AGIOS VASILEIOS - 2012

Agios Vasileios (Xerokampi), Lakonia. A. Vasilogamvrou (ASA) reports on the third excavation season.

Following the discovery of a further room in the northeast corner of Building A, larger than the others (Fig. 1), the north part of the building was shown to consist of two series of rooms with smaller rooms or passageways between them. The new room communicated with the others via a door in the south wall which had a wide stone threshold. The walls were of stone with a mud brick superstructure. The room contained tiles, a large pot (an open shape with low walls) and a quantity of barley. The little pottery consisted mostly of undecorated vessels, but a burnt layer contained many finds: a large bronze lamp, a dagger and two knives, a gilded bronze seal ring, finials, a small Egyptian ivory seated figurine, semiprecious stones, and decorative glass plaques.

At the northwest corner of Building Δ was an extensive clay floor with strong traces of burning; three large stone bases with tenons on their upper surfaces were set on the transverse axis of the building, with two smaller stone bases in between and a third to the north of the west end. The smaller bases were set lower and probably partially covered by the clay floor. The area was likely central courtyard, with a stoa on the south and west sides. The roof was supported with built piers and wooden columns (Fig. 2). On the clay floor were large fragments of a mortar and pebble floor from the collapsed upper storey. The area was destroyed by fire in LH IIIB Early, with a re-use phase in LH IIIB-IIIC. Building remains identified below these probably belong to the west long side of Building Δ, and suggest the existence of two older, LH IIIA, building phases (Fig. 3). Remains of Byzantine (ninth- to tenth- century) habitation were also found here. In the northwest corner of the excavated area, within the upper Byzantine layer, was a fragment of a Linear B tablet, the sixth from Agios Vasileios, preserving the symbol of the double axe.