KIFISSIA - 2006

Kifissia, 5 Pesmazoglou Street (O.T. 167, property of E. Glossote). Demetrios Palaiologos and Maria Stefanopoulou (Β’ ΕΠΚΑ) report the discovery of Prehistoric, Roman and Late Byzantine remains.

Final Neolithic-Early Helladic I: a compact clay layer (13 x 9m, 0.15m thick) in the north of the plot contained FN-EH I pottery and fragments of obsidian blades.

Early Helladic II: houses were found across the entire plot. In the north an elongated (east-west) area had a surface of small stones and sherds set in clay: five post holes were found on either side of it, with three layers of clay, sand and gravel to the south. Similar fills were located in the south part of the plot. EH II pottery (fragments of phialae, cups, and saucers), and fragments of obsidian and flint blades were collected from these fills. Similar finds came from the paved area. A circular pit containing EH II pottery was found at the south edge of the plot: to the northwest of this, three skeletons were found in a shallow trench (the south side of which was destroyed by the Roman cistern noted below).

The prehistoric remains were covered by a thick layer of silt and sand resulting from flooding by the adjacent Pyrna brook. After a long period of abandonment the area was reoccupied in the Roman period.

Roman: a building complex, a wall and a deposit were excavated at the south and north sides of the plot. The complex (oriented north-south) consisted of two rooms with clay and rubble walls, and two possibly open spaces to the east. Part of a cistern was excavated to the west, with walls coated with hydraulic concrete. A north-south wall at the north side of the plot was supported by two buttresses. The deposit, on the west side of the plot, contained large quantities of tiles and pottery. Pottery and coins date the Roman layer from the second half of the first century BC/first century AD onwards: the area remained in use until the fifth century AD, whereupon it was again flooded. Another long period of abandonment followed, until its reoccupation in the Late Byzantine period.

Late Byzantine: a 0.6-0.8m-deep fill containing late Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and Late Byzantine sherds was laid over the entire area. An enclosure, oriented east-west, was built from small stones, roof-tiles and Late Byzantine glazed sherds. A circular deposit with prehistoric, late Classical, Hellenistic and glazed sherds was excavated in the middle of the plot.