NAUPAKTOS - 2001

Naupaktos. Messolongiou Street (Lyberi property). F. Saranti (then Στ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports the discovery of further tombs from a cemetery previously excavated on the Papakosta property immediately to the west. Fourteen tombs were excavated, of varying types (cists, tile graves, pit graves, pithos burials and one primary cremation) and alignments: they were generally disturbed and most had been robbed in antiquity. A stone mound on the south side of the plot contained material from earlier burials (mostly pithos and other vessel sherds): it extended between tombs IX and I, covered the cremation (X) and part of tomb VII, and was bounded on three sides by a rough wall.

Tomb IX was unusually broad (1.3 x 2.05m on the interior) and shallow (0.5m), with carefully worked stone walls, entered from the north. Although looted and severely disturbed (the cover slab was missing), it contained at least four burials with rich offerings. Preserved finds comprise many lachrymateria, 11 lamps, a prochous, a phiale, numerous very small bronze and silver nails, fragments of lead and iron, one silver and six bronze coins, two gold danakes, a gold earring, iron nails, and bone discs and attachments. Gold ornaments include 160 tiny beads, three large biconical ornaments, sheets, leaves and thread. The burials date from the end of the third to the second half of the second century BC.

Tombs I, VII, VIII and XI date to the Classical period. Tomb VII was contained in a small plain pithos with a terracotta lid. It was set over tomb VIII (a child burial in a cist covered and lined with tiles, and containing seven black figure lekythoi and two small kotyles). Tombs IV, V, III, XIV and XV were badly damaged.