Lyktos Irakleiou - 2021

Angelos Chaniotis and Antonios Kotsonas (Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies/ASA) report on a new excavation programme, near the village of Lyktos (Irakleio). Research was conducted in three areas of the ancient city: at the top of the acropolis and on its north slope. Sector A, at the site Vorina, north of the acropolis, revealed an important layer of pottery dated 6^th-4^th cent. BC, comprising a number of late 6^th-5^th cent.  attic sherds, as well as Laconian and Corinthian. Local pottery was also found, mainly sherds from basins and from drinking cups.

In older excavations on the site by Aggeliki Lembesi, a strong wall had been uncovered in 1968. South of that wall, Protogeometric and Geometric period pottery was found.

In the area B, Georgios Rethymiotakis had excavated in the 1980s one room of the Monumental Bouleuterion of the Roman Imperial period. This excavation area was expanded and revealed inscribed statue bases of the Emperor Hadrien (117-138 AD) and his wife Sabina (80-136 AD), as well as an honorific base for Plotina (70-122 AD), wife of Trajan. A cuirassed headless marble statue of the Emperor Hadrien or Trajan was found; it was richly decorated.

In the area Γ, on the top of the acropolis, the interpretation of the visible architectural remains as an Early Chrisitan Basilica was supported by the finds: bricks, tiles, mosaic tesserae, fragments of marble revetment. The basilica seems  to have three aisles and is probably dated to the 8^th-9^th cent. and was perhaps the siege of the Archbishop.