Veligosti Toll Station, Motorway between Tripoli and Kalamata, Xerila torrent - 2008

Veligosti Toll Station, Motorway between Tripoli and Kalamata, Xerila torrent. Stamatios Fritzilas (ΛΘ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the excavation held in the 40^th kilometer of the old National Motorway between Tripoli and Kalamata. The site examined was close to the junction of the Veligiosti stream  and the Xerila torrent, the Alfeios river. A Roman wine-press, some burials, a well and a farmhouse were found in the general area.

A Roman wine-press was discovered near the new driver’s rest spot, at the Veligosti toll station.  One could argue that this discovery is evidence of the agricultural activity (specifically, of the wine production) (fig. 1). The tank was discovered close to the surface layer (0,50 m.) and it was built from unworked stone and mortar. There were insulated areas, bearing hydraulic mortar in the parting strips, and inclusions of pottery sherds. The ypolinio (lower part of the wine-press) was also revealed.

It was speculated that the area was also a pottery workshop, during an earlier phase, due to some characteristic findings: part of a clay ceramic wheel, a rectangular mould used for sealing the vessels with symbols on each side. These symbols (an amphora, a vessel, chaffron flowers and pepper produce) were probably used to indicate the contents of the vessel (quantity and quality wise). The vessels produced here would be large (i.e. amphorae) and would be immediately used to transfer agricultural produce.
Facilities necessary to initially process the clay were also located on the side of the hill.
On top of that last area, a building following the basilica plan was also built. This building was assigned to the appropriate Byzantine Ephorate of the area.

Some tombs were also located near and inside of the wine-press. They are dated to the late Roman times. Most of them were destroyed for the most part (figs. 2-4)

Ancient well: This well was found between the wine-press and a badly preserved roman cist tomb (fig. 5). A large number of sherds were found inside of it, which were dated in the prehistoric (mainly), the Hellenistic, and the Roman times. Furthermore, some obsidian and flint tools (blades, flakes, cores, and chips), a whetstone, some glass sherds, metal rods, and some animal bones were also found. The Roman tomb contained a lamb and a large closed vessel, placed there as grave-goods. This burial probably belonged to the habitant of the farmhouse, and it was dated between the first and the second century AD.

Farmhouse: In the excavation’s general area, some architectural remains were considered to be the foundations of a large building, possibly a farmhouse (fig. 6,7). The foundations were stone-built, and the walls must have been made of brickwork. Little pottery was found, but it was dated to the Hellenistic times.

[Entry created by E. Kourti]