Episkopiko - Ampelia - 2015

Episkopiko - Ampelia. Nikos Choinas, Vasiliki Giannaki, Hypatia Faklari and Anastasia Giovanopoulou (Ephorate of Antiquities of Ioannina) report on discoveries made during the construction of the Ionian road.

Excavations were carried out in an area where a large quantity of ceramics had previously been found: 80 trenches were laid covering 400 sqm. Fragmentary remains of a single-roomed building were found, 6.80m x 5.40m. Traces of other buildings were also detected, along with finds of unpainted ceramics, tiles and brick. The distribution of small finds in the area is indicator of the existence of farmhouses existing from the early Roman to Byzantine periods, while the deepest excavation layers indicate that there was occupation in this area from the Early Iron Age.

Scattered around the rocky outcrop, a series of graves were found. A total of nine cist graves were discovered in total. Inside, bones, nails, pottery, bronze buckles and bronze rings were collected. A little further to the N, a large amount of Late Roman and Byzantine pottery was found.

On the S slope, two cist graves were found, and on the W slope two further graves.