Megara - 2009

Megara, Korai Street, O.T. 70b, property of A. Goveni. Panagiota Avgerinou (Γ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the discovery of Archaic and Classical period graves, part of the city wall, and a clay-lined aqueduct. There is evidence of activity here between the second half of the 6th century BC until the middle of the 3rd century BC.

Ten Archaic and Classical period graves predate the construction of the wall.

Grave 1: sarcophagus, oriented NW, with dimensions 0.76 x 0.41 x 0.37m. Infant burial. Black-fiture lekythos, kotyle, two kotyliskes, small clam shell. 500–480 BC. Sarcophagus reused as a bath.

Grave 2: sarcophagus, oriented NW, with dimensions 1.77 x 0.44 x 0.54m. Two skeletons, the first with head facing E, the second was lower with head also facing E. Few bones survived except the lower limbs. Four black-figure lekythoi and one kotyliskos. Three spherical aryballoi of the Late Corinthian period. 500–480 BC.

Grave 3: sarcophagus covered with two slabs, oriented NW, with dimensions 1.62 x 0.48 x 0.50m. Several periods of use, giving commingled remains. Kotyle, fragments of small vessel, piece of bronze buckle, glass bead, bone bead, and two similar pieces of worked bone. Early 5th century BC.

Grave 4: sarcophagus, oriented NE, with dimensions 1.18 x 0.45 x 0.45m. Skeleton in supine position facing W, with skull to NE. Corinthian aryballos, clay pyramidal weight and stone artefact. Early 5th century BC.

Grave 5: sarcophagus, oriented NW, with dimensions 0.82 x 0.29 x 0.31m. Small unpainted closed vessel, three small Corinthian kotylai, a small black-painted amphoriskos, and small unpainted oinochoiskos. 500–480 BC.

Grave 6: sarcophagus, oriented NW, with dimensions 1.95 x 0.60 x 0.57m. Five skulls found to E, and skeletons in good condition. Lekythos with black-painted flowers, bronze ring, clay figurine of a female figure, and obsidian blade. Early 5th century BC.

Grave 7: infant burial in amphora, oriented NE, with dimensions 0.58 x 0.35m. 490–470 BC.

Grave 8: sarcophagus, oriented NW, with dimensions 1.95 x 0.56 x 0.56m. Two fragmentary  skeletons, with heads facing E. Upper section of clay figurine of a woman. Early 5th century BC.

Grave 9: sarcophagus, oriented NW, with dimensions 1.68 x 0.55 x 0.58m. Skeleton with skull facing E. Iron ring fragments around the fingers. Early 5th century BC.

Grave 10: sarcophagus, oriented NW, with dimensions 1.95 x 0.57 x 0.57m. Two well preserved skeletons with heads to E. Egg shells around palm of skeleton. Early 5th century BC.

S of Graves 8 and 9, a pit full of bronze and iron slag was discovered, possibly from casting. Pottery dating to 5th century BC was also found.

The construction of a building in this area dating to the second half of the 5th century BC indicates that the use of the site changed at this time. Notably, there was construction of the inner city walls, found with pottery dating between the 4th century BC and Early Byzantine periods (pottery of later periods was probably carried here by river activity). There are substantial remains of paving, and on the side of this structure a pit with burnt material, possibly a private offering. In the NW of the excavation area, a basement room was found, contemporaneous with the construction of the wall (late 5th to first half of 4th century BC).

There was also construction activity in the 4th century BC, including the remodelling of the basement room as it was integrated in a new building, the construction of another room, and the construction of a well. Late Classical and Hellenistic pottery was collected from these building phases.