ARGOS - 2000

Argos Paliopyrga, Kanaris Street (E. Kourou property). A. Banaka-Dimaki (Director, Δ' ΕΠΚΑ) reports on rescue excavation in an area of the south of the city where tombs have previously been found close to the surface (see ADelt 47 [1992] Chr, 86−87, nn.5−6). (Fig. 1).

Protogeometric, Geometric, Late Classical to Hellenistic and Early Roman remains were recovered from surface levels. To the west, three cist tombs with tile covers were discovered; beneath them was a limestone funerary peribolos, oriented east-west and founded almost directly upon Geometric tombs. The two Late Classical to Early Hellenistic tombs within this peribolos contained fragmentary figurines, two lamps and sea shell. In the south, two walls defined an orthogonal area extending beyond the excavation plot.

Twenty nine cist tombs were investigated. The limestone cist 1 is dated to the Hellenistic to Early Roman period, while the other tombs were mostly Protogeometric and Geometric: Submycenaean tomb 11 (Fig. 2) is an exception, although tombs of this period have previously been found to the north (on the property of N. Kourou: ADelt 18 [1963] Chr, 62). Tombs 7, 14−16, and then 11 and 20 were arranged in rows, sometimes sharing a common wall: the remainder were loosely arranged. All contained adult burials, apart from 16 and 20 which held infants. Flooring consisted of gravel or small stones; the west part of tomb 22 was paved. The predominantly east-west orientation reflects the landscaping of the approach to the cemetery, which also influenced the arrangement of the peribolos and of the limestone cist tomb 1. A well (1m in diameter) in the eastern part of the excavation area contained a little undiagnostic pottery and part of a pithos rim.

Portable finds include fragments of Archaic Argive figurines, a very few Corinthian sherds, a small quantity of blister ware, pieces of third-century black-glazed lamps, spools and a few loomweights.