GLYPHADA, Pounda - 2004

Glyphada. Asteria site, Pounda peninsula. K. Kaza-Papageorgiou (ΚΣτ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on excavation on a low hill to the southwest of an area where a series of elongated periboloi had previously been revealed. An extension of this EH cemetery contained 12 tombs of irregular circular plan (1m in diameter and varying in depth from 1 to 1.5m), cut into the limestone. One tomb was more shallow and rectangular. The majority were covered by large monolithic slabs of local rock. Simple dromoi gave access to the chamber, ending in an opening blocked by slabs placed vertically or to displace the load on them. Some tombs had a second entrance which was probably not used contemporaneously with the first. Periboloi were preserved around the majority of tombs, usually carefully built.

The tombs contained multiple burials, using small side chambers, while one tomb contained a burial in situ with the skeleton in contracted position. The side chambers contained mostly limbs bones and skulls, not smaller bones. The bodies were accompanied by a few pots, sea shells, stone beads, and in one case a Cycladic marble figurine.

A roughly circular pit (8m in diameter), a short distance northeast of the tombs, appears to be a natural hollow in the rock apparently used to dump for pottery and other materials related to funerary rituals. It contained around 250 pots, mainly of small and of a variety of shapes (phialai, krateriskoi, one- handled cups, and pyxides).

On the northeast side of the Asteria area, just west of the passing shore road, was a large rectangular PH peribolos plus a cemetery of various Late Roman graves. A number of cist graves appear to be PH constructions re-used in the Roman period, while undisturbed fill from the peribolos dated to the EH and MH. With the removal of these fills, the surface of the natural limestone bedrock was reached. Circular pits cut into it may be linked with slag found on the rock surface - evidence of PH metallurgy.