LEFKANDI - 2009

Lefkandi, Xeropolis. I.S. Lemos (BSA/Oxford) reports on the 2009 season, which focused on the building sequence of the ‘megara’ in region I (Fig. 1).

This area was used continuously from LHIIIC (Lefkandi phase 1b/2a) to the earlier phases of the Early Iron Age: some 50,000 sherds have been recovered. Preliminary reconstruction of the building sequence is as follows. During LHIIICE, the mud-brick walls of a house were demolished, and the material used to level the area for the construction of the first megaron. The mud-brick house was on the same orientation as all other contemporary houses excavated on Xeropolis, but the megaron differed in orientation and plan. The use of megaron I falls within Lefkandi phase 1b/2a. The main room had two phases. The earlier is mostly traced within the room, and includes storage vessels in its northwest area and a small mud-brick feature (perhaps furniture) against the west wall. Still within Lefkandi phase 2a, the main room was restructured to form the LHIIIC megaron 2.

Above these levels, the Protogeometric fill covered the entire area of the LHIIIC megaron as levelling for later construction. This is a single deposit with pottery of LHIIIC (Lefkandi phase 2: the latest non-intrusive material being of Lefkandi phase 2b/3). The first building constructed above it had a series of postholes on its central axis and two large post bases in its main room; it is associated with the construction of a series of additional walls. The building dates within Lefkandi phase 2b/3 (LHIIICL/ Submycenaean), and probably had a Protogeometric phase, but Late Geometric disturbance removed the features likely associated with it especially in the north of the building (such evidence as we have for Protogeometric use comes mostly from the southern part). The large Subprotogeometric and Late Geometric pit 13 completely removed the earlier levels in the southwestern part of the building.

The ‘annexe’ is closely associated with the later Protogeometric megaron 2. Here two pits contained much pottery of Lefkandi phase 2b/3, including restorable whole vessels, as well as animal bone. These may represent the remains of a foundation deposit related to the construction of this phase of the megaron.