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"Agora:PublicationPage:Agora-24-15","","","","","The Athenian Agora; Volume 24; Late Antiquity A.D. 267-700; Table of Contents; Prosperity Decline and Disaster","Agora 24","Agora:PublicationPage:Agora-24-15::/Agora/Publications/Agora/Agora 024/Agora 024 015 (xii).png::1484::2048","Agora 24, s. 15, p. xii","","","Agora","","PublicationPage"
"Agora:Webpage:3d47492a7d4cca98fbe7153655364ed8","","http://agathe.gr/publications/monographs.html","","","","Monographs Excavations in the civic and cultural center of classical Athens began in 1931 and have continued almost without interruption to the present day. The first Athenian Agora volumes presenting the results of excavations appeared in 1953 and, as scholars complete their research, further titles continue to be published. Each volume covers a particular chronological period, set of buildings, or class of material culture. The series includes studies of lamps, sculpture, coins, inscriptions, and pottery. Because most of these ancient finds can be dated stratigraphically, these typological catalogues are invaluable reference works for archaeologists around the Mediterranean. All monographs are published by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. You can order monographs online through Oxbow Books. Portrait Sculpture Author: Harrison, E. B.Publication Date: 1953ISBN: 978-0-87661-201-9Volume: 1 Presented in catalogue form are 64 portrait heads, headless torsos, and fragments (of both categories) ranging in date from the first half of the 1st century B.C. to the 5th century A.D. The catalogue is preceded by an introduction dealing with “finding-places,” “material,” “forms of portraits,” and “subjects.” Special emphasis is placed on stylistic criteria for dating each work, and the more interesting examples are discussed in some detail. There are not many great works of art illustrated, but many interesting types. As the author says in her introduction, “the Agora portraits interest us, not because they are unique, but because they are representative.” JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Coins: From the Roman through the Venetian Period Author: Thompson, M.Publication Date: 1954ISBN: 978-0-87661-202-6Volume: 2 Of the 55,492 coins that were recovered from the Athenian Agora during excavations from 1931 to 1949, this catalogue presents 37,000. These range in date from the last century of the Roman Republic to the declining years of the Republic of Venice. As the short historical survey that introduces the book indicates, this volume is intended to be a tabulation rather than study. It was written to provide prompt publication of the material excavated, and the catalogue is clear, fully documented, and easy to refer to. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Literary and Epigraphical Testimonia Author: Wycherley, R. E.Publication Date: 1957ISBN: 978-0-87661-203-3Volume: 3 Here are presented all the ancient written references, both literary and epigraphical, to the Agora (including its environs) and its monuments. The introduction summarizes chronologically the authors cited, evaluating the contributions of each. The texts are given in the original Greek or Latin, followed by a translation and a commentary. They are grouped in parts: the Stoas, Shrines, Public Buildings and Offices, Market, Honorary Statues, Miscellaneous including Boundaries, Trees, Kerameikos, Panathenaic Street, Old Agora. Within each part the monuments are arranged alphabetically and under each monument the texts are listed alphabetically by author with inscriptions at the end. Many texts not given numbers in this order are included in the archaeological and topographical commentaries. Each section on a monument opens with a brief synopsis of the evidence contained in the texts which follow. The index of authors gives dates and editions as well as passages and inscriptions cited, and is followed by an index of subjects. The plates show plans of the Agora and its environs and of the route of Pausanias. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Greek Lamps and Their Survivals Author: Howland, R. H.Publication Date: 1973ISBN: 978-0-87661-204-0Volume: 4 The author has used the trustworthy chronological data supplied by the scientific excavation of “closed deposits” at the Athenian Agora to build a continuous series of lamp types from the 7th century B.C. to the 1st century A.D. Many photographs and profiles of sections permit ready identification, and a handy graphical chart of lamp types facilitates quick checking of the chronological range of each. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Pottery of the Roman Period: Chronology Author: Robinson, H. S.Publication Date: 1959ISBN: 978-0-87661-205-7Volume: 5 A group of closed deposits, ranging in date from the 1st century B.C. to the early 7th century A.D., provide evidence for the relative and absolute chronology of pottery used during many centuries of Roman domination—from the sack of Athens by Sulla in 86 B.C. to the Byzantine period. A descriptive catalogue divides the pottery into eight groups, arranged into chronologically differentiated layers. Prefacing the catalogue of each group, a brief general description gives the location, chronological limitations, basis for dating, etc., and then the individual items are described in considerable detail. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Terracottas and Plastic Lamps of the Roman Period Author: Grandjouan, C.Publication Date: 1971ISBN: 978-0-87661-206-4Volume: 6 The volume contains a short introduction, a classification by types, a critical catalogue, a register of the dated contexts, concordances and indexes, and an excursus by T. B. L. Webster on the theatrical figurines. Nearly half of the 1,100 items are illustrated with photographs. The subjects of the (mostly fragmentary) figurines are revealing. To the Greek deities of earlier times are added Oriental figures like Serapis, Isis, Harpokrates, Attis, as well as Egyptian priests and Asiatic dancers. The molded “plastic” lamps that are included in this volume were probably made in the same workshops as the figurines. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Lamps of the Roman Period, First to Seventh Century after Christ Author: Perlzweig, J.Publication Date: 1961ISBN: 978-0-87661-207-1Volume: 7 Nearly 3,000 specimens of lamps of “Roman” character are catalogued in this volume that covers the period from the 1st century B.C. to the 8th century A.D. The lamps are not easy to classify because the appearance of the clay used is not an infallible guide to the place of manufacture and the molds used to create the shapes were used widely around the Mediterranean. Terracotta lamps were probably made for local consumption in most cities of Greece; only a few centers, notably Athens and Corinth, developed an export trade capable of competing with local manufacturers. Since lamps from Athens do appear at other sites, the presentation of a well-dated sample of these finds provides useful reference material for scholars working at other sites. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Late Geometric and Protoattic Pottery, Mid 8th to Late 7th Century B.C. Author: Brann, E. T. H.Publication Date: 1961ISBN: 978-0-87661-208-8Volume: 8 This volume reports on Athenian pottery found in the Athenian Agora up to 1960 that can dated from about the middle of the 8th century, when “the appearance of a painter of sufficient personal distinction to enliven the whole craft” marks a real break from the earlier Geometric style, through the third quarter of the 7th century when Protoattic gives way to black-figure and black wares. A sampling of contemporary imported ware is included. The material is treated first by shape and then, more extensively, by painting styles. Some 650 characteristic pieces are selected for cataloguing. The introduction discusses the development of the various shapes and styles, characterizing the special techniques and innovations of the period. The topographical features of the Agora that are indicated by the places of discovery of deposits of late Geometric and Protoattic pottery are summarized under wells, houses, workshops, sanctuaries, cemeteries, and roads. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside The Islamic Coins Author: Miles, G. C.Publication Date: 1962ISBN: 978-0-87661-209-5Volume: 9 All but 9 of the 6,449 Islamic coins found at Athenian Agora up to the date when this book was written belong to the Ottoman period. The earliest datable Ottoman coin is from the reign of Mehmed I (1413-21). Most of the coins come from overseas mints such as those of Istanbul, Cairo, Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia. Although the name of Athens cannot be read on any coin, the author thinks that many of the crude coppers of the 15th to 16th centuries A.D. were locally struck. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Weights, Measures and Tokens Authors: Lang, M., Crosby, M.Publication Date: 1964ISBN: 978-0-87661-210-1Volume: 10 The first part of this book deals with weights (14 bronze, 109-111 lead, 28 stone) and measures (75 dry, 28-31 liquid). Although humble objects, the detailed study of these everyday items provides archaeological evidence for substantial changes in weight standards at different times in Athenian history. This reinforces literary evidence for a highly centralized bureaucracy controlling trade and commerce. In the second part of the book, Crosby catalogues and discusses some 900 lead and 46 clay tokens uncovered during the Agora excavations. The bulk of the lead material dates from the Roman period, while all the clay pieces belong to the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd centuries B.C. These tokens served diverse functions. Some were used as admission tickets for festivals and theater performances while others can be related to attendance at lawcourts or receipt of tax payments. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Archaic and Archaistic Sculpture Author: Harrison, E. B.Publication Date: 1965ISBN: 978-0-87661-211-7Volume: 11 Over 170 catalogued pieces of sculpture from the Athenian Agora are divided into four sections: the genuinely Archaic in date and form, the “archaistic” imitating Archaic originals (late 5th century to early 4th century B.C.), and two restricted groups of sculpture common in Athens. The latter are the Hekataia (a triple Hekate figure) and the herms. The chronological range is thus from the earliest Archaic kouros (ca. 600 B.C.) through the herms and Hekataia of the Roman period. Among other questions, the author explores the nature of the archaizing movement and the different types of herms and how they were used in the Agora. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Black and Plain Pottery of the 6th, 5th and 4th Centuries B.C. Authors: Sparkes, B. A., Tallcott, L.Publication Date: 1970ISBN: 978-0-87661-212-5Volume: 12 This massive (two-part) volume focuses on pottery produced between 600 and 300 B.C. with Sparkes discussing the black glaze and Talcott the domestic (household and kitchen) wares of the period. Over 2,040 pieces of black-glaze pottery are catalogued and described, with many drawings and photographs. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside The Neolithic and Bronze Ages Author: Immerwahr, S. A.Publication Date: 1971ISBN: 978-0-87661-213-2Volume: 13 The finds in the Athenian Agora from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages have added important chronological context to the earliest eras of Athenian history. The bulk of the items are pottery, but stone, bone, and metal objects also occur. Selected material from the Neolithic and from the Early and Middle Helladic periods is catalogued by fabric and then shape and forms the basis of detailed discussions of the wares (by technique, shapes, and decoration), the stone and bone objects, and their relative and absolute chronology. The major part of the volume is devoted to the Mycenaean period, the bulk of it to the cemetery of forty-odd tombs and graves with detailed discussions of architectural forms; of funeral rites; of offerings of pottery, bronze, ivory, and jewelry; and of chronology. Pottery from wells, roads, and other deposits as well as individual vases without significant context, augment the pottery from tombs as the basis of a detailed analysis of Mycenaean pottery. A chapter on historical conclusions deals with all areas of Mycenaean Athens. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside The Agora of Athens. The History, Shape and Uses of an Ancient City Center Authors: Thompson, H. A., Wycherley, R. E.Publication Date: 1972ISBN: 978-0-87661-214-9Volume: 14 The subtitle, The History, Shape and Uses of an Ancient City Center, suggests the general character of this volume, which provides an overview of the area that served as the civic center of Athens from about 600 B.C. to A.D. 267. After a general resumé of the historical development of the Agora, the monuments are treated in detail, grouped by their use and purpose. Each monument is discussed in the light of both the literary and the archaeological evidence for its identification and its restoration. In the light of the topographical conclusions the route of Pausanias is traced. A chapter “After the Heruli” follows the fortunes of the area from A.D. 267 till the 19th century; the last century is treated in the detailed report of “The Excavations” up to 1971. This is a definitive survey of the historical and topographical results of 40 years of American excavations. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Inscriptions: The Athenian Councillors Authors: Merrit, B. D., Traill, J.Publication Date: 1974ISBN: 978-0-87661-215-6Volume: 15 This book presents 494 dedications made by, and honoring, members of the Athenian administrative assembly (prytaneis) between 408/7 B.C. and A.D. 231/2. The inscriptions are important because they enable scholars to reconstruct a more precise chronological framework for Hellenistic and later Athenian history while also increasing understanding of the political organization of Attica. With thousands of names from 700 years of administration listed, the dedications also provide a rich source for prosopographers. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Inscriptions: The Decrees Author: Woodhead, A. G.Publication Date: 1997ISBN: 978-0-87661-216-3Volume: 16 Edited texts, with extensive commentary, of some 344 fragments of Attic decrees dating from the mid-5th century B.C. to A.D. 203, found in excavations of the Athenian Agora before 1967, with brief notes on additional material found up to 1975. Well-documented discussions of individual archon years are supplied at the appropriate points in the chronological arrangement. In a field known for controversy, the author reviews the principal readings, restorations, and interpretations, achieving a balance between extreme positions. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Inscriptions: The Funerary Monuments Author: Bradeen, D. W.Publication Date: 1972ISBN: 978-0-87661-217-0Volume: 17 This volume presents the funerary inscriptions found in the Athenian Agora between 1931 and 1968. In addition, all Agora fragments of the public casualty lists known in 1971 have been included, together with fragments associated with them but found elsewhere, although the latter are not discussed in full. Of the 1,099 inscriptions catalogued here, 238 are published for the first time. With the exception of 6 (previously published), all contain a sure name, ethnic, or demotic. In accordance with the established policy of the Excavations of the Athenian Agora, a photograph is included of every stone for which none has appeared previously. The catalogue is arranged alphabetically by demotics and ethnics; the indexes include names, tribes, geographical names, significant Greek words, and Latin words. The author’s unparalleled familiarity with Attic funerary scripts enabled him to offer valuable chronological suggestions for otherwise undatable private monuments and his historical understanding gave new meaning to the public funerary monuments. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Inscriptions: The Dedicatory Monuments Author: Geagan, D.Publication Date: 2009ISBN: 978-0-87661-218-7Volume: 18 This is the last of five volumes presenting inscriptions discovered in the Athenian Agora between 1931 and 1967. Published here are inscriptions on monuments commemorating events or victories, on statues or other representations erected to honor individuals and deities, and on votive offerings to divinities. Most are dated to between the 4th century B.C. and the 2nd century A.D., but a few survive from the Archaic and Late Roman periods. A final section contains monuments that are potentially, but not certainly, dedicatory in character, and a small number of grave markers omitted from Agora XVII. Each of the 773 catalogue entries includes a description of the object inscribed, bibliography, a transcription of the Greek text, and commentary. There are photographs of each piece of which no adequate illustration has yet been published, including newly joined fragments. The volume concludes with concordances, bibliography, and an index of persons named in the inscriptions. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Inscriptions: Horoi, Poletai Records, and Leases of Public Lands Authors: Lalonde, G.V., Langdon, M. K., Walbank, M. B.Publication Date: 1991ISBN: 978-0-87661-219-4Volume: 19 The three types of inscription from the Athenian Agora presented in this volume are all concerned with important civic matters. Part I, by Gerald V. Lalonde, includes all the horoi found in the excavations; most of them had been brought into the area for reuse at a later period. An introductory essay discusses the various purposes the horoi served, whether as markers of actual boundaries or private records of security for debt. The various types are illustrated in photographs. In Part II Merle K. Langdon publishes all the known records of the Athenian poletai, a board of magistrates charged with letting contracts for public works, leasing the state-owned silver mines and the privilege of collecting taxes, and leasing or selling confiscated property. The catalogue is preceded by an account of the nature of these transactions and the history of the poletai. Part III, by Michael B. Walbank, presents the records of leases for public and sacred lands, which once stood in the Agora; the documents are now in both the Agora and the Epigraphical Museums in Athens. The discussion considers the history and the terms of the leases. The three sections are followed by combined concordances and indices, with photographs of all stones not previously published. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside The Church of the Holy Apostles Author: Frantz, A.Publication Date: 1971ISBN: 978-0-87661-220-0Volume: 20 The Church of the Holy Apostles stands at an important crossroads in the southeast corner of the area of the ancient Agora. The earliest church on the site, built over a wall of the 5th-century B.C. Mint and the foundations of the Roman Nymphaeum, is here dated to the last quarter of the 10th century on the basis of its plan and details. The original plan was revealed as a tetraconch cross-in-square with dome on pendentives carried on arches supported by four freestanding columns, the west of the four apses penetrating into the narthex. Fifteen tombs of this first period were excavated under the floor of the church proper and the narthex. In a second period, probably in the late 17th or early 18th century, repairs after damage from the 1687 fighting made changes in the narthex and dome and the interior was covered with paintings. War in 1826 again caused damage which was repaired in Period III with further changes and additions. Finally in 1876-1882 (Period IV) the west end was again rebuilt and the last vestiges of the west apse removed. The architectural type is studied in relation to other churches in Greece, and the restoration is described. The plates give the author’s photos of the structure before, during, and after restoration and drawings of elevations, sections, and plans. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Graffiti and Dipinti Author: Lang, M.Publication Date: 1976ISBN: 978-0-87661-221-7Volume: 21 Over 3,000 informal inscriptions scratched or painted on pottery, lamps, or other clay fragments have been found in the excavations of the Athenian Agora. In this volume, 859 of these graffiti and dipinti (representing those with sufficient content to be meaningful) are presented in catalogue and drawings. The texts consist of messages and lists, love names and curses, rough calculations, dedications, commercial and tax notations—in short, all manner of fascinating, all-too-human trivia. An introduction to each category defines the type, indicates special characteristics and suggests parallels, purpose, etc. Each example is illustrated in a line drawing with the exception of the tax notations (dipinti); in this case photographs seemed preferable owing to the fugitive medium and the run-on cursive forms. This skillful presentation of an important body of material contributes significantly to the study of informal Greek, especially in regard to letter forms and spelling, as well as to an understanding of the varying commercial practices in ancient Athens. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Hellenistic Pottery: Athenian and Imported Mouldmade Bowls Author: Rotroff, SPublication Date: 1982ISBN: 978-0-87661-222-4Volume: 22 This volume is the first of two to present the Hellenistic fine ware from the excavations in the Athenian Agora. Its scope is restricted to the moldmade hemispherical bowls manufactured from the late 3rd century to the early 1st century B.C. in Athens. The material studied, consisting of some 1,400 fragments of which about 800 were inventoried by the excavators, was unearthed between 1931 and 1973. Of the inventoried pieces, 364 fragments of bowls and molds are catalogued and discussed here, with 40 additional imported pieces, 6 related moldmade examples of other shapes, and 5 pieces used in the manufacturing process. The author first discusses the origins and dating of the bowls and then takes up the various types, in order of appearance on the historical scene: pine-cone, imbricate, floral, and figured bowls and their workshops and chronology, long-petal bowls, and other special types such as concentric-semicircle and daisy bowls. The discussion is followed by a detailed catalogue including references to comparanda. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Attic Black-Figured Pottery Authors: Moore, M. B., Philippides, M. Z. P.Publication Date: 1986ISBN: 978-0-87661-223-1Volume: 23 This volume is the first of the Athenian Agora reports to deal specifically with figured wares; it is concerned with the black-figured pottery found in the excavations in the Athenian Agora between 1931 and 1967, most of it in dumped fill especially in wells and cisterns. These deposits have been published separately in previous reports; by presenting them as a body, the authors are able to show how it complements and supplements the existing chronological and stylistic framework of shapes and artists. All the important pieces are shown in photographs, as well as all complete vases and those with particular problems. Profile drawings and reconstructions of the composition are supplied in a few special cases. Summary descriptions of references and a site plan are given for the deposits, which are also identified in the concordance of catalogue and inventory numbers. There are indexes of potters, painters, groups, and classes; subjects; shape and ornament; collections and provenances; and a general index. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Late Antiquity, A.D. 267-700 Author: Frantz, A.Publication Date: 1988ISBN: 978-0-87661-224-8Volume: 24 This book collects for the first time the archaeological and historical evidence for the area of the Athenian Agora in late antiquity, a period which spans the last flourishing of the great philosophical schools, the defeat of classical paganism by Christianity, and the collapse of the late Roman Empire. Although the primary focus of this volume is the material uncovered by the Agora excavations, the study also takes into account past and current discoveries elsewhere in the city. The author draws on archaeological, epigraphical, and literary evidence to present a comprehensive account of the history and topography of the city in the years before A.D. 700. The course of Athenian construction and destruction is traced from the mid-3rd century, through the Herulian invasion, to the period of recovery in the 3rd and 4th centuries (ending with the invasion of the Visigoth, Alaric, in A.D. 396). The 5th century is described, which saw the closing of the schools of philosophy by Justinian and the first Christian churches, and the gradual decline of the city until the Slavic invasion of the 580s, when Athens began an accelerated slide into oblivion. Special attention is paid to questions surrounding the history of the philosophical and rhetorical schools, the establishment of Christianity, and the removal of works of art from Athens to Constantinople. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Ostraka Author: Lang, L.Publication Date: 1990ISBN: 978-0-87661-225-5Volume: 25 The scraps of pottery on which were written the names of candidates for ostracism are one of the most intriguing pieces of evidence for ancient democracy found in the Athenian Agora. This book is a complete catalogue and discussion of these sherds. Chapter One discusses the history of ostracism in Athens with brief remarks about the “candidates.” Chapter Two concentrates on the physical evidence of the ostraka, their identification, appearance, and content. Chapter Three presents the groups in which most of them were found; their distribution is indicated on a plan of the excavation area. Chapter Four is the catalogue of 1,145 ostraka, arranged by candidates. To these pieces are appended the 191 ostraka, almost all nominating Themistokles, found by Oscar Broneer in a well on the North Slope of the Acropolis. A large number of the Agora ostraka are illustrated with line drawings, a representative selection with photographs. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside The Greek Coins Authors: Kroll, J. H., Walker, A. S.Publication Date: 1993ISBN: 978-0-87661-226-2Volume: 26 This volume catalogues over 16,577 identifiable Greek coins produced by the excavations of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens between 1931 and 1990. The majority of the coins found and catalogued are Athenian bronze, from the 4th century B.C. through the 3rd century A.D. Included as well are the Athenian silver and the hundreds of non-Athenian gold, silver, and bronze coins that made their way into the Agora in antiquity Considerable attention is paid to the archaeological context of the coins and to presenting a pictorial record of the Greek coinage from the Agora, with more than 1,035 coins illustrated. Substantial introductory discussions place all the coins in clear historical and numismatic contexts and give a sense of the range of international commercial activity in the ancient city. This comprehensive reference work is indispensable for students and scholars of Greek coinage and history. Presenting a reliable chronology of Athens’ bronze coinage for the first time, it will be the standard reference for this important coinage in particular for years to come. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside The East Side of the Agora: The Remains beneath the Stoa of Attalos Author: Townsend, R. F.Publication Date: 1995ISBN: 978-0-87661-227-9Volume: 27 The Stoa of Attalos now covers the remains several centuries of previous occupation. Mycenaean and Protogeometric burials represent the early use of the area. By the Late Geometric period, the presence of a few wells indicates a shift to domestic occupation; others containing 6th-century material suggest the presence of workshops and commercial activity as well as houses. The earliest physical remains are those of an Archaic altar; some rubble structures may have been hastily built by refugees during the Peloponnesian War. At the end of the 5th century, a group of public buildings was constructed, perhaps to house some of the lawcourts. About 300 B.C., these were replaced by an imposing structure, the Square Peristyle, which could have housed four lawcourts simultaneously, each with a jury of 500. Still unfinished when it was dismantled in the first quarter of the second century B.C., its materials were carefully reused in other projects, especially in South Stoa II. The evidence for these centuries is now limited to the meticulous records of the excavators and the finds now stored in the Stoa of Attalos, where some few remains still in situ are visible in the basement. The author’s success in making a coherent and orderly presentation rests on the care and diligence of the excavators as well as his own painstaking search through the records. The physical reconstruction is accompanied by a catalogue of archtitectural blocks; the discussion of the chronology is supported by the stratigraphic evidence and a catalogue of pottery. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside The Lawcourts at Athens: Sites, Buildings, Equipment, Procedure, and Testimonia Authors: Alan L. Boegehold, John McK. Camp, II, Margaret Crosby, Mabel Lang, David R. Jordan, Rhys F. TownsendPublication Date: 1995ISBN: 978-0-87661-228-6Volume: 28 A comprehensive, three-part study of the sites and procedures of Athenian lawcourts in the 5th, 4th, and 3rd centuries B.C. Part I discusses various courts, their names and possible sites, and reconstructs their history and daily workings, synthesizing literary, documentary, and physical evidence. Part II discusses the buildings which could have served as courts and the objects found in them. Such court paraphernalia included ballots, receptacles for documents, water clocks (used to time speeches), allotments machines and their accessories (for assigning jurors to the courts), seating tokens, and a curse tablet. Part III collects 355 testimonia on Athenian lawcourts, with Greek text, translation, and commentary. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Hellenistic Pottery: Athenian and Imported Wheelmade Table Ware and Related Material Author: Rotroff, S.Publication Date: 1997ISBN: 978-0-87661-229-3Volume: 29 The second of two volumes on the Hellenistic fine ware unearthed in excavations in the Athenian Agora, this book presents the Hellenistic wheelmade table ware and votive vessels found between 1931 and 1982, some 1,500 Attic and 300 imported pieces. An introductory section includes chapters devoted to fixed points in the chronology of the pottery, to a general discussion of the decoration of Hellenistic pots, both stamped and painted, or “West Slope,” and to the question of workshops. The author dedicates much of the text to a typology of Attic Hellenistic fine ware, carefully examining the origins, development, chronology, forms, and decoration of each shape. The ordering of the material by function rather than by the form of vessels provides insight into life in Hellenistic Athens. Especially important is the development of a chronological framework that builds upon and refines the author’s earlier work in this area. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Attic Red-Figured and White-Ground Pottery Author: Moore, M. B.Publication Date: 1997ISBN: 978-0-87661-230-9Volume: 30 This volume presents the inventoried red-figure and white-ground pottery found in the Agora Excavations between 1931 and 1967. Although many of these vases have already been published in various reports and special studies, this is the first time that all have appeared together, and this study gives a full accounting of them. Because almost all the shapes known in Attic red figure have been found in the Agora, these pieces provide a unique opportunity for study. The two introductory sections serve as a useful overview for the entire state of knowledge of Attic red-figure painting. The first gives a brief description of each vase shape and its development, and then shows how the Agora pieces fit into this sequence; the second follows this same format for groups of painters. In the catalogue, measurements and descriptions are given for 1,684 pieces, with relevant comparanda and up-to-date references. Inscriptions, graffiti, and dipinti are included, as well as reconstruction drawings of some of the more important or unusual scenes. The volume concludes with deposit summaries, concordance, and six indexes. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside The City Eleusinion Author: Miles, M.Publication Date: 1998ISBN: 978-0-87661-231-6Volume: 31 An archaeological study of the City Eleusinion in Athens, the sanctuary of Eleusinian Demeter and the city terminus for the annual Eleusinian Mysteries. The book presents the stratigraphical evidence from excavations of a part of the sanctuary (conducted in the 1930s and 1959-1960), the remains of the Temple of Triptolemos, a Hellenistic stoa, and a propylon, and contains extensive descriptions of the context pottery, a discussion of the ritual vessel plemochoe, and catalogues of inscriptions, sculpture, and architectural pieces from the sanctuary. There is a survey of the topography of the sanctuary and its environs on the North Slope of the Acropolis, and a discussion of its relationship to Eleusis and its position as a landmark within the city of Athens. Since a significant portion of the sanctuary still lies unexcavated under the modern city, the book includes a detailed assessment of the only evidence known so far for the various phases of use of the sanctuary, from the earliest evidence of the 7th century B.C. to the late antique period. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Roman Pottery: Fine-Ware Imports Author: Hayes, J.Publication Date: 2008ISBN: 978-0-87661-232-3Volume: 32 Examples of Roman period red-gloss and red-slip pottery generally termed terra sigillata found during excavations in the Athenian Agora form the focus of this volume. These fine wares, like the other table wares of the first seven centuries A.D. discussed here, were all imported—a very different situation to earlier periods where Athens was known as a great ceramic-making center, and perhaps the result of mass destruction of potters’ workshops during the Sullan sack of 86 B.C. While the image of a demolished pottery industry is tragic, the consequent conglomeration of finewares from many parts of the Roman empire in one city makes the Athenian Agora a tremendous source of comparanda for archaeologists working all round the Mediterranean. Written by the world’s leading expert on Roman pottery, this huge catalogue illustrating and identifying multiple shapes and types of decoration will therefore be an essential reference book. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Hellenistic Pottery: The Plain Wares Author: Rotroff, S.Publication Date: 2008ISBN: 978-0-87661-233-0Volume: 33 This manuscript represents the third and final volume in the publication of the Hellenistic pottery unearthed by the American excavations in the Athenian Agora. The first installment (Agora XXII) was devoted to the moldmade bowls and the second (Agora XXIX) to the remainder of the fine ware. The third presents the plain wares, including household pottery, oil containers, and cooking pottery. In all, about 1,400 Hellenistic vessels in these categories have been entered into the excavation record, which are represented here in a catalogue of 847 objects. The study constructs a typology, based on both form and fabric, and a chronology for these ceramics, using the fact that many of the pieces were found in “closed contexts” like wells. Finally, the author discusses the possible functions of the ceramic shapes found, and uses them to reconstruct some of the domestic and industrial activities of Hellenistic Athenians. While it documents the pottery assemblage of one site, this book will be an essential reference tool for archaeologists around the Mediterranean. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside Vessel Glass Authors: Weinberg, G., Stern, M. E.Publication Date: 2008ISBN: 978-0-87661-234-7Volume: 34 Greek and Roman glass from vessels of all sizes and shapes is discussed in this volume which presents 402 fragments of glass vessels excavated in the Athenian Agora. Only 36 pieces date to the Classical and Hellenistic periods, when the Agora was at the height of its importance, and just 15 are assigned to the 9th to 19th centuries. The remaining 350 are subdivided into four periods covering the Roman and Late Antique history of Athens: 86 B.C.-ca . A.D. 100, A.D. 100-267, A.D. 267-395, and A.D. 395-ca. 700. The fragments all have a findspot which allows the author to make some comments about the possible uses of the original vessels. The volume is divided into the following sections: history of the project, historical overview, important contexts, discussion of the catalogue by period and by shape, catalogue, deposit summaries, concordance. Most catalogues of ancient glass present pieces out of context, where function and date can only be guessed at. This volume, by publishing the main types of glass from a single site, provides richer contextual information and will thus be an essential reference work for archaeologists and specialists in ancient art. JSTOR | Search for Items Inside","","Publications: Monographs","","","Agora","","Webpage"
"Agora:PublicationPage:Agora-24-122","","","","","The Athenian Agora 24; Late Antiquity A.D. 267-700; The Palace of Giants; Exploration and Identification; State of Preservation","Agora 24","Agora:PublicationPage:Agora-24-122::/Agora/Publications/Agora/Agora 024/Agora 024 122 (98).png::1484::2048","Agora 24, s. 122, p. 98","","","Agora","","PublicationPage"
"Corinth:Report:Northeast of Theater 2022, Trench 16C,  by Madson, Luke and James, Jesse (2022-05-30 to 2022-06-24)","","","","","Northeast of Theater 16C Excavation Summary","Luke Madson and Jesse James, Session III 2022 (May 30 - June 24); ; Excavation Summary:; ; This excavation took place from May 30 to June 17, 2022, during the third excavation session of the season. It continued work done in the same trench in the second session (May 2022) recorded by Kaia Brose and David Picker-Kille, for which see [prior field report]. Jesse James and Luke Madson worked as trench recorders under the supervision of Chris Pfaff (Director) and Manolis Papadakis (Assistant to the Associate Director). James Herbst (Architect) and Ioulia Tzonou (Associate Director) also offered guidance on our complex and sometimes bizarre stratigraphy and Michael Ierardi assisted with the identification of our coins. In our trench, Argyris Tsirikis was our Pickman (newly appointed) and worked hard in consultation and collaboration with Athanasios Notis (Foreman); Argyris was supported by our Shovelman Agamemnon Karbouniaris, our good-natured Barrowman Sotiris Raftopoulos, and our eagle-eyed Sieve Operator Ilias Soli (Hekuran Coli), who also picked occasionally.; ; Area Description:; ; The excavation area consisted of a rectangular trench and was designated NET 16C, that is north east of the Theater, Trench 16C. The coordinates for the area when initially opened were: 35.0 E to 41.0 E and 1387.5 N to 1385.0 N. At the time we began our rotation, the trench had three main architectural features: Wall 27 which runs slightly off N-S axis; Wall 28 running east from Wall 27 and partially embedded in the southern scarp; and Water Pipe 3, running N-S and dividing NET 16 C from NET 16 B. The excavations were carried out largely in relation to Wall 27; from May 30th to June 2nd we worked E of the wall, moving west of the wall from June 2nd to June 16th. On June 10th the architectural features of the Vaulted Drain began to emerge and on June 16th  the Amphora Deposit and Branch Drain were excavated.; ; Phases:; ; Hellenistic: ; ; We found no evidence of activities in this area during the Hellenistic period (but note that two Hellenistic Sikyonian coins were found in contexts that are dated by pottery to the 1st century CE).; ; Early Roman: ; ; We uncovered two apparent drain structures that we have dated preliminarily to the 1st century BCE: a “Vaulted Drain” (Structure 96 in iDig) and a “Branch Drain” (Structure 97), the latter containing the amphora deposit below, with significant remains of approximately ten amphoras. The Vaulted Drain, and possibly the Branch Drain, was likely built shortly after foundation of the Roman colony in 44 BCE and its centuriation at approximately the same time. The Vaulted Drain aligns with a major N/S road of the Roman era uncovered in Trench 16 B (directly adjacent to the W), a road whose width may originally have extended into our trench, although we found no direct, independent evidence of it. ; ; Vaulted Drain; The most significant structure excavated in Trench 16C during the June session was the Vaulted Drain (Structure 96), a stone structure running N-S at the west end of Trench 16C, below Water Pipe 3. As so far exposed in the trench, it consists of a wall, partial arched ceiling, and apparent floor layer. 1.74m of the drain’s N-S length has been excavated. The floor’s elevation is approximately 57.89masi (ca. 3.4m below current topsoil), and the arch’s highest interior point is ca. 1.25m above the floor. The wall of the drain (which is the western wall of the visible structure) consists of a main lower course of large, moderately worked rectangular poros stones (the largest stone is 0.79m tall and 1.22m wide) topped with a course of smaller worked poros stones (ca. 0.2m tall), possibly with mortar between them. At its top this wall curves into the arch of the ceiling consisting of smaller unworked stones (rounded, hard limestone and conglomerate, ca. 0.12–0.35m in length) and bonded into a vault structure with a rough pinkish mortar embedded with small pebbles (0.001 to 0.008m dia.). There is an apparent floor layer consisting partly of worked rectangular stones and partly of soil. The stones run beneath the bottom course of wall stones, indicating that they were set there deliberately, as part of the construction of the Vaulted Drain. Further investigation of these stones and what lies beneath them is needed. They are of different sizes and their top surfaces are now set at slightly oblique angles and elevations, making an irregular floor surface. The larger floor stone measures approximately 0.7m N-S by 0.8m E-W (visible exposed surface); the smaller stone, directly to the N, is 0.31 by 0.33m. The soil around the stones was not compacted to a hard surface, possibly indicating that other floor stones were previously in place and were subsequently removed. An alternative interpretation is that the “floor” stones are not a floor at all but served another function. ; ; The existing arch of the ceiling of the Vaulted Drain appears to peak ca. 0.25m east of the wall surface. Assuming a symmetrical arch, and that we have the highest point of the arch (which seems correct), we would expect an eastern wall to the Vaulted Drain ca. 0.5m from the existing wall. But we found no direct evidence of such an eastern wall: no large worked rectangular stones (no worked stones at all), no other large stones that appeared part of the same structure as the western wall and arch, and no inclusions of mortar matching the mortar of the arch. This evidence suggests one of two possibilities: either the eastern half of the Vaulted Drain was fully disassembled in antiquity (see dating discussion below), removing all traces of the disassembly within the area of our trench; or the drain is significantly wider than appears to be indicated by the remains of the arched ceiling. ; ; The outside top of the Vaulted Drain’s arched ceiling is covered with a reddish, perhaps clayey soil, and Water Pipe 3 sits ca. 0.4m above the top of that ceiling, also in reddish soil. During excavation, that 0.4m depth of soil appeared to be in two layers, which suggests that the pipe may have been laid some time after the Vaulted Drain was built. But the pipe appears to be centered directly over the Vaulted Drain, which could indicate that it was laid at the same time. If that is the case, it may be that this 0.4m of reddish soil was placed deliberately both as a kind of sealing layer over the Vaulted Drain and as a bedding layer for Water Pipe 3.; ; Branch Drain; Slightly to the east of the Vaulted Drain, at the north side of the trench, we discovered what we have called the “Branch Drain” (Structure 97) running roughly SE to NW. It becomes visible in its path from the E (at 36.95m in the easting in our trench, elevation 58.3masl) at a height of ca. 0.5m above the floor level of the Vaulted Drain. At this point the Branch Drain is 0.25m wide, and widens to ca. 0.4m by the time it exits the trench to the N (at 35.25m in the easting, elevation 57.95masl), with a total exposed length of 1.7m and drop of 0.25m. At its westernmost  visible point the Branch Drain is less than 1.0m from the floor of the Vaulted Drain. Some stones still in situ between the SW curve of the Branch Drain and the Vaulted Drain may originally have been part of the Branch Drain walls.; ; We only partially excavated the Branch Drain, even within the boundaries of our trench. We excavated as far E as the west side of Wall 27 (which is a much later wall, for which see below, under “Byzantine”), and have not uncovered the north or south sides of the stones that form its walls. We have also not found a point at which the Branch Drain joins the Vaulted Drain, although we presume such a joint slightly north of the boundary of our trench. Hence the description and interpretation here are highly provisional. ; ; The Branch Drain appears to consist of two walls or sides built of unworked, dry-stacked stones. At the moment of writing there appear to be three or four courses of stones in these walls, but more excavation is needed to confirm what remains of the entire structure. This Branch Drain also has a partial tile floor. At its eastern visible limit the drain is oriented mostly E-W, but curves more toward the northwest as it proceeds west toward the Vaulted Drain. The tile floor slopes down visibly, and the tiles give way to soil after two visible overlapping tile courses. The top tile shows 0.4m of visible length and 0.33m of visible width, and is 0.03m thick. The Branch Drain’s stone sides also slope downward. (Some of this slope of the sides of the drain could be a result of inadvertently removing structural stones during the excavation process. We attempted not to remove any stones that were parts of an obvious structure, but some large stones were excavated in this context and they might originally have been built into the drain sides).; ; Amphora Deposit; One of the major breathtaking finds from the trench occurred on the final day of excavation. A deposit of perhaps eleven amphoras and one mortar, mixed with non-amphora potsherds, some large stones (ca. 0.2 to 0.4m long), and soil, was found in and above the Branch Drain. This deposit, roughly in the shape of a steep wedge, was approximately 0.7m wide (N-S), 1.6m long (E-W), and 1.7m deep at its highest, easternmost point. We were not able to determine definitively whether this deposit was placed into a man-made trench, but its position directly above the Branch Drain indicates that the deposit was made into and onto that man-made drain (the soil within and around the amphoras and stones may have been deposited by natural erosion). All the amphoras appeared to have been lying on their sides (none deliberately placed upright). We did not collect elevation points on individual amphoras in situ, but the highest was found at approximately 59.35masl. All of the amphoras were broken, but the completeness of the remains suggests that none had been moved more than once or twice between the end of its functional life and its final deposition here, and that therefore their deposition was intentional and expected to be final. At least two amphoras (C-2022-7 and C-2022-20) appear to have been deposited as complete vessels, although parts of them (the mouth of C-2022-7 and one longitudinal half of C-2022-20) remain in situ in the trench scarp as of the time of writing. Preliminary analysis indicates that the amphoras date to between the 1st century BCE and the 1st century CE.; ; As study and cataloging of the amphora remains is ongoing, and additional ceramic material remains underneath Wall 27, this is a preliminary catalog of the approximately ten amphoras from this location: ; ; C-2022-7 (Amphora 1); Dressel 2-4 with dipinto, 1st cent BC to 1st cent CE; ; C-2022-8 (Amphora 2): Dressel 21-22 (resinous substance on interior), 1st cent. CE (cf. C-80-180) ; C-2022-9 (Amphora 3): Spanish Dressel 2-4, 1st cent BC to 1st cent. CE (fragments originally labeled C11 [Amphora 5] and C16 [Amphora 9] have been determined to be part of C-22-09); C-2022-10 (Amphora 4); Dressel 6A(?), 1st cent. BCE to 1st cent. CE; C11 (Amphora 5); see C-2022-09; C-2022-12 (Amphora 6): pompeii vii amphora, end of 1st cent. BCE to 1st cent. CE; C-2022-13 (Amphora 7): thin-walled sandy fabric amphora toe; C-2022-14 (Amphora 8); pompeii vii amphora; C-2022-15 (spouted mortar): late 1st cent. BC to early 1st cent CE (cf. C-2004-12); C16 (Amphora 9); see C-2022-09; C-2022-17 (Amphora 10): Pompeii vii; C-2022-18 (Amphora 11): Pseudo-Coan; C19 (Amphora 12); see C-2022-15; C-2022-20 (Amphora 13 = C19 [fragments originally labeled C19 (Amphora 12) have been determined to be part of C-2022-20) ; ; Water Pipe 3; Water Pipe 3 (Structure 95) runs N-S directly above the Vaulted Drain, centered at 34.645m east, with a top elevation of approximately 59.96m above sea level. Within Trench 16C the pipe slopes slightly from N to S, with a drop of 0.023m over a length of 1.585m (this is surprising because the general slope of the landscape here is gradual from S to N). Its diameter varies from 0.107m to 0.127m (the greater width is at the junctions) with approximately 3 segments (ca. 1.6m) currently exposed in situ. As noted above, the apparent continuity of red clayey soil from the top of the Vaulted Drain up to the bottom of Water Pipe 3, along with the similar orientation of the two structures and Water Pipe 3’s position approximately centered over the Vaulted Drain, suggest that Water Pipe 3 was laid down close in time to the construction of the Vaulted Drain. As explained in detail below, that was likely between 44 BCE and the mid-1st century CE.; ; ; Dating; The Vaulted Drain, Water Pipe 3, and the Branch Drain were likely constructed between 44 BCE and the middle of the 1st century CE. The founding of the Roman colony in 44 BCE provides the terminus post quem. Two separate sets of evidence provide the same terminus ante quem: the dating of the amphora deposit in the Branch Drain, and the pottery deposited around Water Pipe 3.; ; The manufacture and use of the amphoras and the mortar have been preliminarily dated to the period from the 1st century BCE to the 1st century CE. A single coin was found in the amphora deposit (Coin 2022-440) and dates to between 40 and 30 BCE, shortly after the founding of the colony. The non-amphora pottery within the amphora deposit dates to the second half of the 1st century CE. These dates provide a terminus post quem for when the Branch Drain went out of use (although not a precise date as the amphoras were likely used for a significant duration after their manufacture). It is unclear how the amphoras came to be in the Branch Drain (deliberate human action? Mudslide?); it is also unclear whether they were all placed there at one time or over a long period of time. Because no material in the amphora deposit dates after the end of the 1st century CE, we conclude that the deposit was in the Branch Drain by that time, and therefore that the Branch Drain was out of use by ca. 100 CE (although the Vaulted Drain may have continued to function). Because it was defunct by the end of the 1st century CE, the Branch Drain was likely built somewhat earlier, probably at or before the mid-1st century CE.; ; Pottery found in the soil directly surrounding Water Pipe 3 (in both Trench 16C, Context 68 and Trench 16B, Context 111), indicates that the pipe was laid in the 1st century CE.; ; As discussed above, stratigraphy indicates that the Vaulted Drain was built either before or at the same time as Water Pipe 3. And because the Branch Drain is apparently ancillary to the Vaulted Drain, it is likely that the Vaulted Drain was built before or at the same time as the Branch Drain (this hypothesis should be clarified in next year’s campaign, when the conjectured meeting point slightly to the north can be explored). These two structures therefore converge on a terminus ante quem for the Vaulted Drain of the mid-1st century CE.  ; ; On present evidence it is difficult to settle on a date for the Vaulted Drain more specific than between 44 BCE and ca. 50 CE. On one hand, the Vaulted Drain appears to be a major infrastructure and planning project aligned with the Roman road. This suggests that it was part of the original centuriation of the colony and therefore was built soon after 44 BCE. On the other hand, Water Pipe 3 may have been laid at the same time that the Vaulted Drain was built. But this points to a 1st century CE date, decades after the founding of the colony.  ; ; ;  ; Late Roman (4th to 6th cent.):; ; Disassembly of the Vaulted Drain; The Vaulted Drain’s fragmentary state within trench 16C--no eastern wall and incomplete arched ceiling--and the lack of remains from the eastern wall and the eastern part of the arch, suggest that at some point the Vaulted Drain stopped being used and that part of it was deliberately removed, i.e., robbed out. The deep deposit of loose sandy fill within the Vaulted Drain (in particular from Contexts 84, 91, and 92) appears to date to the Late Roman period from both pottery and coins (e.g. Coin 2022-403 dates to 347–48 CE). The entire deposit was of similar texture and soil type, with no apparent stratigraphy between layers, suggesting that it was deposited within a short period of time. Because we failed to number the buckets of pottery as they were excavated from Context 84 (a fill whose height was 0.84m containing 34 kg of pottery), we cannot now distinguish between pottery from the top of 84 and that from the bottom, to determine if there is in fact any discernible chronological distinction between the top and bottom layers. Yet Contexts 91 and 92, both beneath Context 84 and just above the Vaulted Drain’s floor layer, also contain a mixture of early Roman and late Roman pottery and therefore indicate that they were part of the same deposit as Context 84. Hence it appears that the Vaulted Drain was partially disassembled, and filled, in the Late Roman period.; ; Bronze ring: One find of particular note was a bronze finger ring (MF 2022-39), located quite close to the Vaulted Drain’s floor in Context 91; while this ring has yet to be conserved, its basic form is that of Type 1A finger ring with a setting (Davidson 1952: 228). It is most similar to Davidson No. 1819 (Plate 102/MF 7176; cf. Davidson No. 1818). As this ring form seems to be common in Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine contexts (see Davidson 1952: 232, indicating a gap from the 5th to 10th centuries CE), it is consistent with a late Roman dating for the deposit.; ; Domitian coin: Another noteworthy find from the fill in the Vaulted Drain was Coin 395, a bronze assarion of Domitian, minted in Corinth between 85 and 87 CE. On the reverse is depicted a tetrastyle temple on Acrocorinth, seen in perspective from the left corner. This coin, with the obverse head of Domitian facing right, is an example of a hitherto unknown die combination (all published examples with this reverse pair it with an obverse head facing left). This coin, found in Context 84, is chronologically consistent with the wide chronological variety of the pottery found in that deposit.;  ; Road; Unlike in Context trench 16B, immediately adjacent to the west, we found no definite road surfaces dating as early as the Late Roman period. To the west of Wall 27 the lowest clear road surface was Context 71 or 72, both of which still contained Byzantine green glazed monochrome and other Byzantine pottery dating to the 12th century. Similar layers of road may lay east of Wall 27 but remain to be excavated. ; ; The disassembly of the Vaulted Drain and the lack of Late Roman road surfaces suggest that the area between Water Pipe 3 and Wall 27 was not used as a road surface during the Late Roman period. There may have been a Late Roman road which was either intentionally removed or naturally washed out. Perhaps a flash flood or a partial collapse of the Vaulted Drain caused the east side of the Roman Road to subside in the Late Roman period. Then inhabitants may have taken the opportunity to partly disassemble the Vaulted Drain, fill it in, and then use the disturbed area as something other than a road. ;  ; Byzantine:; ; We have found no features or objects datable to the roughly 600 years from Late Roman to the 12th century CE. 12th century features include Walls 27 and 28, apparent road surfaces to the W of Wall 27, and levels of fill to the E of Wall 27.; ; Road; In the Byzantine Period a road ran N to S along the western side of the trench, to the W of Wall 27. The width of this road may continue East of Wall 27 but this remains to be seen. While the earliest apparent layer or fill of the road contained some 6th Century CE Late Roman pottery, no layer appears to date earlier than the 12th cent. CE. The manner of road construction appears informal: rather than any sort of paved surfaces, the stratigraphy revealed a series of hard packed earth surfaces with occasional inclusions and/or potholes, though since there was no formal construction we cannot say how many road layers there were or the thickness of a given layer. The precise width of the road is similarly not yet secure. At some point in the 12th Century, a cut was made for a foundation trench for Wall 27 (below). ; ; Wall 27 ; Wall 27 appears to be continuous with a wall segment in Trench 18C to the south (although the two segments may not be in perfect alignment with each other). Its construction dates to the 12th Century CE based on pottery in the foundation trench (context no. 48). This wall (length 2.25 m running the entire width of the trench; width varies from .60 to .66 m; height 1.09 m at maximum surviving height)  is characterized by 2 large worked blocks (block (1) width .71 m; height .44 meters; thickness .36 m; block (2) width .62 m; height .70 m; width .32 m; apparent spolia from another structure) in the east face which sit on 2 or 3 courses of at least partly worked stone blocks. There are a few worked smaller square blocks in the wall placed irregularly. The west face is mostly made of irregular unworked cobbles and larger stones 6 or 7 courses high. The fill that went up and over the remaining portion of Wall 27 also dates to the Byzantine Period (Pottery NPD), suggesting the wall went out of use later in the Byzantine or Post Byzantine Periods. Notably, in the fill directly beneath the lowest course of stones on the west side of Wall 27, an intact Roman unguentarium was found (C 2022 6); when dated, this object will establish a terminus post quem for the construction of the foundation trench and wall. Wall 27 provides a 12th century eastern limit for the width of the road after it was constructed. Whether the wall was cut into the middle of an existing Byzantine road, or built against the side of that road remains to be seen.; ; Wall 28 ; Wall 28 runs along the south edge of the eastern side of the trench (length 0.41 m; exposed thickness 0.35 m in W to 0.23 m in E; height 0.15 - 0.20 m). The stones and tile on top are 0.10 to 0.15 m in width forming a sort of capping cours. Wall 28 is an enigma and remains only partially exposed as the scarp encloses the south-facing side. There does not appear to be a foundation trench on the north facing side but the soil level that is at the level abutting the wall and that was in use with the wall with the first course of stones dates to the 12 century CE (pottery). The date of this fill and the construction of the wall probably date to the 12th or later. Wall 28 appears later than Wall 27 based on two features: (i) its base is at a higher elevation than the base of Wall 28 (suggesting deposition of earth after the construction of Wall 27 and before that of Wall 28), and (ii) Wall 28 butts to the E face of Wall 27 rather than being bonded or integrated into the larger wall’s stonework. Wall 28, as it remains now, consists of three or four courses of irregular cobbles and small flat stones and tile pieces. As with Wall 27, the fill which covered the wall dates to the Byzantine Period (Pottery NPD), suggesting this wall went out of use later on in Byzantine or Post Byzantine Period.; ; Suggestions For Future Excavators:; ; A great deal of further excavation is needed to clarify this trench. A parallel trench to our south might be opened to better account for the south-facing side of Wall 28 and any possible foundation trench. Such southern exploration would clarify the purpose of Wall 28 as it relates to Wall 27 and whether it functions as an internal wall to a larger structure. Similarly, such investigation would continue to clarify the courses of Wall 27, Water Pipe 3, and the Vaulted Drain, and the course of the Branch Drain as it lies in relation to its possible source to the (south?) east. A similar parallel trench might be opened to the north as well, in order to better clarify the relationship between the Branch Drain and Vaulted Drain which may join just beyond our north scarp. Digging both north and south would also clarify the disassembly of the Vaulted Drain, and whether this occurred throughout the Vaulted Drain structure. The Amphora Deposit may continue to the NE as evidenced by the remains of Amphora 1 still in the scarp to the north and Amphora 13 underneath Wall 27 to the east. Additional amphora finds from next year’s campaign will need to be collected in relation to the amphoras we excavated to complete their conservation and show us their level of preservation. The road layers and deposits underneath, like the Amphora Deposit, may be better clarified with the removal of Wall 27.","","Northeast of Theater 2022, Trench 16C,  by Madson, Luke and James, Jesse (2022-05-30 to 2022-06-24)","","","Corinth","Corinthia | Ancient Corinth | Northeast of Theater","Report"
"Corinth:Report:Nezi Field 2009 by Martin Wells, Katie Rask (2009-06-17 to 2009-06-18)","","","","","2009 Excavation summary","Katie Rask, Marty Wells; ASCSA Corinth Excavations; End of Season Report; Blue Team; North of Nezi; ; The following is a summary of the excavations carried out in the area north of Nezi field during the 2009 season. Three teams worked in this area over the three sessions. In the first session, 29 March – 24 April, Ryan Boehm and Joanna Potenza were supervisors. They focused on four areas: the westernmost room bounded by walls 5631 and W54; the room bounded by walls 10080, 10076, 10077, 10087 and W55, both east of the central courtyard of a Byzantine house (E: 274.70 – 281.69; N: 1026.30 – 1032.55 including the southern walls); the room bounded by walls 10081, 10082, 10083, 10086, and 10079, an addition built outside of the eastern edge of the house (E: 282.15 – 284.95; N: 1027.15 – 1030.25); and a series of roads running N-S east of this addition (E: 285.4 – 286.65; N: 1029.30 – 1032.40). In the second session, 27 April - 22 May, Katie Rask, Dreya Mihaloew and Martin Wells were supervisors. They focused on the room between walls W55 on the north (N 1034.30), 6267 on the south (N 1026.97), 10086 on the east (E 282.15) and W54 on the west (E 273.95). Rask and Wells continued supervising in the same room during the third session, 25 May -12 June. This report provides a summary and interpretation based on the season as a whole.; ; Our objective this season was to expose the 11th century levels for the purpose of opening up this house for public display. The director was Guy Sanders, the field director Alicia Carter, the pickman Thanasis Notis, the shovelman Tasos Kakouros and the barrowman Vasilis Kollias. The dry sieve was operated primarily by Sula Anastasopoulou, Kollias, Rask, Mihaloew, and Wells.; ; Previous Activity: 1961; ; Under the directorship of Henry Robinson, Section F of the Byzantine house was explored by William Berg III in the spring of 1961. At some time after the completion of excavation (either in 1961 or later in the 60s when excavation in the Agora Southwest was closed) portions of the room were back-filled, while other areas were left exposed. Following his work, no archaeological activity was undertaken in the area except for a cleaning in 2007, when it was weeded, covered with plastic, and back-filled.; ; In the room which was the focus of our excavation throughout all three 2009 sessions, Berg had exposed walls W54, W55, 10080, 10083, 10086, 10088,10094, 5631,  an E-W drain (5938), and well 6288. Additionally, he sunk trenches in all four corners of the room; these may have been further excavated while searching for the Roman road. The combination of back-filled and exposed areas, as well as the recording practices in the 1960s, had an effect on our ability to interpret the pre-60s stratigraphy. For this reason, extensive study of Berg’s photographs and excavation notebooks was undertaken in order to determine how his activity impacted the space of the room prior to our renewed excavations. A detailed discussion of the four corner trenches is attached as Appendix B of this report. More general references to Berg’s results are included in the pertinent discussions below.; ; ; Frankish (1210-1458); ; The Frankish period seems to have witnessed a great deal of activity and renovation in our space, with the most active period being the second half of the 13th century. Of the features dated to this period, most can be placed either in the third quarter or in the later part of the century. During this time span, the form and use of the room changed on several occasions. A wide variety of new or changed elements in the room indicate this, including the addition of rooms, walls, a drain, thresholds, floors and fills. ; ; Well 6288; ; One of the main actions pointing to the changing use of space was the closing of well 6288, which was filled sometime in the third quarter of the 13th century. Because the excavation and processing of the well was a significant part of the season’s work, and because its contents will be the subject of considerable further study, in what follows we will provide a detailed description of our results from the well’s excavation. Afterwards, the discussion will return to the other 13th century activity. ; ; The well had originally been examined on May 13, 1961 (NB 229, p. 109) and designated Well OA-107 (coordinate designation) at that time. Berg excavated it for less than a meter and recorded no finds. He postulated that it belonged to the Turkish period and did not excavate deeper because of its narrowness. Our own investigation began by removing 0.45 m of backfill and debris before excavation. Initially we attempted to determine context changes based on differences in soil composition and inclusions; however, after approximately 2.0 meters of excavation, the Director advised that we should change contexts approximately every 0.30 m. This was our primary method of excavation, but we also changed contexts when stratigraphically necessary.  All the material from the well was dry sieved with 7mm screens and 3mm starting with context 6420. Water flotation samples (15 L) were also collected from every context. 32 contexts were removed in total, but the bottom of the well was not reached nor was the structure (6288) itself excavated.; ; The material removed from the well indicates three discernible dumping actions dating to the Frankish period, between 1270-1290 C.E. The character of these deposits, however, suggests that the well was filled over a short time. The latest dumping layer (6286, 6291, 6297, 6360, 6361, 6365, 6368) fills the top 2.75 meters of the well. The contexts comprising the layer included a large amount of pottery, bone material, and various smaller finds such as iron nails, glass, and bronze objects. The proceeding (and underlying) dumping action revealed a dramatic decrease in the number of inclusions, with a very small amount of pottery and bone, and a significant increase in the ash and charcoal content of the soil (6369, 6371, 6374, 6378, 6383, 6386). Below and proceeding the ash deposit was another dumping action (6394, 6400, 6405, 6412, 6416, 6420, 6430, 6438, 6447); this deposit was characterized by soil with a high clay content and very little ash, extremely large amounts of pottery (with a high proportion of fine ware) and a very large amount of animal bone. ; ; At a depth of 11.70 m (elev. 73.40 m) we reached the water table (context 6518). The pottery and bones were still present at their normal high amounts so we continued excavating for another 37 cm, to a depth of 11.88 (elev. 73.03 m), at which point we felt that it was unsafe to continue. The last context was 6524.  ; ; The latest pottery found in the well dates to a twenty-year span (1270-1290), but the three dumping actions apparent amongst the contexts are not chronologically separate, despite their stratigraphic relationships.  In addition, the presence of complete vessels suggests primary deposition, but the occurrence of incomplete and fragmentary body sherds also indicates the secondary deposition of pottery. This interpretation is supported by the bone material. The excellent preservation of delicate and small bones (e.g., of fish, cats, birds), as well of the articulation of some bones, can be indicative of primary deposition; on the other hand, a large amount of weathered and fragmentary bones suggests the secondary deposition of animal remains.; Personal communication with Thanos Webb, the excavation’s zooarchaeologist, emphasized the distinct nature of the bone material that had been removed from the well. The preservation was very good, with little weathering and the presence of smaller and more fragile elements. There was an abundance of different anatomical elements, representing parts from the entire skeleton. The surface modification of the bones was also distinctive, with the butchery marks on multiple elements being far more extensive than that on bones from areas outside the well. Finally, the species representation from the well was also conspicuous, ranging from common domesticates to large birds and fish, and with an age distribution ranging from fetal to mature.  Additionally, large amounts of microfaunal remains and fish scales were collected from the dry sieve.  These have yet to be analyzed.; ; In addition to the pottery and bones, we recovered small finds of both a utilitarian and luxury nature. These included stone and bone tools, iron nails, bronze lumps, worked bone artifacts, spindle hooks and whorls, and glass. Twenty-seven coins were recovered. Nearly half of these were illegible, and of those which we could date, most were Late Byzantine and Frankish. None need to be later than the 3rd quarter of the 13th century, chronology in agreement with our pottery. A complete list of the contexts and coin dates can be found in Appendix A of this summary.; ; The well structure itself was not excavated, so our only evidence for the construction date of the well comes from our limited excavation of the fill (6536) inside the construction cut (6535). The pottery from this context dated to the 10th/11th centuries. Given the large amount of dumped 10/11th century fill in other parts of the room which stratigraphically date to the 12th century (see below), the small sample provided by the construction trench cannot assuredly date the well’s first use phase. Still, if one considers the dating of the contexts surrounding the well (see below), we can speculate that well was in use from the 10th/11th centuries until it was closed at the third quarter of the 13th century.; Other 13th century activity; ; The character of the other 13th century actions in the room also reflects an alteration of the space. In the 3rd quarter of the century, sometime around the closing of the well, a long drain (5938) was laid running E-W and extending eastward out of the room. In order to extend the drain completely to the road, a small portion of wall 10083 had to be removed. The pebble/cement floor associated with the drain (5934) suggests that the room continued to act as an outdoor space, as it had previously in the 12th century. Two piers (5957, 10077) set up at the room’s south east boundary and a threshold (5919) placed between served to monumentalize the passageway between our room and the one to the south. At the same time, another pier (6148) was placed to the north on an axis with the eastern pier; it was placed against the west end of wall 10087 and can be dated by the fill which it cuts to the south (6141). Together the three piers must have served a supporting function for an upper level or arch.  By the end of the century the threshold had been walled up and two connecting N-S walls (10094, 10080) were added at the western pier to slice the entire room in half, separating the well and staircase from the room’s eastern portion. ; ; In order to build wall 10094 it seems that digging activity of some sort was undertaken, probably to clear the space for construction. We have not settled on a firm interpretation of the activity here, however. Originally we believed we had found a robbing trench for another pier foundation (6273), located on an axis with the other three. Further excavation revealed that the pier foundation cut was part of a longer N-S cut (6254/5, 6240, 6565, 6569) truncated by Berg’s corner trench (6570). The lower portion of the cut contains fill with 12th century dates (6274, 6581); the robbing of the upper portion, evidently begun at the southern end, can be associated with the 13th century (6225, 6240). Conclusions about the history of activity in this region are tenuous, but may include, for example: a) an earlier wall was robbed out in the 12th century, another placed in the same cut at a higher layer, and that robbed out in the 13th century, b) a wall was removed at some point and a pier foundation was sunk in its place to coincide with the other three, then removed for 10094. ; The removal of other features was also necessary to reshape the space. For example, an E-W wall (6052) ending at 10086 must have been removed to accommodate the threshold placed just at its south. The robbing trench left behind by the wall’s removal was later cut by pit 5935. This pit may have been dug to remove a large pithos, evidenced at the south end of the pit by its deeper circular depression, perhaps located at the corner of  walls 6052 and 6424 and therefore outside the boundary of our room and adjacent to its south (see Appendix B).; ; 12th century; ; Whereas the 13th century activity in the room involved the movement and construction of numerous built features, at present it seems that the 12th century activity, while extensive, cannot be linked to any extant architectural elements within the room. Instead, the 12th century activity is marked by a series of leveling and dumping activities that can be situated in two general time periods, the early 12th century and the second half of the century.; The most dramatic of these is a deep layer of multiple dumping actions in the southern part of the room. In the early part of the century, an extensive cut was made that truncated a grey clay floor in the west and extended to the eastern edge of the space. The cut was filled with many deposits of a mixed nature; in particular, several lenses of fill contained pottery of multiple periods and included large dumps of roof tiles (e.g., 6191: 21.4kg, 6186: 24.9kg). The mixed nature of the pottery deposit suggests that it was removed from another context before deposition in the room. In fact, the majority of the lenses were dated by pottery to the 10th/11th century (6629, 6626, 6622, 6194, 6196, 6198, 6225), while the dumping activity can be securely dated to the 12th century by the lowest fill level (6662). ; ; Redeposited 10th/11th century material was also used to make up the matrix of a series of pebble floors in the room’s NE corner (6593, 6592, 6591). The floors were truncated on all sides, but can be dated by a deep fill beneath (6605) containing early 12th century pottery and very well-preserved bones (with nearly complete and fragile examples, suggesting primary deposition).  Because the patchy pebble floors exhibited wear patterns compatible with the pooling of water, during the early part of the century we suspect the room to have been an outdoor space. ; The evidence for architectural adaption in the courtyard during the twelfth century is scanty. A feature running N-S east of the well may have been removed (see above). An E-W wall (6426) may also have been removed, since a series of robbing trenches were found (6042, 6046), but since the wall has not been fully excavated, we cannot be certain of its chronology. ; ; 10th/11th century; ; Our understanding of the 10th and 11th century phases of the room is currently incomplete, since our efforts have focused primarily on removing 12th and 13th century remains. As mentioned, many of the dumped fills that we have encountered were dated by pottery to the 10th/11th century, but belong stratigraphically to later periods. We also have 10th/11th century dates for the patchy floors and some of the fills below them in the NE part of the room, but these are stratigraphically dated to the 12th century as well. ; ; A large drain was located outside the room, east of wall 10086 under the later additions to the Byzantine house, curving from the southwest (10079) north and west to 10083. Situated under what was once the wider Medieval road, the drain was covered by squared limestone slabs probably removed from the nearby Roman road. The fill and surface above the drain contained pottery of the 10th and 11th century, but as the cut and fill excavated seems to have been related to a later repair, we are not able to establish a firm chronology for the drain’s construction. Moreover, given the stratigraphically later 10th/11th century fills common in the room, the date should probably remain speculative for the time being.; Otherwise, we have no structures that can be assuredly dated to the 10th and 11th centuries. In the western portion of the room, a grey clay floor has been uncovered through which the well was cut. The fill inside the well construction cut was dated to the 10th/11th century, as were the fills above this floor and the cut. However, as stated above, given the limited excavation of the construction cut, the unexcavated well structure, and the disturbed nature of this part of the room, we only tentatively date the well construction to this period. ; ; Suggestions for further excavation; ; One area of particular interest for future research is the architectural phasing of the area. This is especially relevant since the room appears to have served as a courtyard in the 12th century and its boundaries seem to have shifted on several occasions. For this reason, it might be worth considering the room’s relationship to the other external courtyards. It is also a possibility that the space’s form and function changed as the larger building was broken into smaller units. ; ; In keeping with the premises of open-area excavation, we have endeavored to extract all 13th century and later levels from the room (the exception being the unexcavated well deposits below the water table). Nearly all 12th century levels have been removed. We recommend that the following steps be taken to clear any remaining 12th century evidence before proceeding to the earlier Byzantine periods. ; ; 1)Any remaining fill from the unfinished portion of 6662 should be removed, particularly the dumped fill in the area north of 5935 and west of 6556/7. The relationship between that fill and the eastern area of the room should be further clarified (particularly in the region of wall 10086 and cut 5935). ; 2)If permission to remove wall 6426 has been acquired, then it should be taken out and the area beneath it examined in more detail. It may have been partly robbed out in the 12th century, but its construction date has not yet been identified.; 3)The staircase (6324, 6325, 6333) can be further examined by excavating the space between the lower and upper steps. It is probable that the staircase was added after the well was closed, since it partly overlies the well packing, but a more precise date for its construction would be helpful.; 4)The triangular area 6648 laid against walls 10086 and 10087 should be excavated. We believed that it may have been outside cut 6678, but its stratigraphic make-up should be determined more precisely, since its last level to be removed was part of the larger context 6648.; 5)The grey floor south of the well should be examined in an effort to understand its use phases, the date and function of wall 6422 and the collection of rocks visible in the 1960s sondage section.; 6)The uneven fills in the northeast part of the room should be removed to explore their make-up and to determine if they actually date to the 10th/11th century or if they are part of the 12th century leveling action. Their removal will also allow the investigation of the floors beneath them that had been cut by 6678. ; 7) If the lower levels of the room are reached, three particular questions that have been created by earlier excavation might be addressed:; A. What were the circumstances of the skeleton’s deposition in the NE corner? (See Appendix B) Why was the body haphazardly laid out and why was its skull covered by 10087?; B. What is identification of the line of stones at the bottom of the N-S cut (6273)? The soil south of the stones seemed to be full of hollows. Might it be an earlier well, as Thanasis has suggested, or another type of open space?; C. A N-S wall was uncovered by Berg in the NW trench (6570) and re-found in 2009. It appears to be a finely constructed wall abutting the earlier phase of W55, forming a precise corner. How does this change the plan of the building and the understanding of the long entrance alley to the north? Does the wall have any relation to the Byzantine house at all or is it entirely pre-Medieval?; ; ; Appendix A: Well coin dates; ; Context   Coin # and date; 6286; #123 Corinth medieval 1245-1250; 6291; 6297; 6360; 6361; 6365; 6368; 6369; 6371; 6374; 6378; 6383; 6386; 6394; 6400; 6405; #99 medieval illeg.; #102 Manuel I 1167-1183; 6412; #103 medieval illeg. 1092-1399; #104 Villehardouin 1250-1260; #107 illeg.; 6416; #114 illeg. 1092-1261; #115 Roman Imperial; 6420; 6430; #119 Manuel I 1143-1180; #120 medieval illeg. 1092-1261; #121 illeg 324-599; #122 Greek – Corinth 400-146 BC; 6438; 6447; #126 illeg. 1092-1261; #127 illeg. 1092-1399; #128 illeg. 1250-1330; #161 illeg.; 6455; 6469; #137 Alexius I 1085-1092; #139 illeg.; #140 illeg. 1204-1261; 6474; #142 Manuel 1 1143-1180; 6483; #149 illeg.; 6486; #146 medieval illeg.; #150 illeg.; #151 Byzantine illeg.; 6492; 6497; #153 medieval; #154 Byzantine; #155 Byzantine; 6515; 6518; 6524; ; Appendix B; NB = Berg’s notebook, #229.; PV = Photograph volume 18, 1960 II; ; Berg included a number of plans of Section F, which he updated throughout the season as new information came to light. His drawings have been useful for reconstructing his activity at the time, although his plans do often focus on architecture to the expense of other important features (e.g., he never depicts well 6288). His adherence to the overall grid is often inexact. It appears that his elevations, in contrast, are quite accurate; they can be tested both at the 13th century drain (5938) and at the bottom of 6173.; ; Two of the corner trenches were cleaned during 2009’s Session1 by Potenza and Boehm, that in the southwest (5935) and southeast (6223).; ; 5935: This area was originally excavated by Berg on June 10th, 1961 (NB: 192, 195). He mentions working in the area between his walls #33 (10080/10094), #27 (10086/10087), and #23 (10076/10077). Although Berg does not describe the excavation of a deep pit or bothros, a figure-eight-shaped pit is visible in the end-of-excavation photographs (PV: p 32, 61-24-4); it was cleaned, defined and recorded by Potenza and Boehm as cut 5935. Berg’s silence on the issue of the pit may be due to the fact that its excavation was done on the last day of the season, with work ending at noon. The material was saved as Lot 662. Because the stratigraphy was so disturbed by both Berg’s excavation and by later weathering, 5935’s original digging cannot be placed securely in the room’s sequence of events. It clearly occurred after the filling of 6042/6046 (RT for 6052), which it truncates, but otherwise we can not exactly place it on the Harris Matrix and have thus left it floating.; ; 6623: Berg refers to this area, excavated on June 6th, 1961 (NB: p. 182), as the space between his walls #34 (W54), #33 (10080/10094), and #25. No photographs of the specific area were taken, but it is depicted in the post-season views found in PV. The photos indicate that in this area, Berg excavated everything to the level of the top of the well, with two specific features down to a lower level. The first is the sondage taken at the corners of W54 and 6267/5361; it was cleaned by Potenza and Boehm but not given a number. According to the photos, Berg’s excavation of the sondage revealed the northern face of 6267/5361, the wall located about a meter or so north of Berg's Wall #25 and the southwest boundary of our own trench. Berg did not include wall 6267/5361 on his plans, but it does seem to have been drawn on the 2009 Nezi field plan. The pit that he excavated at this time has a large number of jumbled rocks on its east face (under wall 6422). It is unclear if 6422 was excavated by Berg, but on his final plan (p. 188) he draws a small structure that jogs east and then south from W54 in a similar way to how we originally interpreted 6422; this may be a reference to his sondage and the jumbled rocks therein, or to 6422. Also likely, however, is that the structure drawn by Berg refers to a pile of larger rocks possibly visible north of the sondage and south of the staircase in photo 61-26-5 (p35); again, this interpretation is based on a general photograph of the area as there was no detailed description in Berg’s notebook. ; ; The second delineated feature visible in the photographs is a circular pit to the east of the sondage and up against Berg's wall #33 (our 10080). This is probably what Berg refers to on p. 182 as a circular pit just west of his wall #33 and north of his wall #25. He indicates that the pit had a plastered southern face and was filled with fine white ash. The pottery was saved as Lot 683. He excavated the pit to an elevation of 84.16m. Our season’s closing elevation was 84.18m, a difference of only .02m, and was taken approximately under the pit’s location as visible in the photographs (at the bottom of 6662). ; ; The placement of Berg’s corner sondage had some bearing in our interpretation of contexts 6620 and 6338. 6620 was made of an extremely soft and ashy fill that was exposed by Potenza and Boehm’s cleaning at the beginning of the season, and was partly removed by 6338 and further sweeping. Its softness and the its straight northern boundary suggested that it might be back-fill. In the 1961 photographs, the sondage does not appear to be located so far north, leaving the possibility that the softness of the soil was a result of exposure to the elements, foot traffic and other 2009 excavation activity. Nevertheless, it is still possible that the area was excavated further after the 1961 end-of-season photos were taken and that 6620 was composed of re-deposited earth - if so, the excavation activity must have been completed after Berg's 1961 efforts. See PV: p. 34, 61-26-4; p. 35, 61-27-1, 61-27-2, 61-26-5.; ; The two corners in the northwest (6570) and northeast (6173) were cleaned by Rask and Wells in 2009’s Session 2 and 3: ; ; 6173: This northeast corner was originally excavated by Berg on June 9th, 1961 (NB: p. 192) and continued on June 10th, the final day of the season. Berg stopped digging at a hard surface found at 84.20m, at which point the wall foundation trenches for W55 (#34) and 10086 (#27) were visible. At this level he also uncovered a skeleton lying in a disheveled E-W position with its head beneath10087 (PV: p. 25: 61-15-3). Berg makes clear in his notebook that the area would not be excavated any further beyond their stopping point at 84.20m, the level of the skeleton. Our excavation has shown, however, that some time later digging must have taken place, as an irregular pit cuts through the hard surface at which Berg stopped (our measurement shows the disturbed hard surface to be 84.10m, slightly lower than Berg’s stopping point at 84.20m). The later digging cut through the wall foundation trench noted by Berg and continued to a presently undetermined depth. It is unclear when this digging happened and by whom it was undertaken.; ; 6570: The northwest area was originally exposed on May 26, 1961 (PV: p. 35, 61-27-7). It began as a soft fill that was excavated to a hard level at 84.06m. He speculated that the soft fill was W54/55's foundation trench (p.151). The hard soil was then removed from W54 eastward towards Berg's wall #33 (10094/10080). Berg originally drew #33 as extending from our room northward beyond W55 (plan, p. 101); if the wall truly extended that far north than its northern portion must have been removed by Berg. Unfortunately, the end-of-excavation photographs do not clarify the matter, although they do seem to indicate that Berg excavated a N-S trench possibly crossing over W55 that terminated in a large round pit to the north (PV: p. 36, 61-27-3). It is not possible to say much more from the photographs nor to determine if that cut/pit had any relation to the activity in our room. Moreover, no mention is made in Berg's notebook of the wall we designate 10095 and which seems to have been the easternmost point of their trench here. It is drawn on two of his plans, although it seems to be indicated in the wrong spot on his last plan (p. 157 and 188).   The area of 6570 was excavated down “to levels of obviously Roman or Classical date"" (p. 167) and was presumably closed on May 30th, 1961. The pottery from Berg's exploration was saved as Lots 672, 673, 675.; ; Our interpretation of the N-S cut 6273 was affected by 6570, since Berg’s excavations truncated the cut. It is also unclear if Berg partially exposed the line of rocks at the preserved northern end of 6273.","","Nezi Field 2009 by Martin Wells, Katie Rask (2009-06-17 to 2009-06-18)","","","Corinth","Corinthia | Ancient Corinth | Central Area | Nezi Field","Report"