Sparta - 2011

Sparta, Brasidas Street 104 (O.T. 41, property of the company Katsaris AE). Afroditi Maltezou (Ε ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the discovery of part of a villa of the Roman/late Roman period (Fig. 1-2). Two mosaic floors were found in the villa. The extant fragments are decorated with geometric patterns; the water plaster substratum of a third mosaic floor was also found. Among the remains there are also built channels and clay pipelines. A well was found in the SW part of the property, framed by 2 walls. In the NW corner of the excavation an apsidal wall was found. In the NW face of this wall, a pithos burial was found and there was a cist grave in the area. Inside the cist grave the skeleton had its head to the NE and was accompanied by a Roman period lamp. In the NW corner of the property a pit grave was found containing a child burial with no grave goods. Four pit graves covered with tiles that belong to the phase before the villa were found below the mosaic floor and SE wall of the house. Three of the graves were oriented SE-NW, adults were buried inside with no grave goods and head to the SE. The fourth grave had a NE-SW orientation and the head was to the NE.

Two deposits carved in the natural soil were also found containing pottery of the Archaic and Classical period. The pottery from the excavation in general dates from the Archaic to Byzantine period with most coming from the Roman/Late Roman period. Small finds: fragment of an inscription; fragment of a stamped tile, fragment of a relief amphora, bronze stylus, large quantity of fragments of marble revetment and wall paintings, fragments of window panes. These elements show the elaborate construction and rich decoration of the house.

[Entry created by E. Strazdins]