Skafidia, Loutro - 2006
Informations Générales
Numéro de la notice
8297
Année de l'opération
2006
Chronologie
Mots-clés
Voierie - Bains - Installation hydraulique - Canalisation - Lampe - Monnaie - Mosaïque - Métal - Verre
Nature de l'opération
Institution(s)
Localisation
Toponyme
Skafidia
Skafidia
Notices et opérations liées
2006
Description
Skafidia, Loutro. Olympia Vikatou (Z’ EPKA) reports on an extensive settlement and bath complex in the area of Loutro along the banks of the Iardanou River, in use from 1-4th centuries A.D. The settlement formed part of an organised road system, as indicated by the discovery of a Roman milestone.
Part of the building complex was identified in the western part of the property, covering an area of 17.5 m. by 16.0 m. In the east was part of a clay pipe which was aligned on a N-S axis (Fig. 1). Two construction phases were identified in the building complex, the first including the pipe, along with walls built with stones and clay bricks and covered with thick plaster. The second phase included walls made with roughly worked stones. In total, nine square and rectangular rooms (I-IX) were excavated, the walls of which were preserved to a height of 1.20 m. Room IV was located between V and VI and contained part of a square clay tile floor. Room V contained a cist grave in which there were the remains of two individuals. Room VI was connected to IV and VII and during a later phase its northern entry was blocked and two tile-covered graves were constructed. Rooms VII and IX continued into adjacent properties.
In a property to the south, covering an area of just over 500 sq. m., were four large rooms which were connected through small openings. The walls were built with roughly shaped stones and clay bricks and were plastered. They were preserved up to a height of 0.40-1.0 m. and in poor condition. To the east was part of the clay pipe, previously identified in adjacent properties. Finds recovered included sherds of plain pottery, two very weathered coins, fragments of glass jars, iron nails, fragments of a lamp, marine shells, mosaic tessarae, along with fragments of reddish plaster and a cornice made of lime plaster containing with blue and red colouring.
The bath complex was located at the mouth of the Iardanou River where it flows into the sea. It was in use from the 1st to the 4th centuries AD and was part of a larger public or private building. The bath complex was known about since the 1920s, while in the 1960s many Roman graves were identified in the area. Excavations carried out during the early 2000s located a total of 16 rooms, organised around a central peristyle atrium with a marble floor. Due to erosion by the Iardanou River as well as other factors, the western and northern side of the complex suffered severe damage.
The surviving bath complex (31.80×21.60 m.) was aligned on an E-W axis (Figs. 2, 3). Its entrance (vestibule) was located on the eastern side. Room I (12.40x3.30 m.) was located towards the east and consisted of a long antechamber with a mosaic floor decorated with an alternating series of white and yellow rhombi, enclosed within two black lines. Access to the other rooms was through two doors in the west wall. To the west of Room I was a small atrium (Room III, 6.0×5.1 m.) in which the floor was lined with square marble slabs, some of which were preserved intact. To the west of and attached to the atrium was a square cistern or natation (6.20×2.65 m.), referred to as Room X, in which there were four steps of 0.20 m. in height. The cistern was internally lined with hydraulic plaster while along its northern and southern sides of its west wall were two niches for placing statues. Two narrow corridors (Rooms II and VI), with floors decorated with elaborate geometric and other mosaics, were located to the north and south of the atrium and cistern. The north corridor leads to a large room (IV, 8.80×5.95 m.), which may have served as an annointing or changing area, in which the floor is decorated with elaborate mosaic and its walls would have been vividly painted. In the centre of the bath complex and to the west of the cistern, was a small room (VIII, 8.80×10.90 m.), with a partially preserved mosaic floor. Around the mosaic and against a white background was a series of dolphins, whose outline was created with black and yellow beads (Fig. 4). The rest of the mosaic was decorated with geometric motives.
A small door in the northern side of the central room led to the hot rooms of the bath complex, which occupied the western and northern wing and consisted of rooms VII (5.60×2.15 m.), ΧV (5.75×4.60 m.), XΙΙΙ (4.95×5.50 m.) and XIV (5.40×3.20 m.). Beneath all of these rooms were hypocausts. Three more rooms, ΧΙ (3.05×6.35 m.), Χ (3.30×3.90 m.) and ΧΙΙ (6.40×4.30 m.) were discovered in the northern side of the complex, of which only XI and XII had hypocausts. Heating was also provided by square or round clay pipes which ran vertically up the walls. Many tegulae mammatae were also found in the warm section of the complex. The cold rooms were located along the southern side of the building, including Rooms ΧVΙ, ΧVΙΙ and V, along with another area which was very poorly preserved.
Two more structures were attached to the eastern side of the bath complex, a round kiln which post-dated the baths and a square room of unknown function. The internal diameter of the kiln was 2.40 m. and it was constructed of clay bricks. Further to the south were two rooms of which only the foundations were preserved, probably part of the Roman settlement of Skafidia and with very few finds collected, mainly undiagnostic pottery. Another large Roman building was located to the south of the baths and close to the seashore; but due to the dense vegetation it was not properly investigated.
Part of the building complex was identified in the western part of the property, covering an area of 17.5 m. by 16.0 m. In the east was part of a clay pipe which was aligned on a N-S axis (Fig. 1). Two construction phases were identified in the building complex, the first including the pipe, along with walls built with stones and clay bricks and covered with thick plaster. The second phase included walls made with roughly worked stones. In total, nine square and rectangular rooms (I-IX) were excavated, the walls of which were preserved to a height of 1.20 m. Room IV was located between V and VI and contained part of a square clay tile floor. Room V contained a cist grave in which there were the remains of two individuals. Room VI was connected to IV and VII and during a later phase its northern entry was blocked and two tile-covered graves were constructed. Rooms VII and IX continued into adjacent properties.
In a property to the south, covering an area of just over 500 sq. m., were four large rooms which were connected through small openings. The walls were built with roughly shaped stones and clay bricks and were plastered. They were preserved up to a height of 0.40-1.0 m. and in poor condition. To the east was part of the clay pipe, previously identified in adjacent properties. Finds recovered included sherds of plain pottery, two very weathered coins, fragments of glass jars, iron nails, fragments of a lamp, marine shells, mosaic tessarae, along with fragments of reddish plaster and a cornice made of lime plaster containing with blue and red colouring.
The bath complex was located at the mouth of the Iardanou River where it flows into the sea. It was in use from the 1st to the 4th centuries AD and was part of a larger public or private building. The bath complex was known about since the 1920s, while in the 1960s many Roman graves were identified in the area. Excavations carried out during the early 2000s located a total of 16 rooms, organised around a central peristyle atrium with a marble floor. Due to erosion by the Iardanou River as well as other factors, the western and northern side of the complex suffered severe damage.
The surviving bath complex (31.80×21.60 m.) was aligned on an E-W axis (Figs. 2, 3). Its entrance (vestibule) was located on the eastern side. Room I (12.40x3.30 m.) was located towards the east and consisted of a long antechamber with a mosaic floor decorated with an alternating series of white and yellow rhombi, enclosed within two black lines. Access to the other rooms was through two doors in the west wall. To the west of Room I was a small atrium (Room III, 6.0×5.1 m.) in which the floor was lined with square marble slabs, some of which were preserved intact. To the west of and attached to the atrium was a square cistern or natation (6.20×2.65 m.), referred to as Room X, in which there were four steps of 0.20 m. in height. The cistern was internally lined with hydraulic plaster while along its northern and southern sides of its west wall were two niches for placing statues. Two narrow corridors (Rooms II and VI), with floors decorated with elaborate geometric and other mosaics, were located to the north and south of the atrium and cistern. The north corridor leads to a large room (IV, 8.80×5.95 m.), which may have served as an annointing or changing area, in which the floor is decorated with elaborate mosaic and its walls would have been vividly painted. In the centre of the bath complex and to the west of the cistern, was a small room (VIII, 8.80×10.90 m.), with a partially preserved mosaic floor. Around the mosaic and against a white background was a series of dolphins, whose outline was created with black and yellow beads (Fig. 4). The rest of the mosaic was decorated with geometric motives.
A small door in the northern side of the central room led to the hot rooms of the bath complex, which occupied the western and northern wing and consisted of rooms VII (5.60×2.15 m.), ΧV (5.75×4.60 m.), XΙΙΙ (4.95×5.50 m.) and XIV (5.40×3.20 m.). Beneath all of these rooms were hypocausts. Three more rooms, ΧΙ (3.05×6.35 m.), Χ (3.30×3.90 m.) and ΧΙΙ (6.40×4.30 m.) were discovered in the northern side of the complex, of which only XI and XII had hypocausts. Heating was also provided by square or round clay pipes which ran vertically up the walls. Many tegulae mammatae were also found in the warm section of the complex. The cold rooms were located along the southern side of the building, including Rooms ΧVΙ, ΧVΙΙ and V, along with another area which was very poorly preserved.
Two more structures were attached to the eastern side of the bath complex, a round kiln which post-dated the baths and a square room of unknown function. The internal diameter of the kiln was 2.40 m. and it was constructed of clay bricks. Further to the south were two rooms of which only the foundations were preserved, probably part of the Roman settlement of Skafidia and with very few finds collected, mainly undiagnostic pottery. Another large Roman building was located to the south of the baths and close to the seashore; but due to the dense vegetation it was not properly investigated.
Auteur de la notice
Michael Loy
Références bibliographiques
ADelt 62 (2007) Chr., 417-422
Légende graphique :
localisation de la fouille/de l'opération
localisation du toponyme
polygone du toponyme Chronique
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Date de création
2020-05-29 15:49:36
Dernière modification
2024-01-17 09:34:29
Figure(s)
Fig. 1/ General view of residential buildings
Fig. 2/ Plan view of the bath complex
Fig. 3/ General view of the bath complex
Fig. 4/ Detail of a floor mosaic in the form of a dolphin