LITHOCHORI - 2006

Lithochori. V. Poulios and D.-D. Mengidis (ΙΗ΄ ΕΠΚΑ) report on rescue excavation for the construction of the Egnatia Odos. The NW part of a large courtyard complex was found, the NE part having been destroyed previously by a rural road. On the SE side was a range of 5 rooms, the central 3 of which had lime-plastered floors: in the central, largest room were probable settings for storage vessels, and in room II next to it, part of an iron bridle and rings. Pottery and coins from the destruction level date the abandonment of this range in the M4th Ct AD, with its construction put at the end of the 1st−E2nd Ct AD. A marble column base in the NE corner of the excavation area likely belonged to a peristyle court. The complex is likely a rural residence, although a link with the neighbouring Via Egnatia is possible.

The area NW of the building served as a cemetery from the 5th Ct BC−4th Ct AD, with a gap in use from the 3rd Ct BC−1st Ct AD. From the 2nd Ct AD onwards, it was organized into 2 areas. In 2006, 20 tombs were excavated, containing 14 human burials (of which 5 are cremations), 4 horses and 2 horse plus human. In the earliest burial (tomb 21), the skeleton was laid prone on a bed of stones, oriented SW−NE and covered by a cairn: offerings consisted of a plainware amphoriskos and 2 silver obols of Abdera (ca. 500−425). Two tombs of the 2nd half of the 4th Ct were side by side: in both cases the skeleton was laid on the ground and covered with a cairn, and as offerings one had a local skyphos containing 4 bronze coins of Orthagoreia, and the other a rf palmette, a bg skyphos and sherds of a kantharos, an undecorated lamp and 38 coins of Orthagoreia (23 held in the hands and the others placed in the skyphos).
37m NW of the W corner of the building lay the upper part of a horse-drawn vehicle (probably 2-wheeled) preserving all its attachments in bronze and iron. The upper part of the vehicle was decorated with a bronze relief. The central part of this relief depicted a Doric frieze (4 triglyphs and 3 metopes), with at each end a dolphin and a female head, the entire frieze being supported on 2 Doric columns. Each metope imitates the façade of a Doric naiskos with 2 columns and a pediment or arched roof, and relief depictions of a labour of Herakles (the Cerynaean hind, the Erymantheian boar and the Stymphalian birds). It is not yet clear whether this was a chariot or other form of vehicle. Slightly after the burial, a SW−NE wall was built, running over its SE corner but causing no disturbance. It marked the SE border of the planned cemetery where the horse burials were made: this was probably a complete enclosure wall, now lost or not located. Four intact horse burials were found in 2006, plus 2 more disturbed examples. The animals were stallions, mature cavalry horses, and, in a few cases, horse trappings were preserved. Two tombs (10 and 15) contained human and horse skeletons. In tomb 10,the horse was buried with full trappings in bronze and iron, with an iron sword on one side and the burial of a 40−50 year-old man on the other (placed prone and parallel to the horse): the man stood ca.1.71m h. and was in robust health with no signs of trauma. In tomb 15, the presence of horse trappings and the arrangement and physical condition of the human, a 30−40 year old male, were similar. Outside the tombs, but in the general area of the vehicle and horse burials, were additional trappings and iron spearheads. Five further human burials were made NW of the enclosure wall: 2 contained coins of the 2nd quarter of the 2nd−1st quarter of the 3rd Ct AD and the 2nd half of the 4th Ct AD (the latest burial yet found), 2 had no offerings and, in general, offerings consisted of a little pottery and, in one case, silver and glass jewellery. In cases where horses were buried singly, it is as yet unclear to which human burial they may belong.

A 2nd enclosure wall, built not long after the first, demarcated the 2nd cemetery area which contained only human burials. A large, near-semicircular peribolos was built beside the middle of this wall (internal di. 7.2m); in the centre of the enclosed area was the cremation tomb 3, which was spread out over it. The burial contained an iron chair (okladias), with 4 bronze lion heads and 2 simple bronze hemispheres on the upper terminals of the frame, and a bronze plastic vessel with a bust of Dionysos. Nearby, but outside the burial, were a red slip bowl, a bronze strigil, a handmade miniature vessel and an unknown bronze. Next to this peribolos was a smaller one (internal di. 0.1m) with a marble marker slab at the SE beside a niche for offerings. In the centre was a cremation (tomb 4) with part of a silver bracelet, 3 ivory pins and 3 silver denarii, a silver-plated denarius and 7 bronze coins, the latest of which (issued by a Gr city under Elagabalus) dates the burial to the 1st quarter of the 3rd Ct AD. The 5 burials outside the periboloi are all but one (a child grave) datable by coin evidence to the 3rd quarter of the 2nd Ct AD or the 2th quarter of the 2nd−1st quarter of the 3rd Ct. This part of the cemetery had 3 pits and 5 pithoi for waste.

Apart from the 3 Cl and one 4th Ct AD burials, systematic use of the 2 burial areas dates from the L1st or E2nd Ct−1st quarter of the 3rd Ct AD, with the vehicle burial in the 2nd half of the 1st Ct. The cemetery is unlikely to have served the neighbouring house exclusively, but probably belonged to a community identified on a nearby hill. A few Thracian or PH sherds were found scattered across the area, indicating settlement in the vicinity: one Byz coin and a ring were also found. Ot burials were made in the neighbouring plot SW of the excavation area.

Kathimerini (12/06/08) reports plans to make the site accessible to visitors, with finds displayed in situ. It quotes the Ephoreia's report of its work in 2007 as stating that a 2nd vehicle has been discovered along with the horses that pulled it, with horse trappings and weapons (spearheads, iron bridles, a sword, etc.) and a small bronze shield at the rear of the horse.