MEGARA, north cemetery - 2005

Megara, north cemetery. P. Avgerinou (Γ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports the discovery of tombs on the following four plots.

 

1: Andreou property (unnamed road O.T. 647).

Tomb 1: a sarcophagus in secondary use contained an adult inhumation with a second displaced into the western part. Grave goods with the primary burial comprised 18 fusiform unguentaria, a plainware lagynus, a bronze coin, bronze sheet, and pieces of egg shell. With the displaced burial were ten fusiform unguentaria. Date: Hellenistic.

Tomb 2: an intact sarcophagus with no skeletal remains or goods. Date: uncertain.

Tomb 3: a child-sized sarcophagus containing no bones but goods comprising two small oinochoae, a globular aryballos, and a one-handled cup. Date: Archaic.

Tomb 4: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation with a Corinthian kotyle and a black-glazed kylix. Date: Classical.

Tomb 5: a sarcophagus containing two adult inhumations but no grave goods with which to date them.

Tomb 6: a sarcophagus containing three inhumations plus a black glaze lekythos, a small oinochoe, a treoil-mouthed oinochoe, a lekythos, a bone bead, pieces of bronze pins and of an iron object. Date: Classical.

Tomb 7: a cist grave with walls and floor of limestone slabs containing three inhumations in contracted position plus a further displaced inhumation at the east side. Grave goods comprised a plainware kyathos, a globular aryballos, and iron nails. Date: Archaic.

Tomb 8: a simple cist containing one contracted inhumation but no goods with which to date it.

Tomb 9: a sarcophagus containing two burials (probably looted). The lower burial was an extended inhumation and the upper, laid over it, was in contracted position. Displaced bones lay at the west, narrow, side of the grave, along with two iron pegs. Outside the burial, over the central cover slab, was a fusiform unguentarium and pieces of egg shell. Date: Hellenistic.

Tomb 10: a slab cist with a re-used four-sided column (preserving its plaster coating) set as a marker over the central cover slab. The grave contained a child inhumation in extended position, with two plainware lagynoi, a handleless cup, three fusiform unguentaria with white band decoration, five astragaloi, a bronze coin and parts of a pin. Outside the tomb on the north side were an intact ungentarium with band decoration on the neck and shoulder, an intact one-handled black glaze cup, pieces of a terracotta plaque, and a bronze coin. Date: Hellenistic.

Between tombs 9 and 10, on the west side, lay a small plainware lamp, a round black glaze unguentarium, and a plainware trefoil-mouthed oinochoe. North of tomb 10 lay a plainware round unguentarium and a black glaze one-handled cup.

Tomb 11: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation but no goods with which to date it.

Tomb 12: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation with two fusiform unguentaria, a black-glaze lamp, and a skyphos handle. Date: Hellenistic.

Tomb 13: a sarcophagus containing an adult (probably female) inhumation, with a bronze double mirror, a bronze coin and part of an iron pin. Date: Hellenistic.

Tomb 14: a slab cist containing three contracted inhumations plus two ovoid and three fusiform unguentaria, a terracotta spool for textile manufacture, and fragments of iron pins. Date: Archaic.

Tomb 15: a free burial, preserving only the legs in contracted position, with no grave goods. Date: probably Archaic.

Displaced burials were found outside tombs 1 and 2. Outside tomb 1 to the north lay the bones of probably two adults with two small oinochoae, a black glaze kyathos and two fusiform unguentaria. Outside tomb 2 to the east, obove the free burial, were the remains of probably two adults with two lekythoi, a black glaze kylix, sherds of a lamp and two lekythoi, and the head of a bronze pin.

 

2: 65 Thebon Street (Property of Ch. Nikolidaki, O.T. 65).

Fifth-century BC graves:

Tomb 1: a sarcophagus containing two child burials with a black-figure lekythos, a black glaze kylix, and a horse and rider figurine: first half fifth century BC.

Tomb 3: a sarcophagus containing the inhumations of three adults and a child. Grave goods comprise a red-figure lekythos, a table amphora, two black-figure lekythoi, two female protome figurines,a bronze pin and glass paste beads: first half fifth century BC.

Tomb 6: a sarcophagus containing the inhumations of two adults, a bronze mirror and an aryballoid lekythos: final quarter of the fifth century BC.

Tomb 24: a sarcophagus containing the inhumations of three adults plus two chytres with a lid, a bolsal, a table amphora, a black glaze kantharos, two small oinochoae and a miniature lamp: final quarter of the fifth century BC.

Tomb 32: a sarcophagus containing the inhumations of three adults plus a displaced burial on the west side of the tomb. Goods comprise: eight bone pins, a pair of bronze omega-form earrings, and a bronze mirror. Outside the tomb was a salt cellar of the final quarter of the fifth century BC.

Tomb 47: a looted sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation with two figurines (a male and a polos-wearing female).

 

Fourth-century BC graves:

Tomb 4: a sarcophagus containing three adult inhumations but no goods.

Tomb 5: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation but no goods.

Tomb 10: a sarcophagus containing two adult inhumations with an aryballoid lekythos, a kyathos and a miniature lamp.

Tomb 14: a sarcophagus containing two adult inhumations plus an iron pin, a miniature lamp and two small oinochoae.

Tomb 15: a sarcophagus containing three adult inhumations, a silver coin and a bronze mirror.

Tomb 16: a sarcophagus containing three adult inhumations, plus a lead ring, two unguentaria, a bronze mirror and a rivet, a plainware table amphora and prochous, and two silver coins.

Tomb 17: a sarcophagus containing one adult inhumation plus an unguentarium.

Tomb 18: a sarcophagus containing three adult inhumations plus a black glaze olpe and fragments of eggshell. A black glaze phiale was recovered when the tomb was uncovered.

Tomb 19: a sarcophagus containing probably three adult inhumations without goods. A bronze coin was found outside the tomb.

Tomb 20: a partially preserved sarcophagus with a few child bones.

Tomb 21: a sarcophagus containing three adult inhumations plus two red-figure palmette squat lekythoi, and a bronze pin.

Tomb 22: a sarcophagus containing four adult inhumations, a silver coin and an iron pin.

Tomb 23: a sarcophagus containing a child inhumation without goods, but with the sherds of a black glaze kantharos outside the grave.

Tomb 25: a sarcophagus containing two adult inhumations without goods.

Tomb 26: a sarcophagus containing three adult inhumations, three lamps and a small oinochoe. Outside the tomb were two aryballoid lekythoi.

Tomb 27: a sarcophagus containing a child inhumation with an iron pin.

Tomb 33: a sarcophagus containing six adult inhumations, a silver coin, a miniature lamp, and three small oinochoae.

Tomb 37: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation and two fragments of a bronze omega-form earring.

Tomb 38: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation, a silver coin, two small oinochoae, and a miniature lamp.
Tomb 39: a sarcophagus containing two adult inhumations, a plain lamp and an iron pin.

Tomb 40: a sarcophagus containing three adult inhumations, a plastic amphoriskos, bronze mirror and bronze arrow-head.

Tomb 41: a sarcophagus containing two adult inhumations, two small oinochoae and a miniature lamp.

Tomb 42: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation and a silver coin.

Tomb 43: a sarcophagus containing two adult inhumations, a red-figure palmette squat lekythos, a silver coin and iron pin.

Tomb 44: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation and a silver coin.

Tomb 48: a looted sarcophagus containing a disturbed inhumation and a silvered peg.

Tombs 49 and 50: two sarcophagoi which continued beneath the neighbouring plot.

Tomb 51: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation without goods.

Tomb 52: a sarcophagus containing a child inhumation, glass paste beads and a squat lekythos.

Tomb 53: a sarcophagus containing a child inhumation without goods.

Tomb 54: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation, two small oinochoae, a miniature lamp, two fusiform unguentaria, and a bone double flute with bronze keys.

Tomb 55: a sarcophagus containing two adult inhumations.

 

Hellenistic graves (end third- to second-century BC).

Tomb 2: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation, nine fusiform unguentaria, a lagynos and an iron strigil. This tomb was first used in the Classical period.

Tomb 28: a sarcophagus containing a child inhumation, a red-figure palmette squat lekythos, a cup, oinochoe, three fusiform unguentaria, five figurines (a Silen, a pig, a standing figure, a Herm, and an unreadable image), a bronze coin, bone astragalos, and a bronze needle. This tomb was first used in the Classical period.

Tomb 29: a sarcophagus containing a child inhumation without goods.

Tomb 30: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation, an iron strigil and six gold flower-shaped leaves.

Tomb 31: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation and two fusiform unguentaria.

Tomb 45: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation, two small oinochoae, a miniature lamp, a pyxis and a fusiform unguentarium.

Tomb 46: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation, a relief bowl and 43 fusiform unguentaria. In the northwest corner of the tomb was a lead cinerary urn containing the cremated remains of a single individual, gold leaves and a silver coin.

 

Roman graves.

Tomb 7: cist grave with an adult inhumation, a glass unguentarium and two bronze coins.

Tomb 8: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation, a glass open vessel, a terracotta bulbous unguentarium and the head of a female figurine.

Tomb 9: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation and a bronze coin.

Tomb 11: cist grave containing the enchytrismos on an infant in a beehive, without goods.

Tomb 12: the enchytrismos on an infant in a beehive, without goods, in contact with the southwest corner of tomb 11.

Tomb 13: tile grave with an adult inhumation, two bronze coins, a glass unguentarium, bone needle, and bronze ring.

Tomb 34: sarcophagus with a child inhumation, a figurine and fragments of eggshell.

Tomb 35: sarcophagus with a displaced inhumation in the western part (but no primary inhumation), a glass unguentarium, a figurine and two bronze coins.

Tomb 36: a sarcophagus containing four adult inhumations, a glass cup, an iron strigil, two glass bulbous unguentaria, four bronze coins, and fragments of eggshell.

 

3: 41 Doganis Street (property of D. Stratioti, O.T. 191). Four tombs of the first half of the fifth century were found during excavation for a septic tank.

Tomb 1: a sarcophagus containing no skeletal remains, but a two-handled vessel plus lid.

Tomb 2: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation and a black-figure lekythos.

Tomb 3: a sarcophagus containing the inhumation of a youth, a bronze mirror, black glaze kylix, three black-figure lekythoi, and a doll.

Tomb 4: a sarcophagus containing an adult inhumation, a bronze mirror, alabastron and small oinochoe.

 

4: Armakades, unnamed road (property of I. Perri, O.T. 497).

Four Early Hellenistic cist tombs were identical in form and content. They all contained an adult inhumation with a fusiform unguentarium and small iron nails at the deceased’s feet.

A section of a cemetery road of the fourth to sixth centuries AD was revealed, along with Late Roman graves. Tombs 3-6 are a group of stone-built cists, all looted and damaged: they contained numerous disturbed burials plus pottery and lamps of the period. A grave stele found inside tomb 3 bore the inscription

KOIMHTH

ΡION EΠI

ΦANI KE ΘE

ODΥΛΗΣ

To the east of these tombs, a stretch of road plus its western supporting wall ran northwest-southeast, bounding the group of tombs 7-10 and probably contemporary with them. Two gravel road surface levels were preserved.

The plot also produced Late Archaic-Classical building remains and a well. North and west of the Late Roman remains, were three small rooms (A, A1 and B) of unknown function, with walls of fieldstones founded on bedrock. A staircase in room B (of which seven steps are preserved) was built of fieldstones and spolia (e.g. a small column built into the fourth riser). Pottery recovered from these rooms was mainly black glaze drinking vessels (Attic skyphoi, kotyles, cups and related vessels, probably from a local workshop), a few plates and a very few red-fired sherds. There was a small proportion of domestic pottery (basins, cooking pots and amphorae). Within room A was the upper part of a deep, sixth-century vessel inscribed ιαρος: hερμα: εμι, suggesting cult activity. In general the pottery dates the late Archaic-Classical period. A terminus ante quem for the use of the rooms is provided by two Early Hellenistic cist tombs cut into the southeast corner of room A. On the north edge of the plot was a stone-lined well (1m in diameter, excavated only to a depth of 4.2m) which contained architectural spolia (mostly undiagnostic but with evidence of intense burning and in some cases plaster), a few undiagnostic sculptural fragments in while marble, tile and (mostly domestic) pottery. A few fragments of doric columns and a doric geison with blue and red paint were recovered from the well, along with two pieces of an ionic geison and part of a ridge tile. These were found with early Hellenistic pottery which dated the filling of the well.