PARASPORIA, Karyoti - 2003

Parasporia, Karyoti (Kemalidi property). Y. Phaklari (ΙΒ' ΕΠΚΑ) reports on excavation in the city cemetery. Five tombs were found (four cists and a tile grave), and part of a peribolos. Two stele bases and parts of seven limestone funerary stelai were found, two of which preserve the names ΑΡΙΣΤΟΚΡΑΤΗΣ and ΑΡΙΣΤΟΒΟΥΛΑΣ, and three others fragmentary texts. The tombs were intact, generally with one to three burials (the exceptions are two family tombs). The cist tombs, built of slabs of white limestone, contained many intact offerings concentrated particularly around the feet of the dead. These comprise 29 vessels (including seven lachrymateria, five lamps, four oinochoes, three skyphoi, three aryballoi, lamps etc.), two lead pyxides, 11 bronze items (fibulae a ring with a stone, sheet, nails and rings), 15 iron items (strigils, blades etc.). Most were found outside one cist tomb, in a collection comprising 19 vases (lachrymateria, lamps etc.), a terracotta comic mask, 16 gold sheets (from a wreath or clothing ornament), two lead pyxides, three strigils, five stone urns, and a cinerary urn. The cinerary urns were found in grave 1 (6 vessels) and 3 (1 vessel). The single tile grave contained two vessels. Between the graves was a little fifth- to fourth-century pottery. The tombs were regularly set out, at right angles to the country road around the plot.