SPARTA Anc. theatre - 2007

Sparta theatre. C. Morgan (Director, BSA), A. Vasilogamvrou (Director, Ε' ΕΠΚΑ) and K. Diamanti (Director, 5th EBA) report on the first season of a 5-year investigation of the anc. theatre in preparation for its conservation and public presentation. In 2007, the BSA undertook 2 non-intrusive surveys, to trace the extent of theatral and later antique remains in the koilon with a view to future excavation, and to contribute to the assessment of immediate and medium term conservation needs. Combined topographical and resistivity survey (C. Gaffney, H. Goodchild and S. Harrison [Birmingham Archaeology]) revealed extensive areas where seating or the settings for seating may be substantially undisturbed (Fig. 1), plus the likely location of structures probably related to Byz settlement. A new condition report on the exposed masonry was made by C. Woolfitt (Ingram Associates). The Ε' ΕΠΚΑ and 5th EBA completed drainage work, removed part of the old excavation dump and continued archival and architectural study with particular reference to the parodoi. Ceramic finds from previous excavations in the area were located in the Archaeological Museum of Mystras, and conserved.