Mt Lykaion - 2025

Mount Lykaion - Derbouni. David Gilman Romano (University of Arizona) and Mary E. Voyatzis (University of Arizona) report on the first of its three-year series of
excavation season on the Mt Lykaion. This project is a collaboration with the Ephorate Antiquities of Arcadia and Konstantinos Kissas, and under the auspices of the ASCSA.

Work was divided between the lower sanctuary and the southern peak of the mountain. Work conducted in Trench EEW, directly to the west of the stoa included the cleaning of the Ionic buiding and the making of architectural drawings of its orthostates, stylobate and stereobate. The prelimninary study suggests that the northern façade of the building was marble although most of the building was built of native limestone, while the spacing of the five Ionic columns was not exactly equal, but the two flank columns were closer to each other than to the center column. (Fig. 1) After substantial cleaning of Trench PP, a very deep curvilinear area was revealed, where terracotta water pipes were found previously, as well as late Archaic and early Classical pottery, and the "Pan" inscription on an Archaic roof tile. More rectilinear limestone blocks have been revealed towards the florr of this area. There is also an upper level of the trench to the north that appears to border the curvilinear sunken area. The work focused on understanding the stratigraphy of central portion of the trench, which includes a consistency of clay towards the bottom of the curvilinear area. (Fig. 2)

In Trench LL, previously identified as an administrative building, work condinued in its northern aspect. Aftering clearing the floor level, an area of burning that produced a number of tile fragments and Hellenistic lamp fragments was revealed to the south of the east-west dividing wall of the building. In Trench N, a 31m long open air corridor that runs between the Administrative Building and the arch towards the stadium and hippodrome. The archway sits between the corridor, which was converted into a trash depot during the Hellenistic period, and the dromos. Excavation was carried out for close to 5m revealing more of the Hellenistic trash deposit excavated in previous seasons. A great deal of Hellenistic pottery was found together with a large quantity of metal finds, including no less than 13 bronze coins found in a single context. (Fig. 3) Work in Trench RR focused on cleaning architectural blocks and examining the scarps and trench walls, which reached depths of 4 m. Excavation revealed possible seat blocks near the dromos entrance, while further work uncovered Classical and Hellenistic pottery.