Ampelakia - 2007

Ampelakia, 120 Eleftherios Venizelos Street (O.T. 62, property of E. Mellios). Andromachi Kapetanopoulou (ΚΣΤ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the discovery of a 5^th century BC cemetery with 18 graves. The finds seem to indicate that the space continued to be used into the fourth century BC. These graves comprised nine pyres, two child burials, two sarcophagi, one pit grave, three cist graves, and a tiled-roof grave.

The S part of the plot had in it the remains of a house, whose foundations were also excavated. Around the foundation stones were disturbed layers of sherds, bones, and pieces of sarcophagus, indicating that the cemetery was greatly disturbed in later periods. A grave known as sarcophagus 9 was excavated here, measuring 2.08 x 0.82m, containing very few bones.

Near the NW corner of the plot there was an inscribed marble tombstone dating to the 4^th century BC of maximum height 1.50m an width 0.42m. It had two embossed rosettes and bore an inscription. NE of this a column was discovered, thought to be contemporary with the tombstone.

Pit grave 1: Oriented EW, with dimensions 0.40 x 0.38m, to a depth 1.62m. Contained two small pots and a pyxis.

Pyre 2: Oriented NS, with dimensions 2 x 0.8m. Traces of the trench are preserved.

Pyre 3: Oriented NW-SE. SE section is not preserved. Preserved length is 1.5m and 0.95m in width.

Pyre 4: EW oriented, with dimensions 2.25 x 1.25m, to a depth 2.52m. 11 lekythoi fragments were found, with traces of a white fatty substance inside.

Pyre 5: EW oriented, with dimensions 1.90 x 1.25m, to a depth 1.37m.

Pyre 6: NW-SE oriented, with dimensions 2 x 1.10 m, to a depth 1.15m. Contained a black-figure kylix with graffiti, and two other vessels.

Child burial 7: EW oriented, with dimensions 0.75 x 0.35m. Grave goods included a black oinochoe decorated with the figure of a hunter, a skyphos, and lekythos, and a kylix. Beneath the burial there were four vessels (one lekythos, one olpe, and two skyphoi), in addition to four iron pieces, three in situ.

Pyre 8: Oriented EW, with dimensions 2 x 1.30m, at a depth 2.60m. Contained four bronze fragments, six pieces of lekythos, and an iron sheet.

Sarcophagus 9: This grave is described above.

Pyre 10: Oriented EW, with dimensions 2 x 1m, at a depth 1.26m. A few bits of charred bone were found here.

Grave 11: Oriented NS, with a few fragments of bone in situ.

Sarcophagus 12: A few pieces of bone were identified in a disturbed deposit, at a depth 1.15m.

Pyre 13: Oriented NS with dimensions 2 x 1m, at a depth 1.87m. Three lekythos fragments, two pieces of a clay figurine, bronze, and slightly charred bones.

Pit grave 14: Rectangular trench oriented NS with dimensions 1.20 x 0.50m, at a depth 1.64m. The grave was located at the NE corner of pyre 13, and next to pit grave 1. Inside, two aryballoid lekythoi were found, along with two lekythoi and some bronze pieces.

Child burial 15: located inside pyre 10. The cover was probably destroyed in fire. Oriented EW, with dimensions 0.35 x 0.85m. In the inside there was a lekythos and a kylix.

Cist grave 16: Oriented NS. The S part of the grave with the skeleton in it was preserved.

Cist grave 17: Oriented NS, with dimensions 1.80 x 0.70m. Skeleton found in supine position. Coins were found under the skull.

Tiled roof grave 18: Oriented NS, with dimensions 2.05 x 0.85m. Skeleton was found in supine position with iron piece found on the right arm.

Pyre 19: 1.10 x 1.17m, cut by tiled roof grave 18. Depth of burnt layer extended to 2.80m.