Rouva, Apomarmas - Church of Panagia Galaktousa - 2008

Rouva, Apomarmas - Church of Panagia Galaktousa. Vasiliki Sithiakaki (13^th EBA) reports that during the restoration of the Byzantine church of Panagia Galaktousa (possibly 12^th c.), excavation works took place at the W and N part of the yard for the identification of its original datum and the investigation of the foundations of the church.

Four trial trenches were opened, and in total 6 graves covered with stone slabs were discovered (2 in the first trial trench, 1 in the second and 1 in the third trial trench, 2 in the fourth trial trench). The two skeletons in the first trench were poorly preserved, while the remains of the individual discovered in the second trench were less damaged. All three burials contained iron objects, possibly being belt compartments. In the third trench, at the NE part of the yard and in contact with the N wall of the church, another grave containing secondary burials (anakomides) was excavated; while the morphology of this grave resembled that of the aforementioned, it is possible that this one has been reused during the use of the later cemetery. A hastily made rectangular grave was unearthed at the last trial trench, with no slabs on top, while it contained scattered remains. In its interior, another smaller grave with an infant burial and no grave goods was detected.

From the six investigated graves, only grave 1 contained pottery sherds, most of them being undecorated, whilst three of them were glazed and date to the 12^th c. AD. However, more undecorated and glazed sherds were found on the layer of the graves. The former belonged to vessels for daily use, and the latter were divided in five categories based on their clay and morphological characteristic and are dated from the end of the 11^th c. to the 13^th c. AD.

Based on the investigation, the space surrounding the church of Panagia Galaktousa was used as a cemetery during the Byzantine period (end of 11^th/beginning of 12^th c.-13^th c. AD). The burials seem to follow the outline of the church without being disturbed by any walls therefore the beginning of the use of the cemetery must have been contemporaneous to the erection of the monument.

[Entry created by C. Koureta]