DRAMESIOI - Agia Triada - 2001

Dramesii, Agia Triadha. A Karaberidi (8th EBA) reports on conservation and continuing excavation of the small Early Christian bath (first excavated in 1979, with recent work in 1999), which is largely preserved to floor level. The north part of the tripartite structure comprises the frigidarium – three rooms, the west and largest of which had a stone-paved floor and (in its southwest corner) a brick-built pool with a drain leading into the main waste channel. A small opening in the south wall of this room initially communicated with the hypocaust of the tepidarium, but was later blocked off. The northernmost of the smaller rooms to the east side was lined with hydraulic cement and linked to the main sewer by a lead drainpipe. To the south of the frigidarium, the tepidarium consisted of two stone-paved rooms: the floor of the western room was suspended over a hypocaust (the floor was not lifted to investigate this in detail), while the praefurnium was located by the west external wall of the bath. The function of the eastern room, which did not have a hypocaust, is unclear. The caldarium to the south also had two rooms, the west of which had a stone-paved floor suspended over a hypocaust (which communicated with the tepidarium hypocaust via a gap in the wall), with the praefurnium in the south wall. The second room was long and apsidal: it also had a hypocaust which communicated with that of the tepidarium (later closed off), and two praefurnii, one in the south wall and one in the east.

In its first phase of use, the bath consisted of the three western rooms: the apsidal room was a later addition requiring the relocation of the east wall of the older caldarium (part of that wall and the floor were built into the floor of the new wing). The east rooms of the tepidarium and the frigidarium were likely also added at this time. The wall construction and the only two coins yet to prove legible support a provisional Early Christian (fourth- to fifth-century) date for the complex.

Northwest of the bath, part of an extensive building complex was excavated (of stone and cement, preserved to foundation level). Seven rooms, around a paved (probably open-air) courtyard, were partially excavated. This complex is on higher ground than the bath, and supported by retaining walls. Tombs without grave good, as well as infant tile graves, were revealed in the northwest part of the excavation area. It is not yet possible to date the complex securely, although the plan so far revealed and the proximity of the bath suggests that it may belong to the same period.