03.  The subfloor was cut (Cut 1014) for the burial of Skeleton 1012, which was the earliest burial of the grave. A scattering of lime-concrete patches was found at about the same elevation (ca. 85.09m) to the east of this subfloor in the southeast corner of the church beneath Context 1033, which indicates that the subfloor continued to the east.; ; Subfloors consisting of concrete, packed pebbles, flat-lying tiles, and mortar for a Cosmati-style floor that extended across the church was exposed by the 1990 field season (NB828, 829, and 835) and was partially excavated in the west nave and NW narthex in the 2014 field season (Context 47). The remainder of the subfloor in the nave (Contexts 909, 910), the transept (Contexts 910, 911, 912, and 913), and SE corner (Structure 941, Context 942) were excavated this season. Evidence of the overlying Cosmati-style flooring was found in the form of two fragments of lapis lacedaimonius in the concrete subfloor context (Context 909), two fragments of rosso antico in the fill layer (Context 918), and one fragment each of rosso antico and grey schist in Context 957. As reported from the 2014 season, the subfloor surrounding the nave likely supported marble slab paving, some of which is still in situ on the north side of the SW Pier Base (Structure 920). ; ; The subfloors were made up of two or, potentially, three layers. In the nave and transept, an upper level consisting of a harder white concrete was observed in the upper layer of Context 909 and by Context 910. The lower level of concrete was softer and included more pebbles, which is seen in the lower level of Context 909 and by Context 913. The floor may have been patched or repaired at some point as Contexts 911 and 912 have different consistencies but are at similar elevation levels. The SE corner is slightly different in that there is an upper level consisting of leveling tiles (Structure 941) and a lower level of concrete/plaster (Context 942). The tiles (Structure 941) may have been used to level the floor for an overlying surface. The pottery for Context 912 provided a date of the 15th or 16th century. The subfloor was dated to the 14th century on the west side in the 2014 season by a fragment of sgraffito IV (Context 47). Therefore, the concrete subfloors and the associated transept threshold (Structure 924) are likely 14th century or later.A cut mark (Cut 919, filled by Deposit 918) associated with the floor on the north side of the nave suggests a difference in flooring between the north aisle and nave. Graves 2016-01, 2016-02, 2016-03, and 2016-06 were excavated from the north aisle. The difference in flooring may be associated with frequent burials in the area as the floors may have been restored after the burial events in some cases (Grave 2016-03, Grave 2016-02).; ; A cement covered, concave threshold exposed in the 1990 field season is situated at the east end of the nave as one enters the transept. The threshold did not have a foundation trench and consisted of two layers of cement with one course of stone tiles between them. The upper layer of cement is concave with medium size stones used to support the concavity on the eastern side. It is likely that this concave portion held half of a column split vertically, which served as the main component of the threshold. Although the pottery excavated with the threshold places the date in the Late Byzantine period (12th century), this threshold may have been constructed during the Frankish renovation of the church which potentially include the concrete bench-like structure (Structure 302) in the NW corner and the Cosmati-style floor installed in the nave. There is no foundation trench associated with it, but a possible leveling fill for the Cosmati floor (Context 918) rested on the same level, indicating that the floor and the threshold may have been contemporaneous. ; ; The altar base (Structure 931) in the transept, across from the apse (Wall 925), may also be contemporaneous with the implementation of the Cosmati-style floor and threshold (Structure 924). The foundation fill (Context 948) was cut (Context 949) into the surface on which Contexts 912 and 913 and Structure 924 were laid. The foundation fill contained pottery dating to the Middle Byzantine period and two coins (2016-140, 2016-141) dating to the 4th and 3rd centuries AD respectively, but its stratigraphic position beneath the subfloors (Contexts 912 and 913), suggests a later date, likely 14th century or later if associated with the construction of the Cosmati-sytle floor. ; ; The threshold area in the middle of the west wall (Wall 21) of the church was excavated to explore the sequence of thresholds and thus use of the church. The earliest threshold is an unexcavated tile structure at 84.37m, which is ca. 0.60m below the earliest subfloor (Context 1029) found in the church. This tile structure was covered by mortar and tiles (Contexts 1040, 1001) which contained pottery dating to the 11th century, but most likely belong to the (early?) Frankish period based on their relationship to the rest of the church. The next, later, level of fill (Context 999) which appeared to have been mixed with mortar, dates to the 15th century based on a fragment of a yellow, slipped plain glazed bowl. The overlying level of fill (Context 995) was located directly beneath the marble threshold (Structure 22), which was in the wall (Wall 20) at the level of its preservation. Fill 995 contained pottery which confirmed the 15th century date of the preceding level (Fill 999). These fills (995 and 999) provide a terminus post quem for the construction of the marble threshold (Structure 22) in the 15th century. The construction of the threshold may have corresponded with the implementation of the Cosmati-style floor.; ; ; Conclusions; ; Excavation of the interior of the church during Sessions II and III has provided further data on the construction and use of the interior of the church (Cosmati-Style Sub-Floor: Contexts 909-913, 941-942; Lime-Cement Sub-Floor: 1029;Interior Threshold: Context 924; Altar Base: Contexts 948, 949, 951; Exterior Threshold: Contexts 22, 995, 999, 1001, 1040) during the 14th and 15th centuries as well as more information about the sequence of burials and their relationship with the interior of the church. Most of the graves discussed here are located beneath this 14th century floor, but it does not appear that they went through that particular floor level. The sequence of burials for Graves 2016-01, 2016-02, 2016-03, 2016-04, 2016-05, and 2016-06 indicate further use of the space as a burial place in the Frankish period, although the chronology is still somewhat unclear. The placement of Grave 2016-01 directly on top of Grave 2016-03 and 2016-02, to some extent, suggests that burial locations were often remembered and reused. Grave 2016-01 was destroyed in the leveling process of the floor supported by thefill of Context 914, but Grave 2016-02 and 2016-03 include cement fragments likely from the cement subfloor (Context 47 and Context 909-913) built during the 14th c. This may indicate that the floor was repaired at some point after the burial of these individuals, which would explain why Grave 2016-01 is so heavily disturbed and why the other two graves include cement chunks in their fills. ; ; The practice of multiple burials exhibited in Graves 2016-03, 2016-09, 2016-07, 2016-08, and 2016-06 seemssimilar to that described for Grave 2014-04 (Kennedy and Cundy 2014) and Grave 1990-41A-C (NB835 B41, 51, 52, 58, 61, 62), which were both located next to the west wall (Wall 20) of the church. Kennedy and Cundy (2014) suggest that the deposition of disarticulated, relatively unbroken bones on top of the primary inhumations may indicate that a particular grave was left open for a certain period of time during which it was reused multiple times for subsequent burials. The unbroken nature of the bones laid directly on top of the inhumation suggests that they were not constantly being covered with fill that might have caused them to be more fractured. There are layers of bones deposited over and/or around the primary inhumations in Graves 2016-03, 2016-06, 2016-07, 2016-08, and 2016-09, but it appears that only Grave 2016-03, Phase II burials might have followed this practice. The bone layer (952) above the inhumation (956) were relatively intact and were laid in a fairly orderly fashion with the long bones laid parallel to the inhumation. However, in Grave 2016-06, the bones of the previous burial appear to have been pushed to one side or not moved at all, which indicates that this grave was not left open. The child burials at the top of Grave 2016-08 similarly appear to not have been left open but reopened for each burial. Grave 2016-07 also exhibits a different practice in that the bone layers/jumbles (Skeleton Contexts 991, 992, and 996) associated with the primary inhumation (Skeleton 994) are much less orderly (i.e. not laid parallel to the orientation of the body) than those of Grave 2016-03 and 2016-09. The articulation of some of the skeletal material from the skeletal contexts of Grave 2016-07 also suggests that the grave was not left open but reopened multiple times. The disorder of the bone jumble (992) supports the argument that the bones were potentially placed in the grave with the fill albeit primarily at the bottom of the fill rather than mixed in with the rest of it. There were a number of bones recovered that had been mixed in with the fill (989). Grave-2016-09 deviates from the other graves in that most of the disarticulated bones were found beside or beneath the primary inhumation, rather than on top of it. This also indicates that the grave was not left open for a period of time for a series of burials.; ; The graves containing adults (2016-03, 2016-07, 2016-08, 2016-09) do appear to be similar in the potential use of a shroud as the arrangement of the skeletons suggests a constrained position within the burial.The burial positions of all of the primary interments mostly concur, with the arms crossed at the chest below the sternum or at the abdomen and the legs laid out straight. There are differences in head position, but these are related primarily to the coffin burials in Grave 2016-05. Every other primary inhumation had either an elevated skull held in place by props on either side of stone or tile. The heads of the burials in Grave 2016-05 are not propped in any way, but are turned southward, to the right side. Many of the graves excavated contained only juvenile remains including Graves 2016-02, 2016-04, 2016-05, and 2016-06. Grave 2016-03, 2016-07, 2016-08, and 2016-09 contained adult remains with most having juvenile bones included in the bone layers of the grave, excepting Grave 2016-08, which contained articulated remains of two juveniles. The peculiarities of Grave 2016-05 cause chronological issues with the relatively high elevation of the grave compared to the other graves, the use of coffins, the side-by-side burials, and the bone layer (Context 967) on top of only one of the inhumations (Skeleton 970). However, the further excavation of the SE corner of the church and an examination of previous excavation in the area does indicate that the burials were established at a later date, likely post medieval,than most of the other excavated burials in the church.; ; The burial of individuals within the church appears to span the currently known period of use of the church (Mid-13th to early 15th c.) (Graves 2016-01, -02, -03, -04, -06, -07, -08, -09) and after it was no longer used (Graves 2016-05). This means that people may have been actively using the floor of the church as a burial place while the church was in use as a place of worship. However, this may also suggest that the church went through at least two periods of use and abandonment. There is evidence that one grave (2016-08) went through an early subfloor (Structure 1029) of the church, which does not appear to have been repaired after the creation of the grave. Grave 2016-09 represents the earliest excavated(this season) primary inhumation of the church, dating to the late 13th century or later. However, this primary inhumation was only the last of many. The skeletons represented in Context 998 are likely earlier than inhumation 1025 but were disturbed by subsequent burial activity in Grave 2016-07. The latest burials are represented in Grave 2016-05. The continuity of the practice of multiple burial is evident throughout the use of the church as a burial area. However, the use of coffins over shrouds and/or tile coverings in Grave 2016-05 also indicates changesin burial practices over time.; ; Recommendations for Future Work in the Area:; ; 1.    Continue the excavation of the osteotheke in the northwest corner of the church nearby Grave 2016-05. It cuts into Context 982, excavated in Session II, identified by Cut 44 and filled by Contexts 32 and 529, excavated in Session I of 2014.; 2.    Determine the nature of the stone block found at the bottom of Grave 2016-06 and whether it is related to Structure 150.; 3.    Determine the nature of the stone lining (Structure 1002) in the north scarp of Grave 2016-07.; 4.    Continue excavation in the south aisle, as there are more articulated burials evident in the bottom of Grave 2016-08 and in the west scarp of Grave 2016-07.; 5.    Excavate the remnants of Grave 2014-04 along the west wall (Wall 21) along with the short wall built specifically for the burial (Wall 1032). This will also allow for completing the excavation of the fill between the threshold and Wall 1032.","","Corinthia | Ancient Corinth | Central Area | Temple E, Temenos | Temple E, Southeast","Session II and III Final Report: Interior of the Church in Unit 2 of the Frankish Quarter","Corinth:Report:Temple E, Southeast 2016 by Kaitlyn Stiles (2016-05-04 to 2016-06-25)","","Report","Corinth",""
"Temple E, Southeast 2015 by Emilio Rodriguez-Alvarez (2015-06-02 to 2015-06-26)","","","","","Room 8 [N: 1088.00 N, S: 1077.00 N, E: 129.00 E, W: 121.00 E]; Room 7 [N: 1086.30 N, S: 1078.20 N, E: 123.90 E, W: 119.40 E]; Rodríguez-Álvarez, Emilio; Session III; ; Introduction:; This is the final report for the third session of excavations in the 2015 season for Rooms 8 and 7, Unit II,  in the area of Temple E SE. Room 8 was first excavated in 1995 (NB 877: 73–198; NB 845: 33–75) and then between 23rd and 25th of April 2014 by Rous and Worsham. Work was briefly resumed between the 19th and the 21st of May 2015 by Tanaka and Rodríguez-Álvarez and carried out by Rodríguez-Álvarez in June 2015. Room 7 was first excavated in 1992 by Schmalz (NB854) and briefly explored in 1994 (NB 864). Excavation was resumed between the 5th of May and the 29th of June in 2014 by Burr and Rogers and continued by Rodríguez-Álvarez between the 16th and the 19th of June 2015.  Dr. Guy Sanders (Director) and Larkin Kennedy (Field Director) supervised. Emilio Rodríguez-Álvarez recorded. Kostas Arberoris excavated and Thanassis Notis and Vassilis Kollias sieved. ; ; Goals of excavation:; The excavation of this area had two main aims: first, to explore the use of the area through time, before and after the space was defined as Room 8 by the erection of Wall 154 (1085.91–1086.65N, 124.04–126.17E) and the abutting Wall 166 (1086.27–1087.30N, 126.20–130.82E) at the north, Wall 720 (1081.10-1079.20N, 128.55-127.50E) and 830 (1084.10-1081.10N, 128.30-126.70E) at the east, Wall 156 (1077.50–1078.97N, 123.58–128.40E) at the south and Wall 157 (1078.37–1085.05N, 122.55–124.63E) at the west. Secondly, to assess the correlation between Room 8 and some of the finds made by Smotherman and Brannelly in Room 9 during the previous session, specially the pit (Context 733/717/726/747, N. 1083.88; S. 1079.99; E. 130.80; W. 127.50) sectioned by Wall 830, which seemed to extend into Room 8. When the excavations in room 8 revealed a second pit shared by Rooms 8 and 7, the correlation of finds with the material recovered by Burr and Rogers in 2014 and the relationship between the pit (Cut 842 1081.65-1078.40N, 127.80-123.90E) and Wall 157 (1078.37-1085.05N, 124.63-122.55E) became the third aim of the session. Finally, it is intended to backfill the area and to prepare it for visitors once the area has been fully studied.; Frankish Period (AD 1210-1450); Mid 13th century:; The first signs of activity in Room 8 are associated to the erection and ultimate dismantlement of Wall 850, a limestone structure made with roughly squared blocks and bounded with a mixture of mud and lime (1085.80-1081.40N, 125.55-123.30E). This structure was found in the NW quadrant of Room 8, not aligned, joined or abutted with any of the other walls of the room. A white clay surface was excavated in association to this wall (870 1086.10-1084.20N, 126.60-124.10E) and dated by the pottery finds to the 3rd quarter of the 13th century. Its characteristics are reminiscent of those of the so-called Frankish floor located and excavated in several locations of the Frankish area. ; Context 845, the deposit that covered the wall, was dated to the 4th quarter of the 13th century, but we know the wall was carefully dismantled before 1270±10 CE, since the digging of Cut 842 truncated the south section of the structure and this event was dated to this date. No traces of blocks belonging to the wall or any other sign of collapse have been found on the contexts laid up against both sides of the wall. These contexts make up a large number of small deposits, with almost no compaction of the soil, scarce artifacts and clustered dates. Most of them have been dated to the mid 13th century. Contexts 862 and 864, located in the lowest part of the stratigraphic sequence, have been dated to the 3rd quarter of the 13th century. Based on this evidence, I concluded that around the central years of the 13th century this wall is erected. Then, around 1270 CE the area is backfilled and leveled with small throws of soil which are accumulated on both sides and, finally, top of the wall (Context 845).; C. 1270 CE:; The next traces of anthropic action in the area are defined by two large pits that were excavated and filled in the last quarter of the 13th century. These pits were later truncated by the walls that defined Rooms 7, 8 and 9. Cut 823 (1083.80- 1080.80N, 127.50- 126.45E, depth: 0.62) is the west side in room 8 of a large pit also excavated in Room 9 (as Cut 733). The filling of the pit removed in Room 8 (Contexts 806, 813, 815, 819 and 821) was dated by pottery to the 4th quarter of the 13th century, and lotted with the material recovered in Room 9 (Contexts 717, 726 and 747) as Lot 2015-04. Context 806 included a cubic bone die with numbers drilled and painted in black (MF- 2015-57).; A second pit, Cut 842 (1081.65- 1078.40N, 127.80- 123.90E, depth: 0.47), was located on the South section of Room 8 and extending to the west into Room 7. This pit was also truncated by a structure (Wall 157), the part located in Room 7 already excavated by Burr and Rogers in 2014. The filling of this pit (Contexts 825 and 839) was dated by pottery to 1270±10 CE; Context 274 (1078.20-1081.30 N, 121.85-123.25 E, cf. Burr and Rogers, 2014) was dated to the late 3rd quarter of the 13th century. However, the  earliest fill in the west portion of this pit, Context 887, was excavated this year and dated by pottery to the 4th quarter of the 13th century, providing further evidence for the equivalence of the pit cut to the east and west of Wall 157 (Cut 889=842; 1081.70- 1078.50N, 123.80- 121.40E).  ; 4th quarter of the 13th century:; In the last decades of the 13th century the space north of the church gets delimited by a series of walls defining what is now labelled as Room 7, Room 8 and Room 9. Room 8 is separated from Room 7 by Wall 157 (124.63-122.55E/1078.37-1085.05N; Wall 13 NB 877), from the corridor north of the church by Wall 156 (128.40-123.58E/1077.50-1078.97N; Wall 16 NB 877 and 845) and from Room 9 by two structures, Wall 720 (1081.30-1079.20N, 128.55-127.50E) and Wall 830 (1084.10-1081.30N, 128.30-126.80E). ; The data obtained from the excavation and subsequent study of the two pits described in the previous section, as well as the chronologies established for these structures by Rous and Worsham on one hand, and Burr and Rogers on the other, have been used to establish a sequence of construction for these structures. The first wall erected in the area in this period was Wall 156, since Walls 157 and 720 abut rather than join with it. This structure was dated by Rous and Worsham, (Context 184), to the 3rd quarter of the 13th century. Bennett, in 2015, dated the wall to the last years of the 3rd quarter of the 13th century, but based solely on a lens of soil left unexcavated in 2014 on the corridor between the church and Room 8 by Swalec and Wilson (see also NB 864). The pit shared by Room 7 and Room 8 was truncated completely on its southern edge by the erection of Wall 156, with the exception of a small portion of the edge preserved in the southeast corner of the room as Context 855, and dated by pottery to the 3rd quarter of the 13th century. If we also consider the date provided for the fill of the pit is 1270±10 CE (Context 825 and 839), we obtain a TPQ for the erection of the wall of very late 3rd or early 4th quarter of the 13th century.; The structure that divides Room 7 and Room 8, Wall 157, was built against 156. This wall 157 also divides Cut 842=889, the pit located between Room 8 and Room 9, in two different sections. The fill of the cut excavated in Room 7 was dated by Burr and Rogers to the late 3rd quarter of the 13th century (Context 274) and this session to the 4th quarter of the 13th century (Context 887); the fill of the pit in Room 8, as indicated above, to 1270±10 CE. A possible bench (cf. Context 175, Rous and Worsham 2014) laid along Wall 157 was likewise dated to the late 13th century. ; Room 8 is separated from Room 9 on the east by two structures, Wall 720 and Wall 830. These two structures were first recorded together as Wall 155 in 2014 by Rous and Worsham, based on the records for Wall 18 (NB 877, 845). In May 2015 the record of Wall 155 was duplicated by Smotherman and Brannelly as Wall 720, still comprising in its extension the structures I define here as Wall 720 and 830. In June 2015 it was discovered that this single structure was in fact two different walls abutting. The study of previous documentation of the structure pointed out the duplicity of this record. Since a new nomenclature was needed, it was decided to keep the duplicated record of 720 for the south section of the wall and assign 830 to the north. Thus, Wall 155 is in fact Wall 830 plus Wall 720 (as recorded by Rodríguez-Álvarez), and the original record for Wall 720 (as recorded by Smotherman and Brannelly) equates Wall 155 but it is now obsolete. ; Coming back to the analysis of the area, former Wall 155 was dated by Rous and Worsham based on the stratigraphic relationship with two possible foundation trenches (Context 176 and 177) to the late 13th or early 14th century. The excavations of this season showed that its south section (now Wall 720), also truncated Cut 842 on the east edge, preserving only part of it in Context 855 (as explained above in relation to the dating of Wall 156). Further work in June revealed that a second wall, 830, was constructed on the north end of Wall 720. Traces of what appears to be plaster were spotted on the surface where 830 abuts 720. Wall 720 truncated Cut 842=889 on its east edge, and can be dated to a time after 1270±10 and the construction of Wall 156 on which is abutted. Finally, Wall 830 divides the pit between Room 8 and Room 9 (Cut 823=733), and can be dated to at least the 4th quarter of the 13th century and after the erection of Wall 720.  ; The erection of these walls defined the space of Room 8. Former excavation in the area revealed a series of deposits that have been interpreted as the use surface of this room. The so-called ""Frankish floor"" (NB 877 and 845, see NB 845 p. 53), also excavated as Context 140 and the earlier surface excavated in Context 168 seem all to have been laid against the wall. These deposits were dated to the 14th century. These surfaces rest on two deposits, Context 786 and 796, which have been interpreted as garbage piles that were levelled in the area as sub-floor of for these use surfaces. The date provided by the pottery is the 4th quarter of the 13th century. Two bone cubic dice with numbers drilled and painted in black (MF-2015-24 and MF-2015-25) were recovered from this garbage context. A lead seal (MF-2015-56) was recovered from Context 844 (now equated to 786).; ; Conclusion: ; The succession of structures, spaces and use in the area took place in a relatively short period of time. The presence of the garbage pits in the space later occupied by Room 7, 8 and 9 led different excavators in the past to interpret the space as an open air garbage dump. The discovery, however, of Wall 850 opens the possibility that this open area was a transitional phase between two different construction phases in the area: the first carefully dismantled before 1270±10 CE and the second one carried out in the last quarter of the 13th century. ; With regard to the first phase of construction, Wall 850 and the possible clay floor associated to it (Context 870) are the only evidence, and more work is needed to assess the extension both in time and space of this structure. The presence of pits truncated by walls was already noted by previous excavators in the area (e.g. Rous and Worsham, Burr and Rogers, Smotherman and Brannelly) and led them to conclude that the area was an open space where garbage was deposited. The analysis of the materials recovered from the pit deposits (Lot 2015-04: 806, 819, 821; Lot 2015-38: 825; Lot 2015-37: 839) and the leveled garbage deposits (Lot 2015-22: 786, 796) clearly indicate that the disposal of refuse is taking place in the area. One pattern observed in this behavior is that alongside the pottery and animal bones, those deposits interpreted as garbage layers are characterized by a high presence of coins (17 in Context 786, 3 in 796, 5 in Context 806, 7 in Context 825). These coins, however, are never contemporary to the date provided by the pottery finds for the deposit, with all legible coins belonging to the Byzantine period, often to different issues of Manuel I (1143-1180). Coins contemporary to the Frankish dates of these contexts tend to appear in isolation and associated with leveling fills (e.g. Coin 2015-584, a CORINTVM issue of William Villehardouin found in Context 858, a leveling fill associated with Wall 850). Coinage of the Byzantine period seems to have lost any monetary value during the Frankish period, and it is in consequence discarded as a worthless object with the rest of the refuse produced in the area. These garbage deposits were also characterized by an abundant presence of iron remains, mostly square and round shaft nails, and small fragments of glass. Shards of prunted beakers, similar to MF-1992-38 and MF-2009-29, are especially abundant in these deposits. In conclusion, the study of Cut 823/733 and Cut 842/889 reinforces the interpretation of former excavators of the area being used as an open air garbage dump. But if the chronology of the area exposed in this summary is correct, that would mean that the church was already functioning while the space was working as a dump area. The discovery of Wall 850 not only indicates the presence of a former constructive phase but also clarifies the interpretation of the role of the pits and the leveling of the garbage in the area. The  dismantlement of Wall 850 and the rapid succession of deposits in Room 7 and Room 8 might belong to a sequence of events in which the former structure is torn down to leave space for the rooms defined by Wall 156, 157 and 720. In the brief interim of construction garbage was disposed in this area north of the church, but just for a brief period of time, as the homogeneity of the fills of the pits (Contexts 825-839 and Contexts 806-819-821), seem to indicate. ; ;  Recommendations for Future Excavation:; - Continue with the excavation of Room 7 and Room 8, in order to reach the deposits corresponding to the 2nd quarter of the 13th century, in order to explore into more detail the early phase of construction in the area related to Wall 850.; - Analyse the sequence of construction of the walls shared by Rooms 7, 8 and 9, in order to assess whether the lack of joins among these walls is the product of an extended lapse in their construction or the result of the building techniques of the period. The relative chronology offered in this report is based on dates provided by artefacts and the visible relationships among the structures. Further excavation in the area and, especially, a detailed study of masonry styles and techniques in the Frankish period could corroborate or invalidate the present interpretation.","","Corinthia | Ancient Corinth | Central Area | Temple E, Temenos | Temple E, Southeast","Corinth Report: Temple E Southeast excavations. Unit 2, Rooms 8 and 7.","Corinth:Report:Temple E, Southeast 2015 by Emilio Rodriguez-Alvarez (2015-06-02 to 2015-06-26)","","Report","Corinth",""