ATHENS - Philopappos Hill - 2003

T. Poulou (Α’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on excavations from 2002-2003 on the east side of the Hill of the Muses, NE of the so-called Prison of Socrates, which revealed a group of three Geometric graves of two adults and a child.

 

Grave 1: a female burial in a pit grave (1.85 x 0.7m) with finds around the head and feet. Two gold ear rings near the jaw were constructed from spirals of bronze wire covered with thin hammered gold-leaf; a gold-wire ring and remains of two small bronze clasps were also recovered. The most striking find was a gold pectoral of nine gold plaques: eight square and the central crescent-shaped, each with decorative motifs.

Grave 2: a child pit grave (0.9 x 0.5m), disturbed with no goods, but a few bones and intrusive Classical sherds were collected.

Grave 3: an adult pit grave (2.34 x 0.94m) containing disturbed bones and many Geometric goods, as well as sherds of a 4th century BC krater.

At least 63 vessels from Middle Geometric II – Late Geometric IA were found in the graves: 12 Attic pyxides, 6 of which bear horse figurines, 4 lids which do not belong to the Attic pyxides, 9 skyphoi and 3 skyphidia, parts of 5 amphoriskoi, 7 prochoi, 2 cups, parts of 2 oinochoi, and a Laconian skyphos. Four sherds of a large belly-handled amphora are probably from the marker of Grave 1. These extremely rich burials were opened around 760 BC and may be at the western boundary of the large South Geometric cemetery.