East Macedonia and Thrace

In 2023, excavation continued at the prehistoric site of Dikili Tash (ID18611), directed by Haïdo Koukouli-Chryssanthaki (Ephorate of Antiquities of Kavala), Dimitra Malamidou (Ephorate of Antiquities of Serres), Pascal Darcque (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), and Zoï Tsirtsoni (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique). Work focused on Sector 9 of the site, located on the northern slope of the tell, where three large Early Bronze Age structures were uncovered. One of these structures seems to have served as a domestic space, which was then re-used for refuse; it contained several noteworthy ceramic vessels, such as a pot with printed decoration on its neck (Fig. 3.1). In the southwest area in Sector 9, more of the structure known as House 9-B was uncovered, underneath the remains of another structure known as House 9-A. House 9-B contained the remains of a cooking structure, identified as a probable hearth, and five postholes, which could have been used to support a raised platform or floor (Fig. 3.2). The ceramic vessels found in the area were probably stored on this platform. These vessels, which include jars, bowls, and an unusual footed vase with incised decoration, date to the Late Neolithic II period. The layers above the postholes also yielded a remarkable find of seven folded gold leaves.

Fig. 3.1.

Dikili Tash: globular pot with printed decoration on its neck (N1169-03-307). © ASA/EfA.

Fig. 3.2.

Dikili Tash: evidence for postholes in the southeast sector of the site. © ASA/EfA.

Work also continued at the ancient settlement of Doriskos in 2023, directed by Anca Dan (EfA and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) in collaboration with a geophysical team from the University of Kiel and a geomorphology team from the University of Cologne (ID19568). The project had three main aims in 2023: to map the Evros river area; to identify any archaeological remains found on the promontory; and to undertake the geoarchaeological study of potential ports and anchorages. Survey work (which included magnetometry, ground-penetrating radar, electromagnetic induction, and seismic tests) was undertaken on and around the acropolis at Doriskos. These analyses revealed the layout of the ancient town – in particular, its fortifications, roads, and houses. In addition, the geoarchaeological survey in the Evros river area did not find any indications of a commercial port: instead, it seems most probable that ships were pulled onto the beach.

On Samothrace, Bonna Wescoat (ASCSA) reports on the fourth field season of the American excavations on the island (ID19596). In 2023, the project carried out excavation, field survey, architectural study, and conservation at the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, under the supervision of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Evros. Three trenches were opened on the slope east of the Hieron (a large Hellenistic building at the centre of the sanctuary with a Doric double colonnade), which uncovered a line of boulders that seem to represent an ancient feature (Fig. 3.3), as well as the remains of large-scale plaster architectural mouldings, some attached to terracotta tiles and some with indications of wooden attachments. These trenches also uncovered the remains of a plaster floor with an elevation equivalent to the stylobate of the Hieron to the east. Further work will determine the extent of this floor and its relationship with the plaster mouldings.

Fig. 3.3.

Samothrace: photo-model of trench SGG.EofH.1 at the end of the 2023 excavations, with the boulder feature in the centre. © ASCSA.

Excavation in 2023 also focused on Room 2 in the West Gate, to better understand its architectural design and to identify the inner doorway into the ancient city. The team uncovered the floor level of the room and a doorjamb in the northern wall (Fig. 3.4). The exposed toichobate (the supporting masonry courses) and dado (the lower part of the walls) of both Rooms 1 and 2 in this area contain stelae cuttings in multiple sizes. Some of the wall blocks are cut back for the inset stelae, but no stelae have been found yet (Fig. 3.5). Both rooms seem to have been reworked at a later date, with certain doorways and corridors blocked. Finally, the project also continued its exploration of the area between the sanctuary and the ancient city (Palaiopolis Archaeological Survey). It recorded visible remains of structures and natural features in the area and carried out a magnetic gradiometry survey of the region. The results show that this area was intensely developed both in the ancient world and into the Byzantine period.

Fig. 3.4.

Samothrace: aerial view of the West Gate at the end of the 2023 excavations. © ASCSA.

Fig. 3.5.

Samothrace: detail of the stelae cuttings on the dado, toichobate, and wall courses at the West Gate. © ASCSA.

2023 also saw the final year of fieldwork for the Molyvoti, Thrace, Archaeological Project, a synergasia between the Ephorate of Antiquities of Rhodope and the ASCSA (ID19595). Nathan Arrington (Princeton University and ASCSA), Thomas Tartaron (Princeton University and ASCSA), Domna Terzopoulou (Ephorate of Antiquities of Rhodope), and Marina Tasaklaki (Ephorate of Antiquities of Rhodope) report on the discovery of a small Hellenistic temple at the site (Fig. 3.6).

Fig. 3.6.

Molyvoti: the small Hellenistic temple on the Molyvoti Peninsula. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Ephorate of Antiquities of Rhodope.

Work in 2023 focused on the fields in the hinterland of the site, where previous survey work had revealed artefacts and surfaces associated with a possible temple. In June and July 2023, excavation revealed the full extent of the temple (10.80m × 7.90m), which includes a cella (the inner area of the temple) with a probable hearth at the centre and a later pronaos (the vestibule at the front of the temple). The temple also preserved a monolithic threshold, paved surfaces, and drains, with some evidence for cult installations in the cella. The excavators date the temple to the mid-third century BC. Based on the objects and assemblages found at the site (which include miniature vases, incense burners, figurines, and worked antlers), candidates for worship at the temple include Athena, Artemis, and Kybele. The temple was not built on or associated with any earlier structures, but there is evidence for the later re-use of the area. Activity continued into the Roman period, and the large numbers of pithoi (large storage containers) recovered indicate that the temple later became an agricultural installation. Elsewhere at the site, test trenches revealed finds that ranged from the prehistoric to the Hellenistic periods, but few architectural remains. No stratified Archaic or prehistoric contexts were uncovered.

In 2023, two projects continued work at ancient Philippi near Kavala. The first, directed by Natalia Poulos (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) in collaboration with Anastasios Tantsis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) and Aristotelis Mentzos (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), embarked on a new excavation season in the area east of the main southern street of the ancient town, where it intersects with the main northern street (ID19209). The excavation uncovered the surface of the street, which was paved with marble (Fig. 3.7). Abronze coin of Leo I(886–912 AD) found in the area seems to indicate that the use of the street continued into the Byzantine period. The project was also able to identify the elaborately decorated structure found in 2022 at the intersection of the two streets as a monumental fountain, constructed in the second century AD but re-modelled for the last time in the eighth or ninth centuries AD. Close to the fountain, the team found a sculpted head similar to the head of Herakles uncovered in 2022 (see Koukouli-Chryssanthaki and Malamidou Reference Koukouli-Chryssanthaki and Malamidou2022 on the significance of Herakles at ancient Philippi). The head represents a beardless young man with a laurel wreath and has therefore been identified as a head of Apollo, dated to the second or third century AD (Fig. 3.8). It seems probable that the two sculpted heads found in this area originally adorned the monumental foundation.

Fig. 3.7.

Philippi: overview of the 2023 excavation zone. © University Excavation of Philippi / Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

Fig. 3.8.

Philippi: sculpted marble head pictured in situ during the 2023 excavations. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Ephorate of Antiquities of Kavala.

Michel Sève (University of Lorraine) and Patrick Weber (architect) also continued their architectural study of the forum at ancient Philippi in 2023, under the auspices of the EfA (ID19566). They examined the impact of the 500 AD earthquake on the architecture of the forum (see Sève and Weber Reference Sève and Weber2023 for more details).

Two study seasons also took place at Thasos in 2023. Ateam led by Julien Fournier (EfA and University of Strasbourg) undertook the architectural study of the ancient agora (ID19576). In their examination of the paraskenia building in the agora, the team combined epigraphic and architectural information to propose that the building was in use from the fourth century BC to the third century AD.

Another team, led by Arthur Muller (EfA and University of Lille) in collaboration with Stavroula Dadaki (Ephorate of Antiquities of Kavala) undertook the post-excavation study of the area north of the Artemision at Thasos (ID19577). They cleaned the houses and streets uncovered in previous excavation seasons and completed the study of a mosaic pavement with circle decoration.

Central Macedonia

In central Macedonia, Natalia Kazakidi (Academy of Athens), Ioanna Vasileiadou (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), Zapheiria Roumelioti (University of Patras), and Dimitria Malamidou (Ephorate of Antiquities of Serres) report on the 2023 study of the probable stadium site at Amphipolis (ID19225). In 2023, the project (a collaboration between the Academy of Athens, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and the University of Patras, under the auspices of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Serres) discovered the remains of an arched entrance at the site. The construction appears similar to the exterior façade of the nearby palaestra (gymnasium), which could indicate that the two structures are contemporary, both constructed in the second century BC. Given that arched entrances are attested in stadiums elsewhere in Greece, for example, at Nemea, Epidauros, and Olympia, the entrance uncovered at Amphipolis supports the identification of a stadium in the area, located close to the palaestra. This identification is important because it allows for the reconstruction of major works at the site in the Hellenistic period.

2023 also saw the second excavation season at the ancient site of Terpni (ID19570), a collaboration between Laurianne Sève (EfA) and Dimitra Malamidou (Ephorate of Antiquities of Serres). The most important discovery of the season was a basilica with five naves, constructed in the sixth century AD. Work also continued on the Late Antique church first uncovered in 2022 (Fig. 3.9), dated to the sixth and seventh centuries AD, where a pavement with elaborate decoration was found on the floor of the central nave (Fig. 3.10). Elsewhere at the site, in Zone 1, at least two successive phases of occupation were discovered in structures that seem to represent the remains of houses or workshops. These structures have been dated, on the basis of the ceramic material, to the fifth and sixth centuries AD. The main finds in this area, however, were the remains of a Late Roman oven with an earlier pit underneath, most likely from the Iron Age (Fig. 3.11).

Fig. 3.9.

Terpni: aerial view of the Late Antique church at the site, first uncovered in 2022. © EfA.

Fig. 3.10.

Terpni: floor decoration in opus sectile, from the Late Antique church at the site. © EfA.

Fig. 3.11.

Terpni: protohistoric pit underneath a Roman oven in Zone 2. © EfA.

In Thessaloniki, the Ministry of Culture reports on the discovery of a thirteenth-century church in October 2023 (ID19676). Excavations uncovered the altar of the church as well as a series of frescoes (e.g. Fig. 3.12), some of which with attached gold leaves. Bronze coins and ceramics were also found in the area. The church was associated with a nearby cemetery, which contained at least 57 burials of infants, children, and adults. The skeletal material uncovered in the cemetery includes some unusual and important finds, such as two male skeletons over two metres tall and the skeleton of a pregnant woman who died in childbirth (as identified by the position of the skull of the foetus).

Fig. 3.12.

Thessaloniki: one of the frescoes discovered inside the thirteenth-century church, showing the Virgin Mary. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Ephorate of Antiquities of Thessaloniki City.

Thessaly and Western Greece

In Thessaly, Vladimir Stissi (NIA) reports on the excavation season at Magoula Plataniotiki, east of the Hellenistic city of Halos. In 2023, the project continued with the excavation work started in 2022 (ID18613), with a focus on five different areas (Fig. 3.13). Excavations in Rooms a and b in the northern area of the site uncovered several stone walls as well as the foundation levels underneath. No floor levels were found, however, which made it difficult to identify the use of these structures. The sequence of fill layers in the rooms contained several objects identified as votives, such as decorated ceramic vessels and inscribed sherds. Elsewhere, in the southern area of the site, Rooms Aand Bpresented a more complex picture. More votive objects were found in these rooms, which include some dated to the sixth century BC. In Room A, two mortared floors were found, in addition to a well with clay-lined walls in the southwest corner of the room.

Fig. 3.13.

Magoula: aerial view of the excavated area after the completion of the 2023 season. © NIA.

The excavators were able to identify three visible construction phases in Rooms Aand B. The earliest phase dates to the mid-fifth century BC (almost a century after the earliest fill finds), but the rooms had been abandoned by the time of the probable destruction of the site in 346 BC (Fig. 3.14). Rooms a and b in the northern area of the site also contained at least three architectural phases, which could be contemporary to those uncovered in Rooms Aand B, but more work is required to establish the relationship between these structures.

Fig. 3.14.

Magoula: Room B after the completion of the 2023 excavation season. © NIA.

2023 also marked the third fieldwork season of the Central Achaia Phthiotis Survey (CAPS; ID19598), directed by Dr Margriet Haagsma (University of Alberta) and Sophia Karapanou (Ephorate of Antiquities of Larissa). The project, which represents the continuation of the Kastro Kallithea Archaeological Project (see Haagsma etal. Reference Haagsma, Karapanou, Chykerda and Surtees2019), aims to explore the landscape around the fourth- to second-century BC city at Kastro in Thessaly through the development of alternative survey strategies for topographically challenging areas. The 2023 season involved further field-walking to the north and northeast of the Kastro, as well as the documentation of architectural features identified in previous seasons (Fig. 3.15). The survey results demonstrated human activity from the Neolithic period to the pre-modern, with a concentration of evidence in the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. There were very few prehistoric finds. Overall, 7,369 pieces of pottery were collected, as well as other artefacts such as metals and lithics, which in some cases seemed to be associated with architectural remains.

Fig. 3.15.

CAPS: areas around Kastro covered by pedestrian survey in 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Maps by Myles Chykerda. © CIG.

The team also surveyed the site at Kastraki, a small walled citadel near Arabises densely covered with ceramic material and stone artefacts (Fig. 3.16). The survey discovered a fragment of an Ionic frieze with traces of coloured paint. Most finds were dated to the Classical and Roman periods, but the area also yielded some Late Helladic (LH) and Early Iron Age material, as well as an unusual number of loom-weights. The survey work was combined with the study of architectural features associated with areas of human activity. Three main architectural features were explored in the 2023 season: first, a feature to the east of the Kastro dated to the Hellenistic period, which could represent some kind of fortification structure; second, an Ottoman fountain; and third, a tholos tomb (Tholos 14) with its contents looted but its architecture intact (Fig. 3.17). The structure and stonework of the tomb are reminiscent of Mycenaean examples and could be intended to establish a visual connection with more canonical Mycenaean tombs.

Fig. 3.16.

CAPS: digital elevation model of the magoula named Kastraki Arabises, surveyed in 2023, produced by Margriet Haagsma. © CIG.

Fig. 3.17.

CAPS: view of the inside of Tholos 14. © CIG.

Finally, the Ministry of Culture reports on a new fieldwork project focused on the systematic excavation of the forum at ancient Nikopolis in Epirus (ID19671; https://www.culture.gov.gr/el/Information/SitePages/view.aspx?nID=4975#prettyPhoto), under the direction of Konstantinos Zachos (Ephorate of Antiquities of Preveza). The 2023 excavations concentrated on the square architectural complex west of the auditorium, in order to explore the layout of the ancient forum in more detail, as well as the nature and character of its different buildings (Fig. 3.18). Inside the complex, the team found a mosaic floor that covered an area close to 350 square metres. Two inscribed marble plaques were also found inside the complex, which provide important information about the use of the structure. The first plaque, probably from a second-century AD wall inscription, mentions an unidentified Roman emperor. The second preserves the inscription in its entirety: it records a votive text in honour of the Roman emperors, dedicated by a local official. On this basis, the complex has been tentatively identified as a possible Sebasteion, a space dedicated to Imperial worship. It preserves at least two construction phases, from the second and fourth centuries AD. The first phase included a monumental entranceway and an impressive exterior façade with multi-coloured marble slabs.

Fig. 3.18.

Nikopolis: view of the 2023 excavation area, with the possible Sebasteion in the foreground. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Ephorate of Antiquities of Preveza.

Central Greece

Brendan Burke (University of Victoria) reports on the new excavation campaign of the Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project (see Burke etal. Reference Burke, Burns, Charami, Van Damme, Herrmann and Lis2020), which followed on from the 2022 survey (ID19599; ID18585). Between May and July 2023, nine new trenches were opened at the site of ancient Eleon (Fig. 3.19). North of the Blue Stone Structure uncovered in 2016 (ID6179), the burials of two individuals were uncovered close to the surface, dated to the Medieval period. These burials can be associated with Medieval remains elsewhere on the site, such as the Medieval tower on the acropolis and the refuse pits in the northwest corner of the site.

Fig. 3.19.

Eleon: plan of the excavation units explored in the 2023 season. © CIG.

The 2023 excavation season also continued the exploration of Tomb 15, first identified in 2018 (ID12964). The team revealed the size and shape of the tomb and uncovered the burials of three or four individuals. The human remains were concentrated in three different areas in the tomb, which indicates some kind of disturbance in antiquity, and no objects were found in situ in the tomb.

Work also continued in the area of the Mycenaean and Archaic fortification walls, where several LH IIIC surfaces and an intentional pavement were identified. Trenches on the northwest side of the acropolis (NWE4a, NWE4c, and NWF4c) also uncovered several Late Bronze Age structures as well as a section of the perimeter wall. The stone walls found in these trenches date to the LH IIIB–C period; one notable find from this area is an LH IIIB bull krater (Fig. 3.20). In addition, excavations in the south of the site revealed significant LH IIIC architectural features associated with a destruction deposit. These areas were undisturbed by later Medieval activity and contained very little Archaic and Classical material beside the accumulation of wash deposits. Elsewhere in the southern area, a test trench uncovered some of the earliest material from the site, dated between LH Iand LH IIIA. Further work in 2024 will continue to investigate these areas, with a focus on the earlier material and the Mycenaean perimeter wall.

Fig. 3.20.

Eleon: fragments from an LH IIIB bull krater. © CIG.

Elsewhere in Central Greece, Eleni Kountouri (Archaeological Society at Athens) reports on the 2023 excavation season at Gla (ID19592), which continued the work of the 2022 excavations (ID19204). The 2023 season concentrated on the Mycenaean structures visible on the acropolis: the architectural structures Na, Nb, and Nc (Fig. 3.21). The continued excavation of structure Na revealed ceramic sherds and small finds such as mudbricks and pieces of polychrome stucco; part of a clay larnax was also found in situ. Similar finds were unearthed in structure Nb, which allowed the excavators to reconstruct the construction of the complex. Finally, the excavation of structure Nc revealed a substantial collapse deposit that contained remains from the structure’s walls as well as evidence for fire.

Fig. 3.21.

Gla: the architectural complex on the Mycenaean Acropolis, which shows structures Na, Nb, and Nc. © ASA.

Michael Lane (University of Maryland) reports on the 2023 excavation season of the Kopaic Cultures, Economies, and Landscapes Project (KOCECOLA), at the prehistoric settlement of Aghia Marina Pyrghos (ID19597). Work in 2023 focused on the excavation of three areas: Trenches 6, 9, and 11 (Fig. 3.22). Trench 6 was situated on the north side of the acropolis, where previous excavations as part of the Mycenaean Northeastern Kopaïs Project (MYNEKO) (between 2016 and 2018) uncovered an early Mycenaean cemetery above the remains of Middle Helladic houses. Excavations in this area did not uncover similar burial and settlement evidence, however: instead, several wall foundations were found above a fill dated to the LH IIB and LH IIIA periods. The construction seems consistent with LH IIIB habitation and is similar to other LH IIIB constructions at the site (Fig. 3.23). It also contains evidence of fire destructions in the LH IIIB period, as seen elsewhere at the site.

Fig. 3.22.

KOCECOLA: map of the Aghia Marina Pyrghos site, which shows current and future excavation units as well as major architectural features. © KOCECOLA/University of Maryland.

Fig. 3.23.

KOCECOLA: view of Trench 6, with the architectural remains uncovered in 2023. © KOCECOLA/University of Maryland.

Trench 9 aimed to explore the LH IIIC structure uncovered in the previous MYNEKO excavations. Excavations found further evidence for LH IIIC constructions at the site and identified the possible re-use of abandoned LH IIIC structures later in the Geometric period. Trench 11 explored a cist burial, which contained the fragmented remains of two adult male skeletons, with a bronze pin, an arrowhead, and parts of a terracotta figurine. The cist seems to have been looted, possibly in the Medieval period. It can be tentatively dated to the early Mycenaean period, but it is also associated with Early Helladic ceramics. Further work is needed to evaluate the timeline of these burials in more detail.

Overall, the discoveries of the KOCECOLA project in 2023 both continued and built on the work of the MYNEKO excavations. The 2023 season uncovered settlement and burial evidence from the Middle Helladic and early Mycenaean periods and identified extensive LH IIIB construction on the summit with additional evidence for later re-occupation.

Excavations at Delphi also continued in 2023, under the auspices of the EfA. The season, led by Sandrine Huber (EfA and University of Lille) and Didier Laroche (National School of Architecture of Strasbourg), continued work started in 2022 (ID19581; ID18554). It focused on the Marmaria terrace, to better understand the chronology and topography of the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia. Atrench in the eastern half of the cella uncovered several important finds, which include a piece of a decorated armlet and a piece of sheet metal decorated with a complex combat scene (Figs. 3.24 and 3.25). Another trench in the area uncovered evidence for several destruction events as late as the first century BC to the second century AD.

Fig. 3.24.

Delphi: pieces of a shield armband with decoration, discovered in 2023. © EfA.

Fig. 3.25.

Delphi: pieces of sheet metal decorated with a mythological scene with wrestlers, discovered in the 2023 excavations. © EfA.

Four trenches were also opened around the Great Altar, to identify the limits of the structure to the east and west and to better understand its relationship with nearby architectural elements. These trenches uncovered many burnt bones, interpreted as sacrificial remains, as well as ceramics and architectural terracottas. The deposits date to the sixth century BC, but there is also evidence for earlier occupation underneath. Further work in 2024 will continue the exploration of the Great Altar.

The 2023 excavation season at Delphi was undertaken in tandem with an architectural study. This study focused on the structures on the Marmaria terrace, in particular on the tholos (now re-identified as a Philippeion), the Synedrion, and the two-room oikos. It found that the oikos is more recent than the Synedrion, and that the Synedrion could have been uncovered (i.e. that it did not have a roof). Another team, directed by Vincent Baillet (EfA and Archaeosciences Bordeaux), examined the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, with a focus on the traces of polychromy found on the architectural blocks of the fourth-century temple (ID19580). This study revealed the use of blue pigment on the temple blocks, in addition to the red pigment identified on blocks at the Delphi museum. Finally, a team led by Guy Ackermann (EfA and University of Geneva) and Sotiria Kriemadi (architect) carried out an architectural study of the Delphi gymnasium (ID19579). Several phases of construction were identified: the earliest phase, built in the Doric order, can be dated to the fourth century BC.

2023 also saw the first excavation season on the acropolis of Amphissa, a synergasia between the Ephorate of Antiquities of Phocis and the EfA (ID19578). Nicolas Kyriakidis (EfA) reports that trenches were opened in four areas of the ramparts, to clarify the stratigraphic and architectural sequence of the site.

The first excavation area was located towards the south of the site in Sector 1, close to the Classical and Hellenistic walls. Evidence for an earlier Archaic settlement in the area was uncovered, which also seems to have been fortified. The second excavation area was located on the top of the acropolis in Sector 2. Several Late Antique and Medieval contexts were uncovered in this area, as well as two Late Antique tombs, which were found empty. The third excavation area in Sector 3 did not reveal any ancient evidence above the bedrock. In contrast, the fourth excavation area in Sector 5 found a tower that formed part of the Classical and Hellenistic walls. Many tiles inscribed with the name of the city – Amphissa – were also found in this area. Key discoveries from the first season of the project include the identification of a fortified Archaic settlement, the re-evaluation of the size of the Classical and Hellenistic acropolis, which was smaller than previously understood, and the reconstruction of the re-use of the area as a necropolis in Late Antiquity.

Finally, John Bintliff (Leiden University) reports on the continued work of the Boeotia Project, under the auspices of the NIA. Recent study seasons in 2022 and 2023 have focused on the finds from the Haliartos urban and rural survey and from the urban survey at Koroneia (see Bintliff Reference Bintliff2016 for an overview of the work of the Boeotia Project since its foundation). These studies were undertaken in tandem with the investigation of the land use potential around the site of Haliartos through land mapping and drone photography. The social anthropology branch of the project has also examined the recent history and development of the modern town of Haliartos.

Euboea

Zarko Tankosic (University of Bergen), Paschalis Zafeiriades (Norwegian Institute at Athens and University of Bergen), and Fanis Mavridis (EPS) report on the sixth season of the Gourimadi Excavation Project (ID19673). This project, led by the Norwegian Institute at Athens, focuses on the excavation of a Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age site near Karystos in southern Euboea.

In 2023, work continued in the areas uncovered in previous seasons, to clarify the stratigraphy of the site and its architectural features. Architectural features discovered in the 2023 excavations include additional stone-built walls, postholes cut into the bedrock, and refuse pits (Fig. 3.26). The excavation also exposed the foundations of several walls uncovered in earlier seasons (Fig. 3.27). Athermal installation found in Trench 4, possibly associated with a nearby posthole, allowed for the identification of the space as an interior room used for domestic activity. Two refuse pits in the same area, which contained ceramic sherds, obsidian, stone tools, and a spindle whorl, provide additional insights into the nature of domestic activities at Gourimadi. Overall, the site provides important evidence for successive architectural construction phases from the earlier prehistoric periods, which are exceptional for their high standards of preservation.

Fig. 3.26.

Gourimadi: the architectural features discovered in 2023 at the site. © NIA.

Fig. 3.27.

Gourimadi: view of Wall 14 in the northeast corner of Trench 1, with 20 of its original courses preserved. © NIA.

Elsewhere in Euboea, Joanita Vroom (University of Leiden) reports on the continued work of the Beyond Chalkida: Landscape and Socio-Economic Transformations of its Hinterland from Byzantine to Ottoman Times project (ID19674). In 2023, the project undertook the intensive surface survey and architectural documentation of four known sites in the area: Karaouli, Triada, Figes, and Kastri. The survey at Karaouli uncovered evidence (ceramics and stone tools) for the continued use of the site from the Neolithic to the Late Medieval periods. The results from Triada, however, were inconclusive, due to low visibility in the area. The project also concentrated on the documentation of architectural remains at these sites, which included Medieval churches, towers, and fortification enclosures.

At one site, Kastri, the project carried out the excavation of a test trench (Fig. 3.28) in addition to the intensive surface survey. The survey of the plateau around Kastri yielded ceramic sherds, coins, and stone elements made from serpentine, limestone, and jasper. The area also contained the extensive remains of a fortified enclosure. The test trench, which was located close to the area of a Christian church, uncovered an undisturbed Medieval fill with many ceramics and other small finds, such as pieces of metal armour, an arrowhead, and coins. These objects can be dated between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries AD. Many human remains were also found, which were identified as at least three separate burials. One of these burials was found intact: it represents an adult of indeterminate sex, buried with ceramics and a Venetian coin placed close to the left hand. Numerous infant bones were also found with this burial; the area seems to represent a cemetery associated with the use of the church.

Fig. 3.28.

Chalkida: aerial view of the trial trench at Kastri. © HMC Project / NIA.

Work also continued at the site of Amarynthos in 2023 under the auspices of the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece. The excavation and survey project, directed by Sylvian Fachard (ESAG) and Angeliki Simossi (Ephorate of Antiquities of Euboea), uncovered the entirety of the Temple of Artemis in 2023 (ID19600). The temple was found to have three different construction phases, dated between the eighth and the sixth centuries BC. For further discussion of the excavation and finds from Amarynthos, Gourimadi, and other sites in Euboea, refer to Tamara Saggini’s contribution on ‘Archaeological fieldwork and research in Euboea: 2014–2024’ (Chapter 4, this volume).

Athens and Attica

2023 saw the final season of the Kotroni Archaeological Survey Project (KASP) in Attica, directed by Anastasia Dakouri-Hild (University of Virginia) and Stephen Davies (University College Dublin) under the supervision of the Ephorate of Antiquities of East Attica and the IIHSA (ID19627; see Agapiou etal. Reference Agapiou, Dakouri-Hild, Davis, Andrikou and Rourk2022 for an overview of the project). In 2023, the project completed its programme of geophysical prospection: first, in the area of the tumulus excavated in 1894, to explore whether nearby knolls could conceal additional funerary mounds, and, second, in the area of the prehistoric site surveyed in 2021, which yielded Middle and Late Bronze Age ceramics (ID18035; see Fig. 3.29 for an aerial view of the 2023 geophysics targets). Although the use of magnetometry revealed some archaeological features, the later agricultural use of the area hindered the work.

Fig. 3.29.

KASP: aerial view of the geophysics targets of the Kotroni Archaeological Survey Project in 2023. © IIHSA.

2023 also saw the continuation of the ESAG excavations on Aegina, located on the summit of Hellanion Oros, the highest mountain on the island (ID19633). The site includes a modern church, with additional occupational evidence stretching back to the Middle Bronze Age. In 2023, excavations concentrated on the area north of the church. The team uncovered a room with three walls, dated to the Mycenaean period, which was used for the storage of ceramic vessels (see Fig. 3.30). At least 30 vessels were found inside the room, mostly storage vessels and cooking pots. Some drinking vessels were also found, as well as spindle whorls and a stone bowl. The ceramics have been dated to the LH IIIB2 and LH IIIC periods, which indicates that the site could have been used as a place of refuge during this transitional period of the Late Bronze Age. Evidence for earlier occupation in the area includes Middle Bronze Age ceramics found underneath the later Mycenaean structures, as well as south of the modern church. The 2023 season also uncovered material related to the use of the site as a Sanctuary of Zeus in the first millennium BC. On the summit of the mountain, just north of the church, the team uncovered the foundations of a possible shrine, with a black ashy layer filled with burnt animal bones. This area was associated with ceramics dated from the Geometric to the Roman periods.

Fig. 3.30.

Aegina: view of the Mycenaean structures uncovered at the summit of Mount Hellanion. © ESAG.

In Athens, the 2023 excavation season in the Kerameikos continued to explore the area south of the Sacred Road (ID19629; see Fig. 3.31 for a plan of the area). Jutta Stroszeck (DAI) reports that the project had two main aims: to understand the absence of tombs outside the city walls and to explore the functions of the hydraulic infrastructure found in this area. The 2023 season made several important discoveries: first, the recovery of a mosaic floor decorated with fish and molluscs, first mentioned in the 1880 Praktika volume (Koumanoudis Reference Koumanoudis1880: 11). The team was able to analyse the production date and technique of the mosaic for the first time: it is a pebble floor mosaic dated to the fourth century BC (Fig. 3.32). Second, a drain decorated with mosaic pebbles was discovered in a banqueting area in the northwest corner of the room with the mosaic (Fig. 3.33). The drain led into a built channel used to divert wastewater from floor cleaning. These discoveries not only contribute to current studies of ancient Athenian infrastructure, but also help us to understand how people in ancient Athens used these areas of the city.

Fig. 3.31.

Kerameikos: plan of the investigated area south of the Sacred Road by Stefan Biernath. © DAI.

Fig. 3.32.

Kerameikos: view of the mosaic floor from the banqueting area by Stefan Biernath. © DAI.

Fig. 3.33.

Kerameikos: channel VProtS-17 in the banqueting area, seen from the southwest. © DAI (Photo: Jutta Stroszeck).

Elsewhere in Athens, Eirini Skiaderesi (Ephorate of Antiquities of Piraeus and Islands) reports on the recent rescue excavations at 6 Perikleous Street in Kallithea (ID18612), which uncovered part of an ancient road (14.30m) in use from the sixth to the fourth century BC. The road evidences at least three construction phases, probably linked to destructions caused by a nearby river. It was identified by the excavators as a Classical road that connected a rural deme in Attica to the city of Athens.

At the Athenian Agora, excavations continued between June and August 2023 (ID19631) under the auspices of the ASCSA. John Papadopoulos (University of California, Los Angeles) and Debby Sneed (California State University) report that work was undertaken, for the first time, in the area of 14 St Philip Street (Fig. 3.34). In the area Beta Kappa North, excavations started at the foundations of the early modern constructions, and uncovered earlier Ottoman, Late Byzantine, and Middle Byzantine horizons. Two refuse pits were also found, one with animal horns and ceramic sherds mixed inside different fills and one with a stony fill and mixed ceramic material, as well as a piece of an Ionic column capital. The latter is the only datable context in the area, dated between the eleventh and twelfth centuries AD, with at least one Islamic import.

Fig. 3.34.

Athenian Agora: aerial photograph of central Athens, which shows the area of the 2023 excavations. © ASCSA.

In the Beta Kappa South area, a stone-lined square pit was found, which contained a mixed fill with iron slag (which included hearth bottoms), in addition to stones, modern plastics (some datable to the 1950s), and moulded bricks. The construction date of this pit remains unclear, but it seems to have functioned as a waste pit. Associated ceramics are dated from the Archaic period to the modern era, with some prehistoric material. Other finds included animal bones and coins. Elsewhere in this area, excavators found pieces from a human skull and a concentration of murex shells. Area Beta Kappa West contained an articulated equid skeleton with iron horseshoes in a mixed modern context, next to a coarseware vessel (Fig. 3.35). Another pit was also found in this area: a circular stone-lined pit that contained mostly modern material, associated with a nineteenth century flour mill. The 2023 season at the Athenian Agora also involved extensive archaeobotanical research, which focused on the recovery of archaeobotanical materials from flotation and the phytolith analysis of soil samples.

Fig. 3.35.

Athenian Agora: articulated equid skeleton in Area Beta Kappa West. © ASCSA.

The Aegina Harbour-City Project also continued in 2023 (ID19567). The project is a collaboration between the EUA, the EfA, and the Byzantine and Christian Museum, directed by Kalliopi Baika (Aix-Marseille University) and Jean-Christophe Sourisseau (Aix-Marseille University) with Paraskevi Kalamara (Byzantine and Christian Museum) and Despoina Koutsoumba (EUA). In Sector 1 on Kolonna beach, two Christian tombs, first discovered in 2022, were excavated but found empty. The team also carried out a survey of the underwater stone embankment in this area, around the Bay of Kolonna. Further work in Sector 2 involved the excavation of one of the ship sheds built into the northeastern part of the port. The team also focused on the architectural study of these constructions, as well as the two towers in the entrance to the port (Fig. 3.36). The sheds seem to date to the sixth or fifth century BC, based on ceramic evidence. In Sector 3, the area of the modern commercial harbour, a drone was used to identify a modern shipwreck, and in Sector 4, the team undertook a survey of the embankment structures that located a line of conical rubble structures underwater.

Fig. 3.36.

Aegina: aerial view of the underwater port structures. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: EUA/EfA/Aix-Marseille Université – Masters of Maritime and Coastal Archaeology (Lionel Fadin, EfA).

Peloponnese

Jack Davis (University of Cincinnati) and Sharon Stocker (University of Cincinnati) report on the 2023 excavation season at the Palace of Nestor near Pylos (ID19634). The aims of the 2023 season were to explore the limits and character of the structures uncovered in 2021 and 2022 in the Demopoulos field (ID18403). In 2023, 290 square metres of the Demopoulos field were opened, to make a total of 634 square metres explored in this area since 2021. The excavators were able to make several important observations about the use of the structures and spaces uncovered in this area (Fig. 3.37). First, the area contains multiple architectural phases, dated from the MH II to the LH IIIB periods, with some phases as late as LH IIIC. The focus of activities in the area also seems to have shifted from west to east over this time period. Second, the architecture indicates a ritual function for the structures found in this area, possibly associated with the mortuary sphere. The 2023 season also continued work on the conservation and documentation of the finds from the Grave of the Griffin Warrior and from Tholos VI and Tholos VII at the site. Fig. 3.38 shows a cosmetic box from the Grave of the Griffin Warrior, conserved in 2023.

Fig. 3.37.

Pylos: plan of the principal structures found in Area Hafter the 2023 excavations. © All rights reserved. Courtesy of the Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati.

Fig. 3.38.

Pylos: gold cosmetic box from the Grave of the Griffin Warrior (SN24-0862). © All rights reserved. Courtesy of the Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati.

Elsewhere in the Peloponnese, as part of a synergasia with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Arcadia, David Romano and Mary Voyatzis (both of the University of Arizona) report on the Mount Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project (ID19635; Romano and Voyatzis Reference Romano and Voyatzis2021). The 2023 study season focused on the ceramics and small finds from the altar of Zeus, with additional work on the spatial relationships of the area.

Excavations at the Sanctuary of Poseidon at Helike also continued in 2023, directed by Dora Katsonopolou (President of the Helike Society). Between May and June 2023, the team uncovered two structures located close to the sanctuary (ID19636). The first structure, dated to the eighth century BC, comprises compacted clay floors associated with walls with at least three different construction phases. The second structure, dated to the seventh or sixth century BC, was constructed on a temple-like stone foundation. It contained Archaic pottery, clay figurines, and a bronze model of a snake’s head. To the east of these structures, the team found objects (such as clay and bronze figurines, iron weapons, and jewellery items) dated to the ninth and eighth centuries BC. These discoveries confirm that the site was used for ritual activities as early as 850 BC, before the construction of the sanctuary in 710 BC.

Adrien Delahaye (EfA) reports on the 2023 study season of the Amykles Research Project, close to Sparta in Laconia (ID19587). The 2023 season concentrated on the Archaic ceramics from the 2005–2022 excavations of the Amyklean Sanctuary of Apollo. In particular, it focused on the quantification and study of the thousands of miniature vessels found in the sanctuary between 2018 and 2020.

From 21 August to 29 September 2023, excavations also continued at Kleidi-Samikon in Elis, a synergasia between the Ephorate of Antiquities of Elis, directed by Erofili-Iris Kolia, and the ÖAW, directed by Birgitta Eder (ID19637). The directors report that the 2023 season focused on the area of the presumed temple, first identified in 2021 and first excavated in 2022 (Fig. 3.39). The team uncovered the southeast section of the temple, which included the southeast wall of the cella and the pronaos. The total length of the building was estimated at 28 metres, based on the combination of excavation and survey data.

Fig. 3.39.

Kleidi-Samikon: aerial photograph of the excavation at the Sanctuary of Poseidon. © ÖAI.

Excavations uncovered a layer of roof tiles inside the temple from an earlier Archaic structure at the site. This layer was interpreted as a fill for the construction of the floor. Based on the discovery of a Hellenistic kantharos (drinking cup) within the layer, this construction phase can be dated to 300 BC. Earlier phases of the temple were uncovered underneath this fill. Alimestone column base was found, which allowed for the reconstruction of earlier phases of the cella and pronaos (Fig. 3.40). The earlier temple, dated to the sixth century BC, was identified as a hekatompedon (100-foot-long building), with an unusual architectural plan of two cella with axially arranged columns (Fig. 3.41). The discovery of an Archaic temple secures the identification of the area as the sanctuary of Poseidon known from literary sources.

Fig. 3.40.

Kleidi-Samikon: the limestone column base from the earlier Archaic temple. © ÖAI.

Fig. 3.41.

Kleidi-Samikon: preliminary reconstruction of the plan of the temple by G. Ladstätter. © ÖAI.

The DAI reports on the 2023 season at Olympia (ID19638), a synergasia between Erofili-Iris Kolia (Ephorate of Antiquities of Elis), Oliver Pilz (University of Mainz), Andreas Vött (University of Mainz), and Dennis Wilken (University of Kiel). As part of this project, geoarchaeological, geophysical, and archaeological fieldwork was carried out in the area of the sanctuary, to investigate the area to the south of the southwest baths at Olympia, in particular, to better understand the alluvial deposits that cover the site (Fig. 3.42). Work focused on the so-called Blue Structure, first identified in the initial 2021 survey. In 2023, drill cores were used to identify the presence of standing water in the area. Sections of the Kladeos wall, excavated in 1995, could also relate to this structure, but future research is needed to clarify the relationship between these constructions. The team also surveyed an area north of the stadium at Olympia, on the southeast slope of the Kronos hill, to further explore a large rectangular building first identified in 2021. Further surveys were undertaken on the north slope of the hill, in the area of the Sanctuary of Eileithyia. Initial results were inconclusive, but work continues in 2024.

Fig. 3.42.

Olympia: geoarchaeological direct push soundings and boreholes south of the Southwest Baths. © DAI.

2023 also saw the first excavation season of a new field project at Prasiai near Leonidio-Plaka (ID19639), directed by Konstantinos Kissas (Ephorate of Antiquities of Arcadia) and Peter Scherrer (University of Graz). The project is a synergasia between the Ephorate of Antiquities of Arcadia and the ÖAW, represented by the University of Graz. It aims to explore the layout of the ancient town and fortifications at Prasiai, and to better understand both the topography and the chronology of the site.

The 2023 excavation season started with the exploration of the fortifications. The team first explored Tower A, located in the northeastern corner of the fortification walls (Fig. 3.43). The excavation found some kind of entrance into the town, to be clarified with further work in 2024, as well as the remains of a foundation deposit with ceramic vessels and animal bones (Fig. 3.44). The excavations also revealed that Tower A, dated to the fourth century BC, was built over older structures from the sixth century BC. Further work on the terrace just above the modern road, between the houses previously excavated by Giorgos Grigorakakis, uncovered little architectural evidence, but did reveal ceramic material from the Mycenaean to the Geometric periods. This material seems to indicate continued occupation in this area across this time period.

Fig. 3.43.

Leonidio: drone image of Area A, which shows Tower Aand parts of the fortification wall. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Ephorate of Antiquities of Arcadia / University of Graz.

Fig. 3.44.

Leonidio: foundation deposit of several nested vessels in Trench A1. © University of Graz.

The most important finds on the terrace, however, were three large rectangular graves, covered with stone slabs and roof tiles, dated to the Late Hellenistic–Early Roman period (Fig. 3.45). Tomb 1 contained a complete skeleton but no objects (Fig. 3.46), while Tomb 2 contained no skeletal remains but one object, an unguentarium (small vase for precious liquids). Tomb 3 contained an almost complete skeleton (with only its head missing) and iron nails from a wooden coffin. Awell-preserved iron strigil was also found at the feet of the skeleton. These burials are similar to contemporary examples from Argos. They indicate the presence of a Late Hellenistic–Early Roman necropolis on the site of the former town. Excavations in September 2024 will continue work on the area of the necropolis and its associated architectural remains.

Fig. 3.45.

Leonidio: excavation plan of the trenches B–D, which shows the locations of the three graves. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Ephorate of Antiquities of Arcadia / University of Graz.

Fig. 3.46.

Leonidio: inhumation grave (Tomb 1) from the Late Hellenistic–Roman period. © University of Graz.

Walter Gauss (ÖAW) reports on the second excavation season at Aigeira (ID19640). The project aims to explore the development of the site between the end of the Mycenaean period and the start of the Hellenistic period, with a particular focus on the transformation of the Mycenaean settlement into an early Greek sanctuary. The 2023 excavation season concentrated on the so-called saddle area at the site (Fig. 3.47), with supplementary studies undertaken in the area of the Solon excavations. After the topsoil was removed, trenches uncovered undisturbed Late Classical layers from the fourth to the early third century BC (Fig. 3.48). Several massive walls were associated with these layers, which seem to be part of the fortifications of the ancient acropolis.

Fig. 3.47.

Aigeira: view of the acropolis and saddle area. © ÖAI.

Fig. 3.48.

Aigeira: aerial view of the excavation area at the end of the 2023 season. © ÖAI.

The excavation of Trench 4 revealed an entranceway (4.6m wide) with a massive block in the centre, which could have functioned as the central pillar for a double-leaf door. This architectural plan can be compared to the Dipylon Gate in Athens (see Gruben and Müller Reference Gruben and Müller2018). In contrast, the excavation of Trench 5 did not reveal any of the fortification walls; instead, it was mostly filled with debris, perhaps intended to create a level surface for the construction of the entranceway. Important finds from this fill include Late Antique and Early Classical pottery, Corinthian and Laconian roof tiles, and several loom-weights. Fragments of a terracotta horse-rider (Fig. 3.49) and a bronze bird were also found. Given the unusual quantity and quality of the finds, it is assumed that this fill material represents debris from the sanctuary on the acropolis.

Fig. 3.49.

Aigeira: male terracotta figurine (horse-rider) from Area 5. © ÖAI.

The excavation of Trench 6 revealed a massive fortification wall immediately beneath the modern surface (Fig. 3.50). The remains of a clay pipe were found in the same area, which could have been used as a drain or as a water source, to supply the acropolis plateau with fresh water. The fortification wall uncovered in Trench 6 continued into Trench 7, where there is also evidence for a tower or bastion as part of the fortifications (Fig. 3.51). Finally, the excavation of Trench 8 uncovered levels that pre-date the construction of the fortification walls. Anortheast–southwest oriented wall was uncovered, dated to the Late Archaic or Classical periods, with a massive layer of broken tiles, ceramic sherds, and pieces of bronze vessels found above (Fig. 3.52). These discoveries, both the fourth-century BC foundations and the earlier remains, open up new avenues of research at ancient Aigeira, which pre-date the site’s better known Hellenistic history.

Fig. 3.50.

Aigeira: excavation Area 6, with the fortification wall and the exposed part of the water pipes. © ÖAI.

Fig. 3.51.

Aigeira: excavation Area 7, with the continuation of the fortification wall towards the east and north. © ÖAI.

Fig. 3.52.

Aigeira: excavation Area 8, with the fill layer of dumped debris with a concentration of tiles and pithos fragments. © ÖAI.

The Ministry of Culture reports on continued excavations at the site of Tenea (ID19643; https://www.culture.gov.gr/el/Information/SitePages/view.aspx?nID=4476), under the direction of Elena Korkas (Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports). The 2022 excavation season uncovered the remains of an Early Bronze Age settlement (2600–2300 BC) and a Roman bath complex (Fig. 3.53). The exploration of the prehistoric settlement revealed numerous ceramic vessels, clay hearths, and pieces from a clay offering table with spiral decoration. Aconical wine cellar dated to the end of the seventh century is an especially unusual find from the area. The Roman bath complex, located only 45 metres south of the prehistoric settlement, was constructed in the second century AD with two additional construction phases in the fourth and fifth centuries AD. It contained an elevated tile floor with masonry pipes used to supply water to the baths and drain wastewater. The complex, which covers an area of 800 square metres, also includes three caldaria (rooms heated with a system of underfloor pipes), three praefurnia (rooms with wood-fired furnaces), and one cold room. The use of part of the space as an olive press was confirmed by the presence of numerous olive kernels; some were found inside an iron box (Fig. 3.54).

Fig. 3.53.

Tenea: overview of the excavation area, which shows Roman buildings and streets. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth.

Fig. 3.54.

Tenea: iron box, dated to the Roman period, uncovered in the 2022 excavations. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth.

The 2023 season at Tenea continued with the excavation work undertaken in 2022 (ID19644; https://www.culture.gov.gr/el/Information/SitePages/view.aspx?nID=4837). In October 2023, the excavation uncovered a section of Hadrian’s aqueduct close to the Roman bath complex (Fig. 3.55). The aqueduct, a built structure with a domed roof, supplied water to ancient Corinth from Stymphalia. The exploration of the prehistoric settlement also continued in 2023. The team uncovered evidence for Early Bronze Age roads and houses: finds included obsidian tools, handmade ceramics, animal figurines, and a bone comb. The ceramics included vessels imported from Aegina, Attica, and the Argolid, which indicates close contacts between these areas at this time. The team also discovered an architectural complex in use between the Late Archaic and Hellenistic periods. The complex included the remains of at least four buildings – two small buildings and two larger buildings, both with well-maintained underground tanks. Many miniature vases, figurines, and lamps were found inside these buildings, which could indicate the ritual use of these spaces. One especially important find was a hoard of 29 ancient Greek silver coins, probably deposited around 330 BC. The hoard includes coins from Elis, Aegina, Stymphalos, Argos, and Thebes (Fig. 3.56).

Fig. 3.55.

Tenea: aerial view of the section of Hadrian’s aqueduct uncovered in the 2023 season. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth.

Fig. 3.56.

Tenea: the hoard of 29 ancient Greek silver coins found in 2023. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth.

Christopher A. Pfaff (ASCSA) reports on the excavations at ancient Corinth, under the auspices of the ASCSA (ID19641). In 2023, excavation concentrated on the area northeast of the ancient theatre, first explored in 2018, and in an adjacent area to the west (Fig. 3.57). Multiple layers of the north–south Byzantine road (identified in previous seasons: ID18535) were uncovered, as well as an additional stretch of the wall that bounded this road to the east. In addition, a stone-lined pit found next to this wall contained vessels dated to the first half of the thirteenth century BC, which include a Measles Ware bowl and a Fine Sgraffito plate as well as domestic refuse (Fig. 3.58). Aportion of the Roman road was also found underneath the later Byzantine construction.

Fig. 3.57.

Corinth: the area northeast of the theatre after the completion of the 2023 excavation season. © ASCSA.

Fig. 3.58.

Corinth: Medieval pottery from Pit 8: a) Measles Ware bowl, b) Fine Sgraffito plate. © ASCSA.

Excavations uncovered the west side of the Late Roman ‘Marble Room’ discovered in 2020. The west side of the structure preserves a large doorway and a marble veneered bench similar to those found on the east side (Fig. 3.59). There were also several important sculptural finds from this area. Acolossal marble arm and a life-size Roman copy of the head of the Early Classical Candia Peplophoros type (Fig. 3.60) were found underneath the floor of the room, in a fill dated to the seventh century AD. The torso of a Roman copy of the ‘Pothos’ was found in a contemporary seventh century fill above the floor. There is also some evidence for the later re-use of the area: two fragmentary epitaphs from the same fill indicate that the area formed part of a short-lived early Christian basilica.

Fig. 3.59.

Corinth: the west side of the Marble Room, seen from the east. © ASCSA.

Fig. 3.60.

Corinth: Roman copy of the head of the Candia Peplophoros type, found underneath the floor of the Marble Room. © ASCSA.

Finally, the 2023 excavation season at Corinth uncovered six burials in close proximity to the 11 others excavated in 2019 and 2022. These burials were deposited in narrow pit graves, all in the same position: supine with both forearms across the torso. Although these graves contained few datable objects, the discovery of a small bronze cross with one of the buried individuals seems to confirm that the area was used as a Christian cemetery.

Three study seasons also took place in the Corinth area in 2023, under the auspices of the ASCSA. First, Jon M. Frey, director of the Michigan State University excavations at Isthmia, reports on the project’s 2023 study season, which focused on the documentation of all catalogued ceramics and the digitization of material from the 1967–2004 excavation seasons at the site. The study of the West Cemetery, which aims to associate assemblages with specific burials, also continued in 2023. Second, Jean Perras (University of Chicago) reports on the 2023 study season of the University of Chicago excavations at Isthmia. The season focused on the area of the Sacred Glen, initially identified as Roman latrines but now under re-evaluation, in preparation for future geophysical prospection. The team also undertook a study of the Archaic Temple of Poseidon, which involved the documentation of postholes within the temple area, the XRF analysis of the stone blocks and stucco pieces, and the collection of micro-samples from the stone blocks. Third, Joseph L. Rife (Vanderbilt University) reports on the 2023 study season of the American excavations at Kenchreai, where the team focused on the ceramics, lamps, and coins uncovered in the area of the ancient harbour in the 1960s and in the Threpsiades property in the 1976 excavations. They were able to identify an important collection of early Roman fineware with imports from Italy and Asia Minor.

2023 also saw the first year of excavation as part of the Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project (ID19642), directed by Georgios Spyropoulos (Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth) and Paul D. Scotton (California State University) in collaboration with Panayiota Kassimi (Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth). The excavations, which continued earlier work at the site, concentrated on four areas (A, B, C, and D), which each yielded important architectural remains.

In Area A, the team explored Rooms 1 and 2 of the stoa-like structure; a hearth was found next to the west wall in Room 2 (Fig. 3.61). Aroom with a tile floor was also uncovered nearby, in use from the Augustan period to the third century AD. It therefore seems to pre-date the stoa-like structure. In Area B, the team excavated two new rooms: Rooms 2 and 3 (Fig. 3.62). Room 2 revealed a succession of thin floors, with sockets possibly used as footings for pithoi, while Room 3 contained a collection of floor tiles, apparently stored in the space. Area Crevealed a Flavian period basilica (Fig. 3.63), with evidence for later construction in the same area, and Area Dcontained a circular structure with pieces of marble and mosaic associated with Hellenistic and Roman ceramics, dating from the first century BC to the fourth century AD.

Fig. 3.61.

Lechaion: aerial view of Area A, which shows the Room with the Tile Floor. © ASCSA.

Fig. 3.62.

Lechaion: aerial view of Area B. © ASCSA.

Fig. 3.63.

Lechaion: aerial view of Flavian basilica discovered in Area C. © ASCSA.

Work also continued at ancient Nemea in 2023 (ID19645). Kim Shelton (University of California at Berkeley) reports on activities at the site, which included museum and architectural studies as well as site maintenance. The southwest area of the Sanctuary of Zeus, excavated in 2011–2021, was cleared of vegetation, including the area of the altar (Fig. 3.64). In June 2023, an architectural study of the early Christian basilica was also undertaken, in which the foundations of the basilica (made from spolia from earlier constructions on the site) were recorded (Fig. 3.65). Study also continued on the ceramic material and small finds from the Sanctuary of Zeus, with a similar focus on the early Christian basilica. This material mostly comes from contexts excavated by Charles K. Williams in the 1960s and by Stephen G. Miller in the 1970s, which has not been studied or published previously.

Fig. 3.64.

Nemea: Basilica, north nave wall, foundations with spolia. © Nemea Center for Classical Archaeology, UC Berkeley.

Fig. 3.65.

Nemea: the recording and drawing of the interior nave wall of the basilica. © Nemea Center for Classical Archaeology, UC Berkeley.

Finally, Élisabeth Yota (Sorbonne University) reports on the first season of a new survey project at Mystras in Laconia (ID19588), under the auspices of the EfA. In 2023, the project carried out photogrammetric surveys of several churches in the area: Saint Sophia, Saint Nicholas, Saint Demetrios, Saint Theodora, the Pantanassa Monastery, and the Brontochion Monastery. Future work will include LiDAR surveys of the area, with the ultimate aim of creating a virtual tour of the site with audio and video accompaniment.

North Aegean

The EUA and the University of Thessaly report on the continued exploration of a Byzantine shipwreck close to Cape Aspros Kavos at Fournoi (ID19210; https://www.culture.gov.gr/el/Information/SitePages/view.aspx?nID=4910; Fig. 3.66). The project, directed by Georgios Koutsouflakis (University of Thessaly) and Georgios Evangelistis (EUA), was able to date the wreck between 480 and 520 AD, based on ceramics brought to the surface. The 2023 season also uncovered objects from three other shipwrecks in the area, which include an Archaic anchor as well as amphorae from the sixth century BC and from the seventh and eighth centuries AD.

Fig. 3.66.

Fournoi: view of the west side of Wreck 15. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: EUA/Fournoi Underwater Archaeological Project. Photo by Stefanos Kontos.

South Aegean

Mariza Marthari (Archaeological Society of Athens) reports on continued work at the Chalandriani hill on Syros (ID19593). In 2023, a surface survey was undertaken in the area, to the north and west of the church on the hill. Ceramic sherds, stone vases, stone tools, and spindle whorls were collected, as well as one (apparently unfinished) marble figurine. These objects seem to indicate that the Chalandriani hill was occupied in the Early Cycladic period. The discovery of a wall in the area, associated with ceramic evidence, confirms this hypothesis.

The sixth study season of the Kea Archaeological Research Survey took place in June and July 2023 (ID19602). The project continued with its examination of the pottery from field sites, which involved both fabric analysis and the study of ceramics from prehistory to the Medieval period. This work provides important information about habitation patterns on Kea across this extended time period.

Excavations continued at the ancient sanctuary of Apollo on Despotiko in summer 2023 (ID19672; https://www.culture.gov.gr/el/Information/SitePages/view.aspx?nID=4686), under the direction of Yannis Kouragios (Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades). The team first continued with the excavation of a complex water collection system at the base of the hill close to the sanctuary. Two large water tanks were explored, as well as a water filtration system. Work also continued on the various buildings uncovered in previous excavation years; further architectural remains from these structures were revealed over the course of the season. Anew structure, named Building MN, was also found: the structure comprises a rectangular floor plan with four rooms, dated to the sixth century BC.

The team uncovered a new kouros sculpture, dated around 480 BC, in an Archaic structure first identified in 2019 (conventionally known as Building Ω). The Ministry of Culture reports that the statue, which was found headless, represents an artwork of exceptional quality, made from Parian marble. Perpendicular to the Archaic structure at the site, a Late Antique wall was discovered that contained parts of other Archaic kouroi: three pieces from one kouros, dated to the second half of the sixth century BC, as well as pieces from the lower body of a second kouros of similar date. The excavators propose that the statues were prominently displayed close to the sanctuary entrance in the Archaic period, then later re-used as construction material. This kind of ‘recycling’ is common in other buildings at the site.

Several projects, both survey and study seasons, continued at Delos in 2023, under the auspices of the EfA. First, Jean-Charles Moretti (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Institut de Recherche sur l’Architecture Antique Lyon) reports on the work of the Gèologie et Architecture à Delos project (GAD), which focused on the quarries of Delos and the materials used in ancient construction projects (ID19583). The team estimated the volume of stone used in private and collective constructions at Delos, such as the Oikos of the Naxians, the Temple of the Delians, the Portico of Antigonus, and the House of the Comedians. Several databases were compiled to document the use of unusual construction materials at Delos and the use of local stones for construction (see also Vettor etal. Reference Vettor, Sautter, Jolivet, Moretti and Pont2022 for recent results from the GAD project).

Second, Guy Ackerman (University of Geneva) and Jean-Charles Moretti (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Institut de Recherche sur l’Architecture Antique Lyon) report on the study of the Palestra of the Lake at Delos (ID19584). In 2023, the structure was cleaned and documented for the production of 3D models and orthophotographs. Ageophysical survey was also carried out in the area to the east of the Palestra, which located numerous buildings and a network of streets and alleys. Elsewhere at Delos, Stéphane Lamouille (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Institut de Recherche sur l’Architecture Antique) reports on the architectural study of the Oikos and Portico of the Naxians, which established a new plan of these structures (ID19585), and Stéphanie Maillot (Clermont Auvergne) reports on the 2023 study of the fortifications (ID19586). Several new observations were made as part of this architectural study: for example, a double defence system was identified in the southern part of the city.

On the island of Rhenia, close to Delos, the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, under the direction of Demetrios Athanasoulis, Zozi Papadopoulou and Maria Sigala with the participation of the EfA, the University of Napoli, and independent Greek scholars, conducted a new survey campaign in May and July 2023, which aimed to produce a new archaeological map of the island (ID19582; Fig. 3.67). Work focused on the areas of the Delian necropolis, the isthmus, and the eastern part of the northern half of Rhenia. Kounelonisi was also surveyed. The Delian necropolis was found to extend over a larger area than previously assumed, comprising a vast, but unbounded, zone, which also includes the remains of transport and circulation areas. Numerous stone circles, which probably represent the remains of tumuli, were identified in the northern area of the necropolis. Several ancient farmsteads have been identified, while extended ancient remains have been documented in the areas of Kontouros and Theotokos.

Fig. 3.67.

Rhenia: archaeological survey map of Rhenia island showing number of sherds. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades/EfA.

The Ministry of Culture reports on continued work on the wreck of Antikythera (ID19646). The project is directed by Angeliki G. Simosi (Ephorate of Antiquities of Piraeus and Islands) and Lorenz Baumer (Geneva) as a collaboration between the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. In May 2023, divers discovered a second shipwreck close to the wreck that contained the famous Antikythera mechanism. The new wreck was explored and documented over the course of May and June 2023, to clarify its relationship with the other shipwreck. It can be dated to the first century BC (most likely around 60 BC) and contained the unusual find of two human teeth embedded in a compact mass with copper traces. Other finds from the 2023 season include the marble head of a bearded man, identified as the Farnese Hercules, which could represent the missing piece from the headless statue 5742 at the National Archaeological Museum, found by sponge divers in 1900.

In 2023, work also continued at Vathy on Astypalaia (ID19594). Andreas Vlachopoulos (University of Ioannina and Archaeological Society of Athens) reports that the project continued its exploration of the Christian basilica at the site. The remains of a smaller church were uncovered within the central nave of the basilica; this church seems to have been constructed at a later date than the basilica. One important find is a flat stone with a graffito of two spirals, probably used in the construction of the basilica (Fig. 3.68). Elsewhere at the site, on Cape Elliniko, the 2023 excavation season also uncovered the remains of the fortification from the prehistoric acropolis. Multiple handmade ceramics were found, as well as obsidian. On the basis of the ceramic material, these fortifications can be dated to the end of the Neolithic period and the start of the Early Cycladic period (see also Stamoulis etal. Reference Stamoulis, Vlachopoulos, Tsodoulos and Papas2024 on the timeframe of the architectural remains found at Vathy).

Fig. 3.68.

Vathy, Astypalaia: graffito with two spirals on a stone block used in the construction of the basilica. © ASA.

Finally, work on the Kasos Maritime Archaeological Project, a collaboration between the National Hellenic Research Foundation and the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, also continued in 2023 (ID19208; https://www.culture.gov.gr/el/Information/SitePages/view.aspx?nID=4905). Xanthi Argyri (National Hellenic Research Foundation) reports that the team has uncovered 10 shipwrecks over the course of the project, which include prehistoric, Classical, Hellenistic, and Byzantine material (Fig. 3.69). Several objects from the Medieval and Ottoman periods were also found, as well as a shipwreck from the Second World War, around 25–30 metres in length. The 2023 season was devoted to the study and documentation of these discoveries. The project mapped the seabed between Kasos and Karpathos, and identified a Spanish Dressel type 20 amphora, dated between 150 and 170 AD, as well as Roman terra sigillata vessels and an Archaic stone anchor.

Fig. 3.69.

Kasos: divers seen underwater at the site of the wreck. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: EUA/National Hellenic Research Foundation/Kasos Maritime Archaeological Project. Photo by Nikos Koukoulas.

Crete

Jan Driessen (UC Louvain) reports on the twelfth excavation campaign at Sissi, under the auspices of the EBSA and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture (ID19647). The 2023 excavation season focused on the exploration of the Neopalatial Court Building uncovered at the site to clarify the various architectural sequences in the area.

In 2023, test trenches uncovered four different but successive floor levels in the Central Court; only the final Neopalatial floor level comprised hard tarazza (mixture of lime and rounded pebbles). Several architectural phases were also identified in Space 6.17 in the northwest area of the Court Building, which seems to have been used as an open-air paved platform then later transformed into a closed room (Fig. 3.70). Excavations also uncovered a plastered cistern (with a diameter of 5m and a depth of 2m) close to the west entrance of the Central Court (Fig. 3.71). The cistern was constructed in the Middle Minoan (MM) IB period but collapsed in the MM IIIA period. It therefore indicates that the southwest area of the Court Building dates to the Protopalatial period, a phase previously underrepresented at the site. The team also investigated a stone and terracotta drain in the northeast corner of the Central Court (Fig. 3.72). The presence of Late Minoan (LM) IIIB sherds inside the drain indicates that it must have remained open until this period.

Fig. 3.70.

Sissi: Space 6.17 and its associated platform in the northwest corner of the Central Court, seen from the southeast. © EBSA, J. Driessen.

Fig. 3.71.

Sissi: plastered cistern 16.78 seen from the northeast. © EBSA, J. Driessen.

Fig. 3.72.

Sissi: stone and terracotta drain coming from the Central Court in Space 6.12, seen from the east. © EBSA, J. Driessen.

Work in 2023 involved the continued excavation of the Prepalatial settlement immediately northwest of the Court Building. The settlement dates to the Early Minoan IIA period, ca. 2600 BC. The 2023 season uncovered an additional multi-roomed structure in this area, similar to the structure excavated in previous campaigns but with little material found in situ (Fig. 3.73). Based on the absence of material finds, it seems possible that this structure was abandoned earlier than the rest of the settlement.

Fig. 3.73.

Sissi: Prepalatial house remains in Zone 10 seen from the north. © EBSA, J. Driessen.

In 2023, the Gournia Excavation Project, under the auspices of the ASCSA and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Lasithi, finalized the study of the remains uncovered in the 2010–2014 excavations (ID1910; ID2860; ID4551). Livingston Vance Watrous (University of Buffalo) reports that the overall aims of the project have been to document urban development over time at Gournia, to explore the social lives of the people who lived there, and to better understand the site’s role in both local and Mediterranean socio-economic systems. The 2023 season produced architectural sections of 20 buildings at the site and 3D models of the LM IIIB shrine. Future research will focus on the petrographic analysis of the ceramic evidence from the site.

In 2024, the Greek Ministry of Culture unearthed a unique Minoan structure near the town of Castelli on Crete, in the course of radar installation on the Papoura hill for the new Heraklion airport (ID19649). The circular architectural complex, which covers around 1,800 square metres, is the first monument of this kind found on Crete (Fig. 3.74). It has been identified as some kind of community structure, intended as a landmark for the wider area. The Ministry of Culture reports that the complex has an almost labyrinthine structure, with spaces that communicate with each other through narrow entranceways and corridors. The complex comprises a series of concentric walls around an interior circular structure divided into four quadrants. Ceramic evidence indicates that the complex peaked between 2000 and 1700 BC, with some later re-use. Excavation of the monument continues in order to examine its function and importance in more detail.

Fig. 3.74.

Heraklion: circular Minoan monument uncovered during earth-removal work on the Papoura hill. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Ephorate of Antiquities of Heraklion.

The Ministry of Culture also reports on the 2023 excavations at Archanes, close to Knossos, which uncovered further remains from the Minoan palace at the site (ID19650). Important finds in 2023 include pieces of rock crystal, steatite vessels, obsidian vessels, and a carnelian sealstone. Twenty jars, presumably used to store wine, oil, and textiles, were found at the site, deposited together with perfume vessels and an Egyptian scarab. The 2023 excavations also made several important architectural discoveries, which include the use of ashlar masonry, as well as the presence of pebble and slate floors. Pieces of red, blue, and black painted plaster were found, which indicate that the walls of the structures were decorated with colourful frescoes.

Elsewhere in Crete, Maud Devolder (University of Ghent) reports on the 2023 study season at the palace of Malia (ID19575). In 2023, the project focused on the Neopalatial ceramic material and architecture, which included the examination of material from older excavations at the palace, undertaken between 1915 and 1936, and from surveys carried out by Olivier Pelon between 1964 and 1992. The architectural study focused on the construction and masonry of the palace.

In 2023, the Azoria Project continued with its study of material excavated between 2013 and 2017 (ID4550; ID5576). Donald C. Haggis (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) reports that work continued on the Protoarchaic building at the site, with a focus on its abandonment in the early Archaic period. Several late seventh-century structured deposits were identified across the excavated area, which mostly comprise ‘sympotic kits’ that could indicate libation or feasting events (see Haggis Reference Haggis2023). The deposition of these vessels seems to mark the transition into new construction phases at the site, while also preserving aspects of the older settlement within the new Archaic urban landscape. The project also finalized the architectural study of the peak of the South Acropolis at Azoria, first excavated by Harriet Boyd in 1900. This study revealed that the first phase of the ‘Rectangular Archaic Building’ on the South Acropolis dates to the seventh century BC, but there is little evidence for any sixth-century BC use of the structure. It is also important to note that the foundations of the building were constructed on top of a cobblestone platform or hearth.

Florence Gaignerot-Driessen (University of Cincinnati) reports on the 2023 study season of the Anavlochos project (ID19569). The team concentrated on the finds from the survey and excavation work carried out at the site from 2015 to 2022, with a focus on the necropolis and the votive deposits. They completed the study of two burials – one sub-adult individual buried in a pithos, first discovered in 2022 – and one cremation found inside a kalathos in 2022. The season also involved the examination of the metallurgical equipment from the Quartier de la Forge, and various metal objects were restored and studied.

2023 saw the third campaign of the five-year excavation programme at Itanos in east Crete (ID19651), directed by Athena Tsingarida (Université libre de Bruxelles) and Didier Viviers (Université libre de Bruxelles). The season concentrated on four areas of the necropolis to better understand the development of the funerary landscape at the site. The first excavation area, located at the south limit of the necropolis, revealed a previously unknown section of the city wall (Fig. 3.75). This discovery indicates that the entire urban perimeter at Itanos was fortified. It is difficult to date the construction of the wall, but several phases of wall repairs have been identified that can be dated to the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The second excavation area comprised the south sector of the Archaic funerary complex found at the site, a large structure with several rooms and courtyards, in use from the early sixth century BC to the early fourth century BC, a period at the site without any burial evidence (Fig. 3.76). The season clarified the architectural phases of the structure and explored its role in the organization of the broader funerary landscape at Itanos. The third excavation area was located on the north terrace of the Archaic funerary complex, an area now re-evaluated as a courtyard enclosed by a wall (Fig. 3.77). This courtyard formed an integral part of the funerary complex, but it is difficult to identify the kind of activities that could have taken place in the area as there are currently no known architectural parallels. Finally, excavations continued in the upper part of the necropolis, which contained numerous Hellenistic burials. Most of these burials have been looted but can nonetheless be dated to the late fourth or early third century BC. ARoman necropolis was later established in the same area, structured around a central monument, perhaps a tomb from the Imperial period.

Fig. 3.75.

Itanos: the exterior of a section of the city wall. © Mission archéologique d’Itanos 2023.

Fig. 3.76.

Itanos: general aerial view of the Archaic complex at the site of Itanos. © Mission archéologique d’Itanos 2023.

Fig. 3.77.

Itanos: Aerial view of the ‘intermediary’ upper plateau of the hill of the Necropolis. © Mission archéologique d’Itanos 2023.

Work continued at Dreros on Crete, under the auspices of the EfA (ID19574). The team reports on the 2023 study season, which took place both at the site and in the Aghios Nikolaos Museum. The season focused on the restoration of the ceramic vases found in Sector 5, the study of the pithoi and their contents, and the faunal remains. One important discovery is a large assemblage of animal bones deposited in the corner of a room at the site.

Finally, Amanda Kelly (University College Dublin) reports on the Aqueducts of the Greater Iraklio Area project, which continued with the survey work undertaken in 2019 and 2021 (ID8142; ID18034; ID19652). The project, under the auspices of the IIHSA, aims at the detailed study of the Roman, Venetian, and nineteenth-century aqueducts around Knossos. In 2023, Amanda Kelly and Evan O’Keefe carried out a detailed drone survey of the area, with a focus on the Karydaki bridge and monastery, the Spilia, Silamos, Caronissi, Forteza, Ampela, and Agios Sozontas bridges, the Morosini fountain, and the Skalani aqueduct tunnel. Models in 3D of these different structures were produced for further study.