Ioannis Varalis (ASA / University of Thessaly) reports on complementary research in 2021 in collaboration with the Ephoreia of Antiquities of Corinthia on the Early Christian Basilica that had been excavated by Anastasios K. Orlandos in 1953 and 1954. The objective of this new programme was to study the relation between the church and the coastal settlement of Ancient Sikyon.

North of the basilica, were found the floor of the courtyard and fragments of common pottery of later...

Ancient Sikyon. I. Lolos (ASA) reports on the beginning of a systematic study of the gymnasium, which was first investigated by Anastasia’s Orlandos in 1952. The new study enhances our understanding of its form.

The gymnasium is constructed on two levels, an upper terrace and a lower terrace. For the most part, the upper terrace is to the W and the lower part is to the E. Between them is a stairway in the shape of a Γ, constructed in the middle of the NS axis and located between...

Ancient Sikyon.  I. Lolos (ASA) reports on preliminary investigation of a large building N of the gymnasium, which he characterises as a stoa, orientated N-S and facing E, with a series of rooms/shops to the rear, W side (Figs 1-3).  The building is constructed out of large conglomerate stone blocks and is 43m long in total and 21m wide.  It had two series of rooms on its W side and a Doric colonnade on its façade.  N and S there were two protruding wings, of which the N...

Ancient Sikyon. I. Lolos (ASA) reports on continued excavation of the well in front of the west stoa (Fig. 1). Excavation in 2018 extended the depth from 6m to 12m, leaving an undetermined extent still to be investigated. The investigation continued to produce mostly fragmentary ceramic vessels (Fig. 2), and food remains, including animal, bird and fish bones, as well as charcoal and architectural pieces. At around 10m depth, the ceramics date to the third quarter of the 1st century BC and the...

Ancient Sikyon. I. Lolos (ASA) reports on continued excavations SE and NW of the agora (Fig. 1). In the first region, to the SE (Fig. 2), there came to light commercial establishments of the end of the 4th c. AD, as demonstrated by 55 coins found in the so-called ‘north room’, abundant ceramics, fragments of glass vessel and metal objects. Conservation restored 11 amphorae, a pithos, 3 African Red Slip plates, cookpots, amphora lids, jugs and small amphorae. The spaces on either side of...

Ancient Sikyon. Zoe Spyranti (Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth) and Athanasios Tsiogkas (Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth) report the following:

Rescue excavations at Ancient Sicyon for the construction of the new Olympia Odos highway revealed part of the Classical city and provided the opportunity to ascertain typical features of the Sikyonian house. Of the eight houses that were partially excavated, many feature an andron, or room for hosting private symposia. The andron is...

Ancient Sikyon. Foteini A. Balla (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) and Athansios Tsiogkas (Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth) report the following:

In the plain of Sicyon, north of the Classical city’s remains and divided by a large road is a large and important cemetery dating from the 7th to the 1st centuries BC. The cemetery was first identified in the mid 1960s during work for the construction of the Athens-Patras highway. Excavations in the mid 1970s and in...

Ancient Sikyon. I. Lolos (ASA) reports on continuing excavation at the site in 4 (sic) locations NW and SE of the agora.

In the first location excavation took place in the NW room where, in the NE corner, a low platform (0.93m x 1.76m x 0.10m high) was excavated, perhaps a couch, which was dated probably to the first half of the 2nd c. AD. Pottery dating the 2 SE rooms adjacent to the S was still more recent (end of the 2nd/beginning of 3rd c. AD) indicating continued activity. The...

Sikyon. I. Lolos (ASA) reports on excavations southeast and northwest of the agora. South of the stoa, beyond the area already excavated, a rectangular, almost square building was uncovered belonging to the early Roman period, in which, in late antiquity, industrial activity was established, on the basis of the discovery of presses, a cistern, as well as a small ceramic kiln, part of whose production was domestic vessels, cups and jugs (Fig. 1). Southeast of the stoa, and east of the...

Ancient Sikyon. K. Kissas (Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth), reports on the continuation of the excavation alongside the motorway of Eleusis-Tsakona in different sites of Ancient Sikyon. The areas excavated were between the kilometric positions 17+069 and 17+092, in sector A. With the completion of the excavation of the N part of the fifth and sixth trenches, part of the urban area of Classical Sikyon was revealed. The fifth housing block contained areas I through VIII (of which areas I...

Sikyon. I. Lolos (ASA) reports on a second season of excavation in the area of the agora, south of the stoa where building remains of the Roman period had been found. Two rooms east of the group, apparently of industrial use, excavated in the previous year were investigated (Figs 1-2). Southeast of the stoa was found part of another stoa orientated N-S, while the known stoa was orientated E-W. The new stoa is dated to the early Roman period and was single-aisled with a Doric colonnade on its...

Siryon, positions 17+034 – 17+048, Ancient Sikyon. Konstansinos Kissas (LZ’ EPKA) reports on the continuation of the excavations in Siryon, a part of Ancient Sikyon, where part of the Classical urban settlement was previously unearthed. 

Excavations continued in the third and fourth urban squares. The walls were formed using rubble masonry or stone plinths. The northern part of the third urban block (Fig. 1) underwent two constructional phases, consisting of repairs and...

Bridge K127 (kilometric position 16+910 – 16+920), Ancient Sikyon. Konstantinos Kissas (LZ’ EPKA) reports on the continuation of the excavation of an organized cemetery, most of which has been under investigation since 2010.

This excavation took place on the site Siryon, on the N of Assopos river, and this year it expanded to the N and lasted one month. It revealed 27 graves, dated between the Classical and the Roman period and most of them belonged to the 5th century. They...

Technical building “K128”, Ancient Sikyon. Konstantinos Kissas (LZ’ EPKA) reports on the continuation of the excavations at the site Ktiri, a part of Ancient Sikyon, where an underground pedestrian crossing was being constructed (K128).

The excavations revealed parts of the ancient street (Fig. 1), with drainpipes and retaining walls (N & S). This proves the existence of a main street connecting the upper parts of Hellenistic Sikyon with the city in the valley. It is...

Sikyon. I. Lolos (ASA) reports that the first season of a new campaign of excavation south east of the south stoa revealed part of the Late Roman settlement. The complex revealed was largely built of spolia from earlier structures, with modifications made over a long period of time. It included a stable and facilities for the processing of agricultural produce (a treading floor and an olive press). A modern lime kiln was built in it. In the long stoa first excavated by Orlandos in 1952,...

Ancient Sikyon - Siryon site. Vasileios Papathanasiou (LZ’ EPKA) reports on the continuation of the excavation held at the Siryon site, situated within ancient Sikyon. Part of the fourth and fifth century BC settlement was revealed. The findings indicated that the settlement was particularly wealthy.  Ancient Siryon was abandoned after Demetrius the Besieger ordered that the settlement was moved to a safer site, on the highland of the Hellenistic and Roman Sikyon, in 303 BC. The study...

Sikyon. E. Østby (ASA) reports on a study of architectural members from the temple and altar excavated between 1928-1988 (Fig. 1). The temple had three construction phases, two Archaic (seventh and sixth century) and one Early Hellenistic. The Archaic altar was renovated in the Hellenistic period. A round base in the temple sekos probably supported a large tripod: this is taken to support the identification of building with the temple of Apollo noted by Pausanias...

Siryon, kilometric positions 16+944-17+104, Ancient Sikyon, Municipality of Sikyon. LZ’ EPKA reports on the excavation held in Siryon, in sectors A’ and A. Many architectural remains were found in the excavated area, which, in combination with the particularly significant number of small findings indicate three phases of use of the site (early Archaic-late Classical times).

Spaces I-VI were located in the S area of Sector A (fig. 1) and in the N area of Sector A’ (fig....

Anc. Sikyon. The ΛΖ’ ΕΠΚΑ reports the discovery, in the course of motorway construction, of a Middle Geometric-Hellenistic cemetery (fig. 1). Fifty-five tombs were excavated, most of which were fifth-century pit tombs with cover slabs. Larnakes also contained single and multiple burials. South of the cemetery was a 13m-long stretch of wall running west/northwest – east/southeast, built in the late sixth or early fifth-century. A 10.5m-long stretch of wall built of fieldstones and...

Ancient Sikyon. Ph. Balla (Athens) publishes a part of the Hellenistic (post 303 BC) city cemetery excavated on the coastal plain in 1966 at the 21.614km stage of the Corinth-Patras motorway, then under construction. Thirty-three tombs were excavated (20 of which were simple cist containing single inhumations and dating to the second and first centuries BC), plus a displaced burial, an enchytrismos, and a pyre. A Π-shaped funerary monument (built in the mid third century) consisted of an...

Ancient Sikyon, Kamaratiza (Property of I. Batsouli). A. Tsiokas (ΛΖ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports the discovery of a section of paved road during rescue excavation on a plot 1km northeast of the archaeological site of Sikyon and ca. 150m from the city wall. The road ran east-west towards ancient Corinth to the east and rising up to Sikyon (the Stazousa fountain) to the west. Its width ranges from 4-6m with wheel ruts preserved in the paving: the length of the section is unknown as it continued...

Ancient Sikyon, Syriona (property of Anca Anna Florina). V. Papathanasiou (ΛΖ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the discovery of walls belonging to three partly preserved buildings, as well as clay floors (Fig. 1). The walls were made of rubble, carefully shaped blocks and mortar and date from the Classical to Byzantine periods. Also located was a rectangular trench sunk into the bedrock, an Early Hellenistic cist child burial and two wells (Fig. 2). In the eastern side of the trench were found in situ...

Ancient Sikyon, ΕΡΓΟΣΕ excavations. V. Papathanasiou (ΛΖ’ ΕΠΚΑ) presents a summary of the results of five years of excavation (2002-2007) in preparation for the construction of a high-speed railway line between Corinth and Kiato. Investigation of a 1km-long corridor 30-40m wide, revealed an ancient quarry and two cemeteries (Mycenaean and Classical). The site lies northeast of the ancient city, ca. 1900m from the plateau on which ancient Sikyon was refounded in 303 BC, and...

Ancient Sikyon, Thea or Exochiko (property of Ch. Karabetsou). V. Papathanasiou reports on the discovery of a Hellenistic-Roman quarry, with blocks of varying shapes and sizes used as building materials (Fig. 1). Resting on marl, the reddish limestone is known locally as amygdalitis. Quarrying activity was investigated at various depths from 0.4-2.45 m., with finds including a few pottery sherds, copper fragments, a weathered coin and carbonised cereal grains. Based on the pottery, the quarry...

Ancient Sikyon, Vasiliko (property of E. Piperaki). A.-M. Anagnostopoulou (ΛΖ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports the discovery of a building (five walls containing architectural spolia which defined three rooms) that continued beyond the bounds of the plot. An 8.5m deep well was found in the central area. A dump deposit containing mostly transport amphora sherds probably relates to a domestic storeroom or a workshop: finds from the upper levels date to the Roman period while those from the lower are...

Ancient Sikyon, Vasiliko, football stadium (property of S. Thanopoulou). A.-M. Anagnostopoulou (ΛΖ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports the discovery of a quarry with some 15 quarry pits ranging in depth from 0.15-2.06m. The area was subsequently used for settlement: at least six rooms were identified, defined by eight roughly made walls of fieldstones and worked blocks in secondary use. A flight of five rock-cut steps, a built rectangular cistern subsequently used for refuse, a further rock-cut cistern...

Ancient Sikyon, Vasiliko, football stadium. A.-M. Anagnostopoulou (ΛΖ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports the discovery of house remains on a number of building plots, plus further evidence of quarrying. Property of P. Tsoulpha: house remains comprise five well-built walls which contained a mixture of fieldstones, worked blocks, quarry residue, and in one case six pieces of column in secondary use. These defined two rectangular rooms, a larger space, and the angles of further rooms extending beyond the...

Vasiliko (ancient Sikyon) (property of the Church of the Agia Triada). The ΛΖ’ ΕΠΚΑ reports the discovery on the southwest edge of the village, within the archaeological zone, of part of a Late Hellenistic house/workshop (with a well), which was destroyed and rebuilt in Early Roman times. The discovery of a quantity of olive pits, a press-stone, and a channel for liquids indicates olive processing and oil production. A concentration of Early Roman domestic pottery indicates a...

Merkouri (ancient Sikyon) (land of M. Kostourou). The ΛΖ’ ΕΠΚΑ reports the discovery of a house/probable workshop complex in the northeast part of the plain of Sikyon, ca 500m east of the ΕΡΓΟΣΕ excavations. Fragmentary walls of unworked stones, sections of clay floors, part of a pebble floor, and concentrations of roof-tiles were found. The walls date to the Classical period, and the complex was destroyed late in the Classical or early in the Hellenistic...

Ancient Sikyon. ΕΡΓΟΣΕ excavations. The ΛΖ’ ΕΠΚΑ reports on continuing excavation for the construction of a high-speed railway line between Corinth and Kiato. Dragatsoula (km marker 17+359-17+376: former Dousladzi property). Thirteen further fifth-century pit graves were found (all undisturbed), raising the total to 21. The new tombs 9-21 were pits opened in the bedrock, in two cases (11 and 17) covered with stone slabs. They were oriented east-west or north-south, and...

Ancient Sikyon (Vasiliko), football stadium (A. and T. Tselondré property). P. Kasimi (then Δ' ΕΠΚΑ, now ΛΖ' ΕΠΚΑ) reports on excavation in an ancient quarry, revealing exposed quarry faces and abandoned blocks. The quarry lay 0.2m below the modern surface and reached a depth of 1.2m. Further finds are a conduit cut into the rock and a partially preserved mosaic pavement probably from a courtyard. Terracotta small finds of the first half of the third century BC include two intact...

Mme K. Krystalli-Votsi a poursuivi, en 1988, l'exploration de la fondation en poros de 9,20 x 10 m découverte l'an dernier au Nord du temple et attribuée à l'autel hellénistique (fig. 1). Elle a d'autre part étendu la fouille le long du petit côté Ouest du temple archaïque, recueillant, parmi les décombres des murs de l'édifice paléochrétien, un certain nombre de fragments de sculptures, de blocs architecturaux et d'inscriptions.

Ergon 1988 (1989), p. 22-23.

Signalons...

En 1987 Mme K. Krystalli-Votsi a fouillé le long du côté Nord des deux temples superposés (v. BCH 109 [1985] Chron., p. 773), afin de déterminer les dimensions exactes du temple archaïque. La fouille a mis au jour, à l'angle Nord-Est de celui-ci, une fondation en poros du Ve siècle av. J.-C. qui, malgré son emplacement, semble bien être celle d'un autel. On a d'autre part recoupé plusieurs murs du grand édifice paléochrétien qui succéda aux temples antiques, et recueilli des...

Sicyone. Fouilles du Service archéologique. — En 1976, à la faveur de travaux d'adduction d'eau, on a localisé la nécropole classique de la cité, dont un grand nombre de stèles sont encore en place. L'exploration de douze tombes (à ciste ou simplement creusées dans le sol vierge) et de plusieurs fosses à crémation a fourni un intéressant lot de figurines en terre cuite (fig. 24-25). ArchDelt 31 (1976) [1984] Chron., p. 65.

Fouilles de la Société archéologique. —...

Fouilles de la Société archéologique. — La campagne de 1984, dirigée par Mme K. Krystalli-Votsi, a porté sur le théâtre hellénistique et le temple dit d'Artémis.

1) Théâtre. — Dans le diazôma inférieur, six nouvelles rangées de gradins ont été découvertes, ce qui porte leur nombre à neuf (fig. 26). Les résultats d'un sondage dans le diazôma supérieur n'ont pas livré trace de gradins.

2) Temple. — Grâce à un nettoyage complet et au dégagement...