Kalydona - Chondreika - 2011

Kalydona - Chondreika. Olympia Vikatou (Ephorate of Antiquities of Aetolia-Acarnania and Lefkada) reports that the excavation at Chondreika in Kalydona, which commenced in 2008 continued, near the entrance of the tunnel of Kalydona (Fig. 1). The excavation finished in 2011 with discoveries dating from the Geometric and Hellenistic to the Late Roman and Middle Byzantine period.

Retaining walls and Hellenistic buildings used until the Late Roman period were discovered along with part of a Hellenistic-Late Roman cemetery, a Roman bath, part of a road as well as a three-aisled Basilica and a large Christian cemetery. A large amount of ceramic vessels and objects, gold, silver and bronze coins were found. Bronze and glass vessels, two lead pyxides and marble fragments were unearthed as well.

The Christian cemetery was developed around the Middle Byzantine Basilica, consisting of cist, shaft and roof-tile graves. The individuals were lying in supine position with crossed hands. Grave goods were identified in some of the cist graves and the graves that contained non-adult remains. Apart from vessels, silver and bronze earrings were found, along with part of a fibula.

The Roman bath consisted of a central rectangular space and five rooms (Fig. 2). A cistern was located near the main S entrance of the building, while Room 3 contained a circular bathtub covered in hydraulic mortar. North of Room 2 the hypocausts were discovered. An earlier building was unearthed under the Bath, as well as part of a road and more Christian graves. A cluster of Geometric/Hellenistic graves used until the Christian times was also preserved (Fig. 3). The most characteristic Hellenistic grave was that of the ‘Macedonian’ type which contained a large amount of artefacts (Fig. 4), including a golden danake (Fig. 5).

[Entry created by C. Koureta]