MYTILENE - 2008

Mytilene (anc. city). H. Williams (Canadian Institute/British Columbia) reports on continuing work in the castle of Mytilene.
Museum study focused on preparation for the publication of pottery, lamps and figurines. Work on Rom pottery groups (J. Hayes) included examination of material from the 1960−1961 Nikomedia Street excavations (directed by S. Charitonides), which includes the latest forms of Çandarli ware (E4thCt AD) of which hundreds of examples were also found in the Gr-Canadian excavations of 1986−1990. Work on Aeolic grey wares (V. Lungu and P. Dupont) continued: nearly 2 dozen new forms of grey finewares have been discovered from the 5th Ct BC levels, a period little known elsewhere.

Excavation under the direction of A.-C. Loupou (Director, 14th EBA) revealed a much disturbed probable Med-Ch cemetery on the central terrace of the castle under remains of an 18thCt Ot building, perhaps a house, which had been destroyed in the great earthquake of February 1867. The Ot structure lay under a completely rebuilt Ot building of the later 19th Ct. Coins of the 1870s indicate the date. Nearby, a second trench uncovered a possible road and a mass of kitchen debris buried after the same earthquake, which included glassware, plates, cups, cutlery, etc., useful evidence for the material culture of M19thCt Ot Mytilene. There was also at least one undisturbed Augustan context (to judge from the pottery recovered).