Aigio - Trapeza - 2012

Aigio - Trapeza. Andreas G. Vordos (ΣΤ’ EPKA) reports on the continuation of the excavation in the late Archaic temple of this area. The temple was an ekatompedon (with the length of a hundred feet), and it was built over a Geometric building of ritual character. Furthermore, a Mycenaean cemetery has been revealed, not too far off the temple.

The temple was fully excavated, and it was made clear that many of the architectural remains used during its construction were spolia. Many prehistoric pottery sherds were revealed upon the removal of the filling of the S side pteron. The trench opened in the area revealed the foundation of the temple. According to the findings in the foundation ditch, the building was founded in the second half of eighth century BC (fig. 1). A corner of the previous building built in the area, dated in the Geometric times, was found under the W side of the pteron (figs. 2, 3). 

On the E side of the Geometric walls there was a small area of the Geometric building uncovered by the Archaic building. The top layer of that area revealed intense topical pyre traces, containing coal, shredded bones and pottery sherds. This context indicated the use of the space as a designated area of ritual consumption within the building. 

Other trial trenches revealed traces of the Geometric worship: bronze items, pins, rings, beads etc. were offered to the divinity, whose worship was dated in the early Geometric times according to the pottery found. Additionally, the altar linked to the Geometric worship was located, in contrast to the Archaic altar, which has not been found. The Geometric building had the exact same orientation as the late Archaic temple, and its walls were carefully preserved in the later temple’s fillings. It must have had at least the same length as the later temple, while its width was the largest width of an eighth century building found so far in Greece. 

The Mycenaean cemetery was revealed in the SW end of the Trapeza plateau. The pottery assempled was dated between the late Helladic times (LHII-IIIA) and the Geometric times. Some Geometric vessels were revealed intact (fig. 4), on top of a layer which must have sealed off the burials on a deeper level. One of the vessels bore an intricate decoration, with safe dating during the LHIIIC-submycenaean times.

[Entry created by E. Kourti]