VARI-VARKIZA - 2008

Vari-Varkiza, Dimitras and Artemidos 20 Streets, ancient deme of Anagyrus (property of Anastasiou). M. Kassimi-Soutou (ΚΣΤ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the discovery of two buildings, an ancient road and a large courtyard (Figs 1,2).

Building A, which lies in the north part of the excavation area, is a large pi-shaped building with a NW-SE orientation. Two statue bases were found NW of it. One base bears a cutting for the right foot of a statue and the the second bears small, semicircular cuttings. Both bases were contained by an enclosure and are contemporary with the building. A piriform cistern lies in the SW corner of the building and contained 3 intact, black-glazed kantharoi (4^th c.), large fragments from 3 plates, 3 bowls, one lekanis and one amphora, as well as numerous sherds from plain ware and black-glazed fine ware. Bones, shells, stone tools and a lead artifact were also retrieved. Small finds from the rest of the building include mainly undecorated and black-glazed pottery sherds. All finds date in the Classical period.

Building B, which lies in the south part of the excavation area, is a large, basement structure accessed by two staircases (Fig 3). A destruction layer from inside the building contained numerous stones, pottery sherds and roof tiles. The building had a pebble floor which was largely destroyed. Small finds from the interior of this building include sherds from plain and table ware (amphorae, lekanides, skyphoi, plates, bowls, pithoi), black-glazed vessels (skyphoi, plates, lekythoi, lamps, kantharoi, saltcellars, amphoriskoi, lekanides), a broken animal figurine, 2 pyramidal loom weights, 2 intact lamps (4^th c.), a terracotta seal, part of a mould, the neck of a decorated lekythos, 4 bronze artefacts, a bronze coin, an iron nail, part of a stone colonnette, a fragment from a large, stone vessel, part of a stone drain, stone tools, an obsidian blade and a lead artefact. The finds date in the 5^th-4^th c. B.C.

The ancient road lies west of Building B and had retaining walls on both sides. Its orientation is NW-SE. Numerous small walls and pits were found in the area of the courtyard. Additional structures in the courtyard include a semicircular structure (Fig 4) which contained numerous pottery sherds, and a nearby, semicircular deposit pit. The latter contained sherds from plain and table ware, fragments from roof-tiles, black-glazed sherds from small and large vessels, a bronze object, a flint blade and an obsidian blade. Finally, another structure is identified as an oven or a small kiln.

The entire complex is dated in the 6^th-4^th c. B.C based on the pottery and the masonry (some walls are polygonal). The complex is interpreted as a sanctuary accommodating a mystery cult; possibly the cult of the Mother of the Gods, which is mentioned by Pausanias. This interpretation is based on the cistern which was found in the interior of Building A, the statue bases, and the size of the buildings. The oven or kiln structure could also indicate that a small workshop operated in the courtyard, in order to serve the needs of the two large buildings.