KARYOTES, Spasmeni Vrysi, anc. Leukas - 2005

Karyotes, Spasmeni Vrysi, anc. Leukas (property of St. and D. Vlachou). M. Stavropoulou-Gatsi and V. Staïkou (ΛΣτ’ ΕΠΚΑ) report the discovery of 42 tombs from the south cemetery of ancient Leukas on a plot previously investigated in the 1990s and in 2004 (when 88 tombs were found). A total of 256 tombs have now been exposed over an area of 850m², in the heart of the Classical and Hellenistic cemetery.

Tombs excavated in 2005 comprise two cist graves, six tile graves, 29 pits, an ash urn and four sarcophagi. Forty terracotta objects, 11 coins, one iron and one lead object and parts of a doll were found. From other parts of the excavated area came three stone bases for stelai, eight funerary stelai, 58 groups of pottery, 32 terracotta items, 37 small bronze objects, 15 coins, two lead, three glass and 25 iron objects.

Large unworked pieces of flint were found in the south part of the excavation (in an area without many tombs), both scattered in a line running east to west and concentrated in the southeast corner of the excavation. Middle Palaiolithic blades and cores were scattered over the entire area. The abundance of flint indicates that this region was a preferred source of raw material supply.