NAUPAKTOS - Town - 2000

F. Kephallonitou (Director, 8th EBA) reports the discovery of Early Christian and Byzantine remains at three locations in the city.

Noti Botsari Street (O.T. 139, Phrankanastasi property). An Early Christian building comprises a central room with a floor mosaic, a southeast room with two semicircular brick installations and a northeast storeroom. The floor mosaic had a border of geometric spirals and a central zone of a circular motif with a signature: the motifs date the floor to the second half of the fifth century AD (Fig. 1). This is likely part of a large basilica of which more was found on the Ikka plot.

Dimolitsa Street (O.T. 235, Kaltsa property). An extensive cemetery was discovered: sixty graves were excavated containing 71 burials, comprising pseudo-cists (39), one tile grave, pit graves (10) and simple inhumations (10). A number of tombs have double burials and there are some reburials. Despite the shortage of portable finds, a Late Byzantine, 13th- to 14th-century, date is likely.

Kozoni and Kosma tou Aitolou Streets (Ch. Samaleka property). (Fig. 2). Three brick-built cist tombs with limestone cover slabs following the lifting of a decorative marble floor. One contained three crania among other bones and strong traces of burning, with the remains of a wooden bier: the only goods were five bronze pins. Another had a similar bier, a bronze pin and a gold ring. The south grave had three burials and reburied bones, two pairs of bronze earrings, and a bronze pin and coin. Elsewhere in the plot, at greater depth, were the remains of an earlier building with a well, a water channel and two pithoi.