Agora Report: 2010 Excavations
Title:   Preliminary Report on the 2010 Excavation Season
Author:   John McK. Camp II
Abstract:   Excavations took place in five sections: ΒΗ, ΒΘ, ΒΖ, Γ and Δ.
In Section ΒΗ, excavation continued and late fills overlying the Stoa Poikile were cleared. A good cross-section of the stoa foundations was exposed. Also recovered were fragments of a terracotta aqueduct running along the back wall of the Stoa. Two Byzantine wells within the interior of the building were left undug. A Hellenistic cistern was recovered in the area behind and north of the stoa. Fragments of painted wall plaster were found within it.
In Section ΒΖ, excavations were concentrated on the northern parts of the Classical Commercial Building, in an attempt to clarify its plan and building history. In several places levels which preceded the construction of the building late in the 5th century B.C. were reached. Below the floor in one of the rooms, several dozen ostraka were found.
In Section ΒΘ West, excavations continued and numerous animal bones from a pit were recovered. The pit dates from the 15/16th century A.D. and presumably lay outside the town. The reason for this large deposit is not clear. Lower down, numerous Frankish bronze coins were found.
In Section ΒΘ East, more walls of the Byzantine settlement were recovered. Several walls contained reused ancient blocks. Two rooms were larger than the usual rooms found in this area in this period. Ιn one of them a deep fill or large pit was uncovered. It contained fine, dark ash and a very large number of goat horns. A trophy base with the representation of a pile of military equipment was found. It is Hellenistic in date and was probably set up in front of the Stoa Poikile honoring a military victory.
In Section Δ, shallow fill was excavated, much of it hard gravel showing few signs of human activity. This area was apparently not built on for much of antiquity. In the Classical period there are some signs of landscaping, and in the Hellenistic and Roman periods the area was crisscrossed with small terracotta drains.
Date:   15 Jun-6 Aug 2010
Section:   ΒΗ
    ΒΖ
    ΒΘ
    Δ
Keyword:   Checked
PDF:   2010 Excavations.pdf
References:   Report Pages (13)
Images (121)
Objects (5)
Deposit: K 3:1
Deposit: L 2:6
Notebook: Δ-5
Notebook Pages (6)