ISTHMIA - 2007

Study of finds from the University of Chicago excavations continued. M. Risser and K. Nolin’s work on LAr and Cl ceramics focused on comparison between shapes presented as votives in the temple and temenos and those used for food preparation and feasting after the sacrifices, using pottery from the Cl terraces, the temple and the reservoir (great circular pit) in the area reserved for dining. A. Thomsen studied the terracotta figurines, identifying among the horse figurines dominant at the sanctuary 2 distinct types: E and LAr individualized figurines and ‘standardized’ horses close to the 5th and 4th Ct ‘Late Group’ from the potters’ quarter at Corinth. L. Houghtalin continued to prepare the publication of ca. 900 coins from the Chicago excavations and 600 from the UCLA/Ohio State expedition. From their study of the arms and armour, A. Jackson and I. Marszalek report on the poor condition of certain dedications, noting damage and repair to a helmet prior to dedication. Iron weapons of the 2nd half of the 4th Ct BC from a funerary monument SW of the sanctuary (the W foundation) closely resemble arms from tombs at Vergina and Derveni, and probably reflect Macedonian influence at Corinth and Isthmia from the time of Philip II and his successors. Finally, K. Hallof commenced study of 4 2nd Ct BC documentary stelae; P. Funke studied the historical context of the decrees.

In the Rachi settlement, V. Anderson-Stojanović’s study of remains assigned to houses III, IV, V and VI showed that there were only 3 houses here. Domestic structures are generally consistent in size, between 60−75m². Analysis of activities practised and their location in the settlement was undertaken.

Tim Gregory (ASCSA/Ohio) reports the completion of cleaning and stabilization of the excavation area along the S side of the Rom bath. In collaboration with the ΛΖ' ΕΠΚΑ, work was undertaken to make the Rom bath, the Hexamilion and the E field accessible to visitors (Fig. 1).

Study towards publication of the Rom bath continued (Fig. 2). The protective layer over the great monochrome mosaic in room VI was removed. Cleaning to the SW corner of room XIV completed the overall project of documentation. A 0.6m w. wall, poorly built of rough stones in a mud mortar, was found in fill of the 7th Ct AD. The surviving portion ran E−W for ca. 2.30m: it must belong to a building large for its period (the so-called Byz Dark Ages) and which may have been partially removed during excavation of this area in 1978. At the SW corner of room XIV a wall of ashlar blocks ran W from the presumed corner of the bath, indicating the presence of at least one other room or defined space W of room XIV (toward the NW ravine). It is unclear whether this was contemporary with the construction of the bath, but it must pre-date its abandonment. Little can yet be said about this space, but the area to the N appears to have been used as a depository for ash, presumably from the furnaces of the building, perhaps saved for later use. Finally, 2 trenches opened in the 1970s, ca. 18m S of the S wall of the bath, were reinvestigated, revealing considerable debris from a large wall built largely of mortar, rubble and tiles (like the upper portions of the walls of the bath). This was likely part of a monumental building S of the bath, and is perhaps to be connected with 2 sets of parallel walls visible to the E and N of the trenches under consideration.

Study of the E field, between the Temple of Poseidon and the Byz fortress (partially excavated in 1970−1972) refined the sequencing of wall phases (Fig. 3), producing up to 17 different phases (not all chronologically significant). As previously concluded, in an early period (perhaps 2nd Ct AD) the area was dominated by several large structures, probably public in nature.

Cleaning continued in the Hexamilion outworks, NE of the Rom bath, where the Byz fortifications (the Hexamilion) run E toward the fortress. Several Rom buildings are known in this vicinity. A project was begun to record extant spolia and associate them with existing foundations (Fig. 4).