KATO ACHAIA - Anc. Dyme - 2000

Kato Achaia (ancient Dyme). A. Vasilogamvrou (then Στ' ΕΠΚΑ, now Director Ε' ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the following rescue excavations.

Vigla (V. Lagou and A. Sparaki property). A stretch of the city wall was discovered on the northeast edge of the ancient city (Fig. 1). Founded on bedrock, the wall is mostly built of fired brick with a stone facing on the south side, and is protected by a tiled roof.

On Asimakopoulou Street (Ch. Kokkinou property), a Hellenistic building complex was discovered.(Figs 2-4). Late third-century BC pottery was found in and around the walls: pottery in the destruction deposits consists mostly of large vessels of the same period. At the southern edge of plot was the north face of another building of the same date and construction. Classical pottery was found below the foundations of the buildings.

 

On Daskalopoulou Street (O.T. 115, S. Kolila property), a Classical building with a pebble floor was discovered (Figs 5-8). Classical pottery was found inside the building and together with shell in deposits immediately over stereo to the east and northwest. A pithos containing olive pits lay in the northeast corner of the plot. A deposit of Archaic pottery was found in a deeper level at the east edge of the excavation.

Daskalopoulou Street (O.T. 115 and 116). Two Hellenistic walls and a pit containing a dense fill of tile and Classical pottery were found (with a probable second such nearby) (Fig. 9).

Pausaniou and Aristainetou Streets (Th. China property). Hellenistic cisterns were founded in a Classical level (which contained fifth- to fourth-century red-figure sherds, as well as phialae, lekythoi, kotylae, kylikes, plates, lamps, kothons and many miniature vessels and figurines) (Figs 10-13).

One cistern was built in the Early Hellenistic and repaired in the Middle Hellenistic: another was built in the Middle Hellenistic, cutting into a pithos which served as a reservoir in both phases. At least four water channels were found in the southeast: one connects with either the pithos or the adjacent cistern and the other three with a small third cistern. Other constructions include a substantial wall, buttressed on the west face, which was built in the Early Hellenistic and continued in use into the Middle Hellenistic (two second half third-century BC vessels were found at its north end) and, to the north, a hearth. During the Roman period, a pebble floor covered the third cistern and the hearth. To the south, a destruction level over the area of the water channels contained second-century AD pottery.

59 Araxou Street (A. Barouni property). A collection of stones and tiles comes from a Hellenistic construction probably destroyed in antiquity.
 

Aristainetou Street (O.T. 273, P. Agapidi property). A. Vasilogamvrou and G. Alexopoulou (6th EPCA) report the discovery of Hellenistic and Roman building remains. A rectangular room contained much Late Classical to Hellenistic (third- to second-century) pottery, probably from a pit in the centre. To the west, this is bordered by a poorly-built construction (with evidence of a second such). In the northwest was a Late Roman pebble and tile floor with walls to the north and south.