Kyparissi - Loganikos junction - 2012

Kyparissi - flyover of Loganikos junction

Leonidas Souchleris and Afroditi Maltezou (Ε΄ΕΠΚΑ) report that important antiquities dating from the Prehisotirc to the Late Roman period (Fig. 1) were discovered at the flyover of Loganikos junction, at the area of Velona Bridge, which is located at the limits of the prefectures of Lakonia and Arkadia.

Three main settlement phases were identified (Fig. 2).

A. At the SW part of the site, antiquities dating from the Final Neolithic to the Early Helladic period were unearthed. Specifically, 118 circular pits/repositories (Fig. 3) were investigated, with most, apart from a Roman one, dating to the Early Bronze Age. The majority contained a large amount of ceramic finds (Fig. 4 and 5), Neolithic as well as Early Helladic pottery. Pit 29 bore burning traces and burnt mud bricks. Twenty fruit stands (Fig. 6,7) as well as pithoi, phialae and beak-spouted jugs were found along with 100 blades, obsidian flakes, animal bones, querns and grindstones. A bronze fish hook (Fig. 8) and rock crystal jewellery were also identified inside pit 4. The amount of repositories suggests that an extended settlement of the Final Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age existed in this area. There was a lack of architectural remains; however, it is possible that demolition and reshaping works took place during the Archaic and the Roman period, as suggested by the presence of a Roman layer and the fact that many pits were covered by Roman walls (Fig. 9).

B. At the N and NE part of the excavation a Late Archaic farm house was detected (Fig. 10). Room 4 contained a destruction layer with roof tiles as well as extended burning traces. Rooms 1 and 3 were discovered at the E part of the farmstead (Fig. 11), with the latter room containing a rectangular stone hearth and a significant number of loom weights (Fig. 12) with different types of decoration. Parts of Late Archaic walls were preserved in close proximity to the Roman Balineum/Bath 1 and two kilns. Two shaft graves were also excavated, with black-glazed Archaic pottery found inside them. SW of the graves, two black-glazed kylikes, a spherical aryballos (Fig. 13) and a vessel in the shape of “lakaina” were discovered, potentially comprising grave goods. Part of the road that used to connect Sparta with the N of Lakonia and S Arkadia, and a probable retaining wall were identified E of the farmstead (Fig. 14,15). It seems that the road was related to the Archaic farm house, however it is possible that it was in use during later periods too.

C. At the NW part of the excavation, domestic and workshop facilities, a bath complex and a grave cluster were found dating to different periods (Late Hellenistic-Early Roman Imperial period, 3^rd-end of 4^th/beginning of 5^th c. AD) (Fig. 16). Late Hellenistic architectural remains of seven walls were spotted during the search for the foundations of Balineum 2 and Building 2. It seems that the remains of earlier phases were destroyed during the bath construction in the 3^rd c. AD. A large amount of unpainted pottery and bronze coins of the 1^st c. BC cut in Lakonia were collected. Moreover, the walls W of the baths were dated to the second quarter of the 3^rd c. to the beginning of the decate of 260 AD. They were probably used as retaining walls for the two present kilns (Fig. 17).

Bath complex

The bath complex that was discovered (middle 3^rd c.-end of 4^th c. AD) consisted of two well-preserved balinea in close proximity to each other, and the architectural remains of other related buildings.

Balineum 2, which had at least six rooms, was located at the SW end of the site (Fig. 18). A large rectangular room (X17) was identified as the frigidarium, around which the rest of the rooms were built (Fig. 19). The frigidarium was also connected with an arched cistern (X16) related to the cold bath. The three rooms of the caldarium of the complex were excavated too (Fig, 20), while another rectangular room leading to an arched opening was identified as the second praefurnium (Fig. 21). It contained a large destruction layer with tiles and bricks (Fig. 22). A multitude of unpainted and red slip vessels, as well as a few black-glazed sherds of an older settlement phase came to light. Red slip and storage vessels of the 3^rd and 4^th c AD were also collected. Seven bronze coins were found, with that of Emperor Philip the Arab (244-249 AD) being the most significant. A ceramic stand potentially for a bath vessel in the shape of a column was discovered (Fig. 23). It is possible that the absence of marble objects and architectural remains was due to the presence of a lime kiln in the frigidarium during the Early Byzantine period (5^th-6^th c AD). Remains of Building 2, which was potentially part of a settlement, were excavated at the S and W sides of its contemporary Balineum 2 (Fig, 24, Fig. 25). Pottery sherds and storage vessels of the Roman period were present in the building.

Balineum 1 was located NE of Balineum 2 (Fig. 26), with its biggest room, X10, being located at its SW part. It was part of the bath that was not heated by the hypocaust system (Fig. 27). Three small heated cisterns, comprising the frigidarium rooms were found around the SW and SE side of X10 (Fig. 26). The tepidarium, the caldarium as well as the hypocaust with the tubuli for the heating were excavated. The two praefurnia (Rooms 13 and 9) (Fig. 28) along with parts of the tiles used for the heating of the walls (tegulae mammatae) were found as well. Two spaces, X6i and X6ii belonged to the caldarium for the hot bath (Fig. 29). The former was a room heated by the hypocaust and the latter was a circular alveus. Apart from pottery, a few Roman bronze coins were discovered, with one being of Emperor Galerius Maximianus. Another interesting find was the fragments of fired bricks with fingerprints of human palms on one side. During a later period (beginning of 5^th c. AD), some of the rooms of Balineum 1 were altered. Seven graves (tiled-roof graves and “free burials”) SE of Balineum 1 contained a small amount of funerary vessels dating to the second half of the 4^th and the first half of the 5^th c AD. The bath complex is one of the few that have been found in Lakonia and it was probably part of a Roman villa rustica or of a settlement related to the ancient road network.

[Entry created by C. Koureta]