Xylokastro - Kamari - 2017

Xylokastro - Kamari. Georgios K. Kallis reports the following:

A number of ceramic kilns were identified and investigated in the prefecture of Corinth in 2016 and 2017, during the construction of the new national road axis Eleusis-Patras-Olympia. Five kilns dating to the Roman and Late Roman periods were discovered at Kamari (Municipality of Xylokastro): two rectangular pottery kilns (Kilns 1 and 3), a circular pottery kiln with interior ledge indicating a later use as a lime kiln (Kiln 2), and two circular lime kilns (Kilns 4 and 5). To the west of the kilns is a square area, paved with clay plaques and most probably originally roofed, possibly used for drying ceramics before firing. To its northeast is a shallow rectangular basin, which was probably used for processing clay. All of these structures undoubtedly belonged to a ceramic workshop. Its existence is further evidenced by the presence of makeshift walls, a Roman clay water pipe directly west of the kilns, the dense vegetation of the site, the clayey soil and finally the location of the workshop, along the Corinth-Patras road only about 1km from the Corinthian Gulf. Based on the ceramic findings, the workshop can be dated between the 1st - 2nd centuries AD and the middle of the 6th century AD. Its operation was stopped in a violent way most probably by an earthquake as, according to sources, the area was hit by a series of earthquakes in the middle of 6th century AD.