Marmara - 2010

Marmara, motorway from Aigio to the Achaia-Corinth regional boundary. Erofili-Iris Kolia (ΣΤ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on building remains of a sanctuary built on 2 terraces. The first building that was discovered, the so-called ‘naiskos’, would have had cult associations. It is a rectangular building with N-S orientation and contains a cella and a pronaos. Two bases for statues were discovered inside the building, 0.42-0.46 m from the N narrow side of the cella. They have plaster on them at points; on the top surface the feet are still in position, probably of a child. Lead was used to join the plinth of the statue to the base. Behind the bases, a fragment of clay guttering of the building with relief plant decoration and lion-shaped spout was found. It also has painted decoration and is dated in the second half of the 4th c. BC. Next to the bases, in the NW corner the lower part (stem) a clay perirrhanterion in the shape of a Doric column which still has the capital as a base was found. Inside the cella an extensive destruction layer of unworked and partly worked stones and a layer of red clayey soil was found, perhaps from the superstructure that was made probably from mudbricks. There were many small finds from the cella. In total 70 metal objects, among which 5 bossed phialae with leaf decorations in relief, 2 winged figurines that were probably a component of wooden vessels or tripods, a small bronze tripod, and small bronze tablet with 2 female heads in relief stand out.

Also, a large number of clay objects were found: mainly small hydriae and jugs; special shapes are a small oenochoe with an elaborate outline and a small pot with an attached plastic snake on its shoulder. More rare are drinking vessels and other shapes such as skyphidia. The figurines are mainly female, such as the types of Aphrodite or Leda; while a bird figurine was also found. Most of the objects are dated to the 4th c. BC, while some can also be dated to the first half of the 3rd c.

On the lower terrace, 11 small rectangular or trapezoidal buildings with NE-SW orientation were discovered. These were auxiliary buildings that were probably used for communal ritual feasting. Between the buildings there are open or semi-open spaces. A large quantity of black-glazed pottery from these buildings, but also many sherds of cooking vessels and pointed amphorae, and mainly female clay figurines were recovered.

[Entry created by E. Strazdins]