Oresteion (private property of Kontagyri), Perivolia, Megalopoli, Megalopoli Inland - 2008

Oresteion (private property of Kontagyri), Perivolia, Megalopoli, Megalopoli Inland. Stamatis Frintzilas (ΛΘ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the second-year continuation of the excavation in Perivolia, due to the construction of the new motorway, connecting Tripoli and Kalamata. This year, it became clear that the motorway was to pass through the lands of an Arcadic city of the Classical times. This city was recognized to be ancient Oresteion (or Oresthanion).

The excavation began with some test trials in the private property of Kontagyri (kilometric position 1.610-1680) revealed a complex of walls, where a large part of an ancient sidewalk (built of limestone) was found (fig. 1). Classical sherds (some of which could be considered part of the same vessel) were found in a nearby complex (trial trench five), while the road found in the first complex resurfaced here. These trial trenches were later thoroughly cleaned, and a bronze coin was found in the NE corner. It was identified as a cut from Terrina, a city of the Italic tribe of the Bruttii, in W Italy, and it was therefore dated between 380 and 356 BC. The obverse depicted the head of nymph Terrina, while the reverse depicted a crab (cancer).

The excavation continued with regular grid trenches, where another complex of walls was found. One of the main goals of the excavation was to define the direction of the ancient route, oriented initially towards the NE. For this purpose, a regular grid trench was dug, between trial trenches five and six. This trench revealed a substantial number of sherds, one of which was a red-figure pottery sherd. It featured the right half of a naked man’s torso, his head, and his right arm. Some black-painted pottery sherds were dated to the Classical times, between the fifth and the fourth century BC.

[Entry created by E. Kourti]