ARGOS - 2000

Argos, Kalmouchou Street (O.T. 19, A. and I. Boulmeti property). Ch. Piteros (Director, Δ' ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the continuation of excavation in the southeastern part of the plot begun in 1998−1999 (cf. ADelt 54 [1999] Chr, 137−39).

Foundations of small Hellenistic buildings and a well (0.8m in diameter) were found with sherds of Hellenistic black-glazed and household wares, amphorae, moulded bowls, Laconian roof tiles, figurine fragments, a lamp and bronze coins, plus a few Classical and Archaic sherds.

In deeper levels, Geometric and Late Geometric burial pithoi were set into riverine sediments. Pithos 6 was disturbed and lacked goods. Pithos 7 contained the burials of a child and an infant with a bronze ring and a reported 11 small Geometric vases (Fig. 1). In the southeastern corner of the plot was a cist for the burial or reburial of three disturbed adult skeletons and three enchytrismoi in Geometric amphorae: Geometric skyphos sherds were found between the skeletons and the amphorae. Below this, the small burial pithos 11 contained a (probably reburied) adult cranium, with a Geometric skyphos and cup outside (Fig. 2). A further cist grave (13) contained the burial of a youth in contracted position without goods.

To the north, a large burial pithos (14) with a limestone cover slab was set on its side, oriented north-south (Figs 2-3). Outside was a large Late Geometric krater and, inside, the burial of an adult in supine position without goods, with the displaced remains of earlier (Late Geometric) burials of an adult and a youth set to one side. Associated with these earlier burials were two fragmentary large kraters and a range of mostly small vessels − a tripod-amphoriskos with elaborate figure decoration, a small prochous, a pomegranate vase, two handmade amphoriskoi, two small handmade open vessels, five bronze rings, three bronze pins and two small links, and an iron T-form pin. A Late Geometric seal (Fig. 4) in a reddish-grey stone, depicting a reclining bovine, is probably from the same workshop as an example from Vollgraf’s excavation on the Larisa; the base depicts two standing female mourners framed by streamers to left and right (Fig. 5). Remains of the funerary feast (animal bones and Late Geometric sherds) were found outside the pithos.