KATO MERA Ierapetra - 2006
General Information
Record ID
1781
Activity Date
2006
Chronologies
Key-words
Type of Operation
Institution
Ministry of Culture & Tourism (13th ΕΒΑ)
Toponym
Linked Record
2006
Report
Ierapetra wall (Kato Mera). M. Mari (13th EBA) reports on the restoration (in 2000-2006) of a 160m long stretch of the Byzantine town wall near the sea, including a gate and a tower (Fig. 1). While Early Byzantine connections are strong, there is clear evidence for a Roman predecessor. The wall is preserved in places to 2.3m high, and is generally 1.6m deep; the gate is 5.5m wide and the tower is semicircular in plan. The building is in opus incertum mixtum. Two broad phases may account for the three main components of the structure: the gate and tower are the oldest, dating back to the second to fourth century AD, and the west and east stretches of walling belong to the fourth to sixth century AD, the west being slightly earlier (Figs 2-7). Parallels in Early Byzantine fortifications at Nicopolis and Thessaloniki are noted.
Author
Don EVELY
Bibliographic reference(s)
AEK 1 (2010), 211-22
Date of creation
2011-02-02 00:00:00
Last modification
2021-02-19 07:33:15
Picture(s)
Fig. 1/ Ierapetra: ground plan of the Byzantine wall.
Fig. 2/ East part of the wall from the north.
Fig. 3/ West part of the wall, the gate, the tower and the north 'reinforcing' wall.
Fig. 4/ West part of the wall, side of tower.
Fig. 5/ Vertical section of the wall from the south.
Fig. 6/ Sections of the east and west side of the wall.
Fig. 7/ East part of the wall from the north.