LEONDARI, Kastro - 2008

Leondari. D. Athanasoulis (Director, 25th EBA) reports on excavation conducted on the medieval kastro after the fires of summer 2007 cleared vegetation. Investigation focused on the Byzantine churches of Ag. Basileios and Ag. Kyriaki and an anonymous church, and the approach road and gate in the upper defensive circuit. On the summit, in the internal circuit where important medieval structures (such as the large cistern) were concentrated, a 3m-wide gate was revealed, with a pavement and steps at intervals (fig. 1).

The ruined church of Ag. Kyriaki lies on the west slope just below the summit (fig. 2). Part of the west wall is preserved, articulated on the interior by two pilasters akin to the wall columns of tripartite churches. Even though the form of the church is at present unknown, the internal configuration suggests a tripartite arrangement of the space. The three apses were three-sided and a single step separated the sanctuary from the nave. A low built bench ran around the sides of the nave, and the floor was paved in limestone.

The main approach to the church was directed to the north wall. An underground vaulted chamber was found outside the southern part of the west wall, in contact with it. On the north side was a later vaulted extension as wide as the church and with entrances to the north and west. As in the nave, a built bench ran round the south, east, and part of the north wall of the extension, and the floor was made of off-white plaster. Below it were three vaulted tombs/ossuaries, full of bones, accessed via openings close to the exterior wall of the extension. The walls of the church and the exonarthex were built of undressed stone and cement, with worked blocks at the corners, and pieces of brick and tile set into the joints, strengthened with tie-beams (fig. 3).