NEA SMYRNI, Heroon Kyprou Square - 2009

Nea Smyrni, Heroon Kyprou Square, Aghias Sophias 89. Anthi Ntova (B’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the discovery of 8 burials.

Burial I: 5th-century B.C. sarcophagus made from Pentelic marble. It contained a skeleton in supine position, a bronze mirror (Fig. 1), a black-glazed spindle whorl and a small nail. The study of the remains by A. Papathanasiou showed that this was the skeleton of a woman 20-25 years of age. Her height was 1.60 m.

Burial II: 5th-century B.C. sarcophagus made from sandstone and preserving tool marks internally. It had two holes for the nails that kept the lid shut. It contained a skeleton in supine position, a bronze mirror, a bronze needle and a fragment from a bronze tool (Fig. 2).

Burial III: Classical sarcophagus made from Hymettian marble destroyed by modern pipes (Fig. 3).

Burial IV: Classical tile grave. It contained a skeleton in supine position, a bronze mirror and two 4^th c. B.C. lekythoi (Fig. 4).

Burial V: Classical cylindrical box made from sandstone (Fig. 5). It contained a black-glazed lebes with ashes (Fig. 6).

The remains of two more Classical burials were found, which contained few bones and pottery sherds. Finally, a pit measuring 1x0.90, which contained Late Roman secondary inhumations, was excavated. Specifically, the pit contained skulls and bones belonging to three skeletons, 2 lamps (Fig. 7), an amphora, a lekanis and an open vessel.

All burials are located on the side of an ancient road (Petropoulakou and Pentazos 1973, 134; Kotzias 1956-7, 10; AD 32: 252). M. Skalia and G. Kontonika conducted the excavation.