TAVROS - Peiraeos Avenue - 2011

Tavros, Peiraeos Avenue 180 and Lamias (property of Theodoridis Group S.A.) Maria Petritaki (ΚΣΤ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the discovery of antiquities dating from prehistoric until Early Christian times. A prehistoric settlement measuring 1,151 m² was excavated. It was in use from the Final Neolithic until the EH periods. Numerous floors, few walls and a very large number of postholes were excavated (Figs. 1, 2). In some cases the postholes delimited apsidal or circular structures. Finds from the settlement include pottery sherds (Fig. 3), obsidian chips, flakes and blades, flint, seashells and seeds.

A road was found SE of the settlement. It was in use from the Geometric until the Late Roman periods, was excavated to a length of 71.5 m. and measures 2-2.6 m. in width. Five consecutive road surfaces were identified. Wheel ruts were preserved on sections of the road. In addition, a Greek and a Roman coin were found.

Part of a 5^th c. B.C. funeral peribolos was discovered adjacent to the road (Fig. 4). The peribolos enclosed 3 marble sarcophagi, 3 poros sarcophagi and a terracotta larnax. Only two of these had burial offerings. Finds from the area of the cemetery consist primarily of Hellenistic pottery sherds.

A well was found N of the cemetery. It contained pottery sherds, animal bones, seashells, glass fragments and a bronze coin. The finds date to the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods.

A Geometric-Archaic, rural sanctuary was excavated consisting of pits for votive offerings (Fig. 5), pyres (Fig. 6), areas for the placement votive offerings (Fig. 7), an eschara and numerous small finds. It appears to have been enclosed by a rubble wall and to have had a floor paved with pebbles. The latter dates to the Hellenistic period. The pits contained large numbers of figurines (primarily of birds, but also other animals), bronze artefacts (hoops, foils, rinds, nails), bronze vessels, animal bones and seashells (Fig. 8). The finds attest to communal feasting. Pottery sherds were also found on the eschara. The pyres contained pottery sherds and bronze vessels. The pottery dates the sanctuary in the 7^th and 6^th c. B.C., whilst the location and types of finds indicate that the worshipped deity could have been a female, chthonic one related to earth’s fertility. Such a goddess would be relevant to this farming area. A Roman wall and drain were also excavated, and could attest to the sanctuary being extended at a later phase.

A Roman and Early Christian cemetery was excavated west of the sanctuary (Fig. 9). 9 burials were discovered: 8 tile graves and a cremation in a beehive. Finds from the cemetery include pottery sherds, 2 bronze pins and a bronze earring.

Finally, a Roman kiln was excavated (Fig. 10).