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"","","","Corinth:Report:Temple E, Southeast 2015 by Danielle Smotherman and Tim Brannelly (2015-05-04 to 2015-05-22)","","2015 Session II, Frankish activity in Unit 2, Room 9","","Corinth","","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)","Temple E, Southeast 2015 by Danielle Smotherman and Tim Brannelly (2015-05-04 to 2015-05-22)","","Corinthia | Ancient Corinth | Central Area | Temple E, Temenos | Temple E, Southeast","Report"
"","","","Corinth:Report:Temple E, Southeast 2014 by Larkin Kennedy and Jody Cundy (2014-05-06 to 2014-06-27)","","Sessions 2-3 of 2014: Church Nave, Unit 2 of the Frankish Quarter","","Corinth","","N-S 1074.64-1071.50; E-W 125.50-122.70; Session 2-3 Final Report, June 27, 2014; ; This is the final report of the second and third sessions during the 2014 excavations in the church nave in Unit 2 of the Frankish Quarter of the Temple E, Southeast area. Guy Sanders (Director) and Jody Cundy (Field Director) supervised. Larkin Kennedy worked as area supervisor and pickwoman with Angeliki Stamati(barrow and sieve) and Panagiotis Ronzokos(shovel, barrow, and sieve) during Session 2. In Session 3, work in this area continued under the supervision of Jody Cundy, with Athanasios Sakellariou (pickman), Christos Sakellariou (sieveman), and Vasilis Kollias (barrowman).; ; The excavation area was the NW quadrant of the church nave in the Unit 2 complex. Excavation under Larkin Kennedy concentrated on the graves in the area abutting the wall that separates the nave from the narthex. Jody Cundy excavated the remaining grave in the central aisle of the nave and the surrounding fills. The nave was previously excavated during the 1990 field season (NB 831, 835), at which time the southernmost grave along the narthex cross wall (Grave 1990-41, burial events A-C) was recorded and the layers of fill inside the church were removed to the level of a cement subfloor. Excavation in this area continued during Session I of the 2014 field season under the supervision of Maggie Beeler and Morgan Condell, during which time the cementsubfloor was sectioned and a lower surface uncovered.Graves 2014-03 and 2014-06, which cut this subfloor and contemporary fills, were excavated during Session 1. Just to the east of the later threshold to the narthex (Structure 22), Session 1 then proceeded to begin investigation of Grave 2014-04. Excavation of this grave was completed by Larkin Kennedy during Session 2, following which excavation proceeded north along the narthex cross wall (Wall 21).; ; The excavation area was bounded to the north by the north wall of the church (Wall 20, 1075.11-1074.52 N, 129.51-122.06 E) and its robbing trench, and to the west by the narthex cross wall (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 it. The southern (1070.50 N) excavation boundary was established for sectioning and aligns with the excavation grid. Excavation proceeded east as far as 125.50 E during Session 3. Two graves (2014-04 and 2014-07) and a bench-like structure (Structure 302) associated with the northern grave (Grave 2014-07) were removed during Session 2. Grave 2014-10 and the fills to the east of this grave and surrounding the NW pier (Structure 23) were excavated during Session 3.; ; The primary goals of these sessionsincluded the completion of excavation of the commingled burial in Grave 2014-04 east of the threshold (Structure 22) and finding the eastern extent of this grave (Cut 188) in order to evaluate its chronological placement in relation to the cement subfloor (Context 47). As excavation of this grave revealed the articulated feet of an inhumation in Grave 2014-07 to the north, the investigation of this northerly grave also became a priority in order to better understand the use of this space in later periods. Fills to the east and north of Grave 2014-07 were then removed to determine the relationship of these graves to Graves 2014-03 and 2014-06 as well as whether the use of the church as a cemetery occurred after the church was no longer in use, as judged by the relationship of these graves to the cement subfloor. Secondary goals for session 2 included examiningsequences of burial episodes for Graves 2014-04 and -07 relating to differences in grave usage, and identifying means of recording commingled graves which would enhance productivity while preserving evidence for mortuary behavior.; ; FRANKISH PERIOD (1210 - 1458 AD); ; Bench-like Structure; ; Construction of a bench-like structure up against the narthex cross wall (Wall 21)occurred during the earliest phase of activity in this area. Structure 302 (1073.63-1072.22 N, 123.25-123.05 E) is aligned with Wall 21 north of the late threshold (Structure 22). This structure (L. 1.38 m, W. 0.30) consists of a single regular course (H. 0.11) of conglomerate and limestoneboulders and tile fragments, many reused and with cement adhering to their sides. The larger boulders were placed along the exterior face of the structure and measure 0.27 to 0.18 m long and 0.17 to 0.16 m wide. Tile fragments and smaller boulders, measuring 0.18 to 0.08 m long and 0.13 to 0.07 m wide, were placed in the interior along the east face of Wall 21. The presence of iron nails at the north end, both along the east edge and in the later, adjacent grave fill (308) as well as where this possible bench meets the narthex cross wall, suggest that an associated wooden structure may have extended up the wall. The leveling fill (Deposit 324) for this structure consisted of horizontally-laid tiles and rubble in a cut along the narthex cross wall (Cut Context 338,1073.85-1072.21 N, 123.25-122.75 E) which extends slightly beyond the north and south edges of the structure. Within this bedding were found an illegible coin (2014-139), a bronze handle for hanging glass lamps (MF 2014-33) and four joining fragments of a large Roman marble volute krater (most probably belonging to MF 1996-49 but non-joining), horizontally laid and used in a similar fashion as the tiles for leveling fill. The pottery in this deposit dates the construction to the early 14th century, including a heavily incrusted slipped protomaiolica plate, an unslipped metallic ware pitcher, and a slipped late sgraffito bowl. ; ; Further evidence for an early 14th century date for this structure stems from the non-joining portion of the Roman volute krater MF 1996-49 discovered during the 1996 excavation in Room 4 (D) of Unit 2. This large fragment covered the head and torso of an extended burial in Grave 1996-21 (NB 864, pp. 190-191, Bone Lot 1996-72), originally dated to the 13th century. Though both the large fragment in Grave 1996-21 and the smaller fragments in the bedding fill for structure 302 are present in at best secondary contexts, their reuse suggests either a contemporary construction based on common availability of building materials, or an even later, tertiary reuse of the volute fragments in the construction of the bench-like structure. In the latter case, these four joining fragments could have been used, when complete, to cover the head of a burial in a manner similar to that found in Grave 1996-21 and contemporary with it. When this grave was later disturbed during construction of the bench-like structure, the volute fragments were then reused yet again in the bedding fill. Support for this suggestion includes the large amount of disarticulated human bone also found in the bedding fill.; ; Osteological Inventory of Bone from Disturbed Graves; ; The inclusion of human skeletal materialwas common in fills dating to at least the late 13th, early 14th century AD in the church. A preliminary osteological inventory of bone recovered during the first and second sessions for the 2014 field season highlights that human skeletal remains outnumber faunal in 8out of 16 total sieved contexts from the church which were not otherwise directly associated with a human skeleton (cf. Deposits 14, 28, 49, 61, 74, 204, 308, and 324, in Bone Lot 2014-21). As a contrast, of the other 358 deposits which were sieved 50% or more during sessions 1 and 2 outside of the church area and which were not associated with graves, only two were observed to contain human bone. Deposit 141- leveling fill for the road north of Room E- contained an isolated fragment of proximal tibia, while Deposit 64 – a clay surface north of Room F –contained a few extremely fragmentary human skeletal remains. Both deposits contained more faunal than human skeletal elements. The inclusion of such high concentrations of disarticulated human bone in many church contexts indicates that earlier phases of church use included a burial component. Later construction in the church disturbed these graveswhich were then re-depositedas fill during the renovation process. As the remaining 8 sieved contexts from the church that were not directly associated with burials did not contained a large amount of bone, human or faunal, inclusions (cf. Deposits 67, 69, 70, 77, 81, 83, 105), this indicates that some fill was brought in from an outside source as well. In the case of Deposit 335 under the cut of the bench-like structure (Structure 302), as this deposit was dug out of sequence, it may date much earlier than the rest of the material excavated thus far. Further excavation may clarify its chronological placement and the depositional processes which gave rise to it. Osteological analysis and the removal of earlier graves in the nave may furthermore make it possible to determine the chronological placement of the early burials to which these isolated elements originally belonged, and their relationship to church use and renovation.; ; Cosmati-style floor ; ; A decorative flooring installed in the nave constitutes evidence for the latest use of this space as an enclosed space in the Frankish period. This may have occurred as part of renovations contemporaneous with the construction of the bench-like structure (Structure 302), though the relationship of the structure to the flooring is obscured by later graves along the narthex cross wall (Structure 21). Portions of the cement and plaster bedding for this flooring were exposed in situ and in a fragmented state in the 1990 field season, and a portion of it was excavated during Session 1 of the 2014 field season (Context 47, 1072.81-1071.78 N, 126.01-125.10 E). This bedding appears to have been laid across the center aisle of the nave. Evidence for the original Cosmati-style floor resting on this subfloor is represented by numerous fragments of marble tesserae and green-veined marble paving slabs (Lot 2014-001). Fragments of flooring indicate that grey, white, black, and red tesserae, 1-2 cm squares, were originally cemented in a decorative pattern through the center aisle of the church nave, and may have been bordered by wider white marble bands (cf. Lot 2014-001:1). Outside of the center aisle, the subfloor supported marble slab paving, such as that in situ in the church narthex, or partially preserved around the piers inside the church (Contexts 502, 506, 507). Tesserae and fragments of cemented subflooring were found in secondary context throughout multiple deposits (Contexts 52, 77, 83, 99, 105, 112, 129, 204, 347, and 508), all of which dating by pottery to the late 13th to early 14th century AD. As these deposits appear to be composed of fill redeposited from later digging, especially for graves, in the church, one fragment of sgraffito IV (1300-1400) can be used as a terminus post quem for the floor itself. ; ; TURKISH I PERIOD (1458 – 1680 AD); ; During the Turkish I period, this area undergoes its latest period of use as a cemetery. Portions of the cosmati-style flooring were found in the fill of Graves 2014-03, 04, 06, 07, and 10, indicating that all of these graves were dug through this floor, or the remains of this floor, during the following time period.As the decorative flooring was damaged and not repaired, and marble architectural remains were reused as grave markers in the church at this time, this space does not appear to have been in use as a church any longer at this time. It is unclear, however, how long this enclosed structure remained in use as a church before its abandonment and subsequent reuse as a cemetery. The graves themselves are preliminarily dated to at least the 15th century due to this presumed passage of time.; ; The earliest use of this space in this time period appears to have been limited to a sequence of burial activity along the east face of the narthex cross wall (Wall 21), starting in the northwestern corner of this space and then continuing south. ; ; Grave 2014-07 ; ; The northernmost Grave 2014-07 (Cut Context 317, 1073.89-1071.96 N, 123.90-122.75 E, filled by Deposits 308 and 347) was cut along the side of the bench-like structure (Structure 302) against Wall 21, and slightly undercuts the bench itself. The presence of a few iron nails in the upper levels of the grave fill (308) along with a fragment of the same or similar Roman stone volute krater (MF 1996-49E, non-joining) as that found in the leveling fill for structure 302 attest to the grave cut (188) skimming the eastern edge of the structure and dislodging material which became redeposited in grave fill. Grave 2014-07 consists of an oval pit grave (L 1.98 m, W0.825 m, Depth 0.73 m)which went through two distinct burial episodes. ; ; The original inhumation, a probable male, middle adult in age at death (30-40 years by pubic symphysis and ilium auricular surface morphology), was disinterred in order to reuse this grave. As many of the skeletal elements were broken, this individual was most likely covered with earth during burial ritual. After a new interment was placed in the grave and a layer of grave fill and tile were used to cover the body, these bones were returned, resulting in a disarticulated secondary bone pile (Skeleton 391, Bone Lot 2014-15) partially covering the abdomen and spilling over to the east of the later interment. This bone pile also includes the more fragmentary skeletal remains of two other adults of indeterminate age and one infant, and may represent elements from Frankish period burials disturbed during the construction of this grave. To the west of the later interment, other disarticulated remains (Context 472, Skeleton 473, Bone Lot 2014-15) were found which can be assumed to have originally belonged to one such earlier grave cut into by Grave 2014-07. This earlier grave remains unexcavated and extends south and west as well as lower into the fill underlying the bench-like structure. ; ; The primary adult inhumation (Skeleton 375, Bone Lot 2014-16) was placed in a supine, extended position, oriented N-S with the head to the north and propped up by the northwest corner of the grave cut. Mounded tiles and earth elevated the head and shoulders slightly above the rest of the body, though no tiles or stones were used to keep the mandible in place. The arms were crossed over the abdomen, palms down, with the right arm over the left and the left fingers curled. The legs were extended straight, the right foot turned slightly out. This male was a middle adult (40-44 years of age) at time of death with a maximum height of 1.7 m. Dental health of this individual was particularly poor given age at death, with the mandible almost entirely edentulous. Evidence for the initial burial behavior accompanying the disarticulated remains exists in the form of the left hand bones found semi-articulated under the right ribs of the primary inhumation. These remains seem to indicate analogous burial behavior to that of the primary inhumation, with the arms crossed over the chest and abdomen of an extended burial.; ; The overlying grave fill (308, 347) contained many iron nails, possibly attesting to the presence of a coffin associated with the early burials in this area, along with fragments of glass beakers, glass lamps and their bronze handles (cf. MF 11122, MF 2014-33), an iron hook, possibly used as part of a latch, a large amount of disarticulated human bone, and fragments of Cosmati flooring. Two coins from the fill (2014-150 and 2014-152) were both illegible. After filling the grave, an inverted marble column capital decorated on each short side with a cross in a circle and sculpted leaves on the corners was reused as a grave marker (A 2014-4). The grave fill (Contexts 308 and 347; Lot 2014-35) dates to the mid-14thcentury or later, on the basis of a possibly late medieval, combed cone pitcher and a Venetian I bowl associated with a variety of otherwise late 13th to early 14th century sherds. The late 13th to early 14th century remains, including the majority of the pottery, the glass lamps, the metallic ware pitchers, and the disarticulated human bone, all point to an earlier use of the church as a cemetery which was disturbed by the later construction of this grave, with the grave fill accordingly consisting of reworked, earlier grave fills and material dating to this earlier, Frankish use of this church. The construction of this grave and the burial episodes themselves are dated to at least the 15th century due to its association with the decorative cosmati-style flooring.; ; Grave 2014-04 ; ; Grave 2014-07 was truncated by a grave to its south, which was located east of the narthex cross wall threshold and was truncated in turn by later Grave 1990-41A-C. Grave 2014-04 (Cut 188, 1072.21-1070.45 N, 124.14-123.20 E, filled by deposits 99, 204, and 242), abuts the filling for the later threshold (Structure 22) and is aligned with Wall 21, cutting the cement bedding for the cosmati floor (47) to the east. This subrectangular pit grave (reconstructed L 1.98 m, actual W 0.94 m, Depth 0.45 m) was dug into fill covering an earlier built cist grave, partially disturbing the earlier grave’s west wall of built limestone blocks and the interred burials. This cist grave, which remains unexcavated, would have originally been built up against the narthex cross wall, with wall 21 forming its west boundary and one course of limestone blocks delimiting its eastern extent (reconstructed L ca. 1.75 m, W 0.45 m). The largest of these blocks, possibly still present in situ in the northeast corner of Grave 2014-04, measures 0.38 x 0.20 m. A number of skeletal elements from this earlier grave were left in the bottom of the grave cut as represented by the skulls of one adult (Skeleton 282, Bone Lot 2014-11) and one subadult (Skeleton 283, Bone Lot 2014-14), which were damaged by this later grave cut.; ; This grave pit was then used for a series of primary inhumations over a number of years, with the latest primary inhumation consisting of an adult (Skeleton 121, Bone Lot 2014-04) in an extended supine position overlying Skeletons 282 and 283, arms crossed over the torso and abdomen with the right arm over the left. The head and shoulders were propped up at the northern end of the grave on a deposit of earth and tile, the head facing south. No tiles were placed alongside the face or under the mandible. The bones from a number of individuals forming a secondary inhumation were piled over the legs and feet in the south half of the grave, and overflowed to rest on the limestone blocks of the disturbed west wall of the earlier cist grave while a few elements tumbled off the pile to rest near the shoulder of the primary inhumation. These bones included at least five individuals, represented by a preliminary count of the four intact skulls (Skeleton Contexts 278-281, Bone Lots 2014-7 to 14) and the skeletal remains of at least one subadult, probably an infant, and appear to have been commingled prior to their inclusion in Grave 2014-04. This pile of disarticulated human bone might represent the remains of previous primary interments in this grave. This would indicate that Grave 2014-04 remained open for an extended period of time, wherein it went through at least four episodes of removal of skeletal remains from previous burials followed by reuse through interring the new body in an extended position and placing the now disarticulated remains of previous burials on the legs and feet. The grave does not appear to have been filled, or the bones covered with dirt, between burial episodes. The surface of the grave may have been covered with a stone or wooden slab during this time, as the majority of the commingled skeletal elements appear relatively undamaged. The ragged widening of the northeastern boundary, and the slumping lip of cement bedding (47) cut into by this grave could also attest to episodes of reopening and covering of the same grave cut. This practice is still documented anecdotally in modern Greece. At the end of the grave’s span of use, which in the modern Corinthia commonly lasts ten years, or one generation (Tzortzopoulou-Gregory 2010). An overturned column capital (removed with overlying context 83 as A 2014-05) may have then been placed on top of the grave as a marker.; ; Within Grave 2014-04, one gold and pearl earring was found in the area covered by disarticulated bone (MF 2014-03), possibly representing an element of adornment for one of the episodes of primary inhumation. Other finds include glass vessel fragments including the remains of lamps (Cf. MF 1992-36), which along with the pottery were fragmentary and part of the fill covering the burials rather than grave goodsthemselves. This fill comes from contexts dating to the late 13th to early 14th centuries by pottery. One fragment of green glazed painted bowl joins to a fragment found in fill 52 (C 2014-6). Two coins may have been associated with either the interments or with the later grave fill closing the grave (coins 2014-58, Byzantine in date, and 2014-68, 1278-1289 AD Charles I or II Anjou, minted at Clarenza), while another four were associated with the later grave filling episode only. Of these four coins, one (2014-84) was illegible, two illegible but possibly Late Roman (2014-95, -96), and one (2014-99) from an imitative Bulgarian mint, dating to 1195. While these finds suggest a terminus post quem for the grave fill in the Frankish period, thegrave cut and the burial episodes date to at least the 15th century as this grave cuts through the already damaged remains of the cement subfloor (47) in the center aisle of the nave. As Grave 2014-04 furthermore truncates Grave 2014-07 to the N, further evidence for the later date from Grave 2014-04 comes from the late date for the fill of Grave 2014-07 and the fact that this grave must have been constructed after Grave 2014-07 went out of use. While the terminus post quem of Grave 1990-41A-C to the south was initially given by coin 1990-325 as 1289-1297 AD, this grave truncates Grave 2014-04 in turn. The late date of the fill for Grave 2014-07 and the stratigraphic relationship of Grave 2014-04 to the cement subfloor (47) therefore incorporates all three graves into a use sequence extending north to south along the narthex cross wall (Wall 21) during the Turkish I period. ; ; Graves 2014-03 and 2014-10 ; ; During the same time period as these burials, Graves 2014-03 and 2014-10 were cut side by side and parallel to each other through the decorative cosmati flooring in the center aisle of the church. Grave 2014-06 also appears to be contemporary as it cuts into fill from the same depth in the north aisle in the nave (Context 506). Grave 2014-10 (Cut 528, 1072.52-1070.45 N, 124.81-124.28 E, filled by deposit 508) was an oval pit grave (L 2.07 m, W 0.52 m, Depth 0.70 m) containing one primary inhumation. Skeleton 516 (Bone Lot 2014-19), an adult female of as yet indeterminate age at time of death, was laid in an extended, supine position with the head to the north, facing south. The mandible was not propped in place with stones or tiles. The head and shoulders were elevated on tiles and fill and the arms were crossed over the abdomen, right over left, with the palms down and resting on the body. The legs were extended, knees slightly to the west though mostly straight out from the body. Green staining on the anterior and dorsal surfaces of the mandible most likely indicate that this individual was buried wearing a bronze chain or pendant which has not preserved. The grave fill deposited on top of the burial gives a terminus post quem of the late 13th, early 14th century and includes sherds from unslipped metallic ware as well as glass fragments. However, the presence of cosmati flooring fragments and the fact that this grave cuts the bedding for the decorative flooring, much as does Grave 2014-04, indicates a later date for this grave contemporary with Grave 2014-04. ; ; Grave 2014-03 (Cut 126, 1072.68-1070.59 N, 125.75-125.00 E, filled by deposit 112) was an oval pit grave (L 2.09 m, W 0.75 m, Depth 0.74 m) excavated during Session 1. As the fill of this grave indicated a terminus post quem of Byzantine date, this grave was initially dated by stratigraphic relationships to the Frankish period. As this grave is clearly aligned parallel to Grave 2014-10, and both appear to have been marked by columns likewise placed parallel to each other, these graves should be considered to have been cut as part of the same burial activity. The orientation of Skeleton 127 (Bone Lot 2014-03) was moreover identical to that of Skeleton 516, with the head to the north, facing south and with the head and shoulders elevated on earth and tile and the arms crossed over the abdomen.; ; CONCLUSIONS AND FURTHER STUDY; ; Excavation completed during Sessions 2 and 3 of this season revealed evidence for major changes in understanding the sequence of human activities in this building. Completion of excavation on Graves 2014-04 and 2014-10 suggests amendments to the chronological placement of the cement bedding for the later floor (47) which was first exposed during the 1990 field season (NB 835, B43-B44, p.78-81) and portions of which were removed during Session 1 of this field season. As the farthest east extent of the grave cut for Grave 2014-07 cuts this cement bedding, the flooring supported by this bedding is therefore assumed to date to the Frankish period but earlier than the graves themselves, which presumably punched through this flooring after this space was no longer in use or in need of beautification. Fragments of decorative Cosmati-style flooring were recovered in multiple contexts in the previous session, as well as in all of the graves excavated in Sessions 2 and 3, and are assumed to represent part of the original flooring supported by this bedding. Completion of excavation on Grave 2014-10 confirms that this grave also cuts through the subfloor, and the similarities in burial morphology and skeletal orientation suggest that the other graves cut in the church nave away from the walls date similarly late and should likewise be considered to have been cut after this space was no longer in use as a church. This changes the chronological assessment of how this space was used, as it is based on evidence that was not available after completion of Session 1 this year. As the construction of the cosmati floor is dated to the early 14th century and the fill from the graves dates to the mid-14th and later, this supposes that the decorative flooring in the church was protected as an extension of the space being enclosed and the building being in use for at least a fifty year time period before the space came into its final use as a cemetery.; ; Graves 2014-03, 2014-04, 2014-07, 2014-10, and 1990-41A-C form evidence for the latest clear use of this space as a burial area, possibly after the church itself was no longer recognizable as they were not succeeded by a clear floor. Grave 2014-06 probably dates similarly late as its fill contained fragments of the decorative cosmati flooring which was likely cut into by graves constructed in the central aisle of the church. As the fill overlying the unexcavated possible osteotheke in the northwest corner of the nave and the unexcavated subadult grave along the robbing trench for Wall 20 contained fragments of cosmati flooring and other late context pottery, it is probable that these graves will likewise date to the same period of use.; ; Graves 2014-07, 2014-04, and 1990-41A-C form a sequence of pit graves cut along the east face of wall 21, disturbing earlier grave cuts or structures in the case of Graves 2014-04 and 2014-07, and reusing a similar, earlier structure in the case of Grave 1990-41A-C. The child burial (NB 835, B62, p. 111-112; burial episode recorded as Grave 1990-41C) might represent the inhumation originally associated with the built stone cist in the grave furthest south. This sequence, first starting in the northwest corner of the nave and progressing to the south, is dated by stratigraphic relationship to Grave 2014-07, which contains fill with pottery from the mid-14th century AD and later, and the fact that Grave 2014-04 cuts the cement bedding for a floor dating to the early 14th century. Each grave in this sequence contained primary, extended burials over the top of which disarticulated skeletal elements were piled. In Grave 2014-07, this secondary burial appears to mainly consist of one, fairly complete, individual, while in Graves 2014-04 and 1990-41A-C, a number of commingled individuals make up the disarticulated bone pile, possibly indicating that during their lifespans of use, primary burials were removed from the grave while a new body was interred, with the disarticulated skeletal elements from previous burials then placed back, commingled in the grave. Small differences in mortuary behavior accompany the construction and use of each consecutive grave pit. Grave 2014-07 included only one episode of reuse wherein the previous inhumation appears to have been covered with grave fill prior to exhumation. Grave 2014-04 was left open for an extended period of time and went through at least five episodes of reuse.The adult primary inhumation in Grave 1990-41 (1990-41A) was buried with the head to the south end of the grave, while the heads of primary inhumations in the other two graves are in the north end of these graves. ; ; This disruption in burial behavior could be a further indication of slow, small diachronic changes in burial practices. Initial stages of these changes separate this burial sequence chronologically from the burials excavated in 1995 and 1996 in Room 4/D (Williams et al. 1998; NB 880, 895) -which are earlier than the graves excavated this year-and the burials excavated in 1990, 1995 and 1996 which cut into the sterile red layer in the narthex and to the south of the church-which are later than the graves excavated this year (Williams and Zervos 1991; NB 829, 831, 864). Graves 2014-03, 2014-10, 2014-04, 2014-07 and 1990-41A-C lacked propping tiles next to the skulls and under the mandibles of primary inhumations and showed no signs of coffin usage, separating them from the other two burial groups. These graves along the narthex cross wall furthermore show signs of consistency in the reuse of the same grave cut or even the same grave for these burials rather than cutting a new, possibly overlapping and truncating, pit for every burial episode (Williams et al. 1998; NB 864, 880, 895).As the paleopathological analysis of the inhumations in Room 4/D identified that many in this population suffered from debilitating illnesses, it was suggested that these burials date to the Frankish period along with the hospital complex identified in Unit 2 (Barnes 2003; Williams et al. 1998). The orientation of the interred bodies in these earlier graves are likewise E-W or NE-SW with heads to the west rather thanN-S, though two skeletons excavated in 1990 were buried N-S with their heads to the south (Williams and Zervos 1991) and a number of subadults buried in Room 4/D were likewise buried along the east wall of the room (Williams et al. 1998). These aberrations were assumed to take their orientation from their proximity to the building (Williams and Zervos 1991). This could suggest that the grave sequence along the narthex cross wall similarly takes its orientation from proximity to architecture, though the shared orientation of the inhumations in Graves 2014-03, 2014-06 and 2014-10 in the church nave throws this hypothesis into question.The N-S skeletal orientation, together with the lack of propping tiles for the head or mandible, and the elevation of the head and torso above the rest of the body with the legs extended straight and the arms crossed over the abdomen, indicate instead that these graves form a temporally distinct grouping.; ; The majority of skeletons excavated in the sterile red layer overlying the south end of the churchand therefore dating to later than the grave sequence along the narthex cross wall were single inhumations laid in coffins in non-overlapping grave cuts, and did not appear to be individually marked. Those burials not interred in coffins appear to have had stones propping the head much as the graves in Room 4/D. This area is suggested to have been used as a cemetery into the early Turkish period as coin 1990-91 (Ottoman issue, 1481-1512 AD) was discovered in Grave 1990-34 and another coin 1990-145 (AD 1603-1617) was in Grave 1990-08 from this area.; ; At the end of the excavation season, the relationship of the bench-like structure to the cement bedding remains uncertain, and further excavation in the northwest corner of the nave may clarify their chronological placement. Excavation in this area during Session 3 had exposed the tops of at least two skulls (529), and the excavation of a possible osteotheke so late in the excavation season was deemed unwise. This grave will need to be removed before any subsequent contexts can be excavated in the church nave.; ; Recommendations for future work in this area:; ; 1.     Remove the remaining balk of the cement bedding (47) (left during Session 1) cut by Graves 2014-04 to the west and 2014-10 to the east. This has the potential of resolving the chronological placement of the plaster surface below the cement bedding for the floor.; 2.    The grave (possible osteotheke) in the NW corner of the nave needs to be removed prior to further excavation in this area.; 3.     Further excavation in the northwest corner of the nave may clarify the relationship of the bench-like structure (302) to the cement bedding for the floor (47).; 4.    The subadult grave, partially exposed during cleaning of the south scarp of the robbing trench (Context 524) needs to be removed after its grave cut becomes better defined during excavation. This grave may be associated with a gold and possibly silver gilded bronze pendant (MF 2014-56) recovered during cleaning this area.; 5.     As an even lower floor for the church was potentially identified in the south profile of the robbing trench for Wall 20, it is likely that another section will be opened in the church floor to gain a better understanding of the earlier use phases of the church.; 6.     Osteological analysis is currently underway for these graves and other burials excavated this season, and may provide further information as to the cemetery demographics and the life ways of the individuals buried in the church during this time period.","Temple E, Southeast 2014 by Larkin Kennedy and Jody Cundy (2014-05-06 to 2014-06-27)","","Corinthia | Ancient Corinth | Central Area | Temple E, Temenos | Temple E, Southeast","Report"