PHRANGOSKALA - Tsiprovouni - 2000

Phrangoskala, Tsiprovouni (D. Papageorgiou property). M. Stavropoulou-Gatsi (then Στ' ΕΠΚΑ, now Director, ΛΣτ' ΕΠΚΑ) reports the investigation of a two-roomed temple close to the bridge over the Zerva river, on the left bank of the river. Its northeastern long side was damaged in the construction of the modern road from Agrinion to Karpenisi.

The temple (10m x 7.2m as preserved, oriented northeast-southwest) preserves the krepis of sandstone blocks with pry slots on the upper face and lifting bosses on the lower. (Fig. 1). It was probably built in the Archaic or Late Archaic period and remained in use into the Hellenistic period. It may house the cult of a female deity: figurine fragments include a seated female deity, perhaps Cybele. Finds include parts of a painted terracotta sima and floral antefixes for a Laconian roof, lead clamps, iron nails and flakes of bronze. The existence of a temple in this location was reported by Woodhouse in 1897, but his published plan refers to a different building which has yet to be located.

The area is an extensive plateau at the base of the Tsiprovouni hill. Nearby was the retaining wall which supported the overlying soil. Traces of ancient settlement found in the general area extend over the opposite bank of the river. A trial trench 20m west of the temple revealed an orthogonal structure and the cist grave of a child with an iron knife.