ELEUTHEROCHORI - Palaia Krini - 2000

Eleutherochori, Palaia Krini. N. Vasilikou reports the discovery of a potter’s kiln and building during excavation for the construction of the Egnatia Odos.

The round kiln (Fig. 1), oriented north-south, had a two-storey subterranean praefurnium, furnace and firing chamber. The furnace chamber had clay walls and the firing chamber was built of unworked stone lined with brick and clay. Four supports for the eschara were preserved. The chamber contained fragments of tile and brick, as well as plain domestic pottery and decorated pithos rim − the products of the kiln cannot be precisely determined.

Excavation east of Palaia Krini revealed the walls of an Early Christian multi-roomed building of rubble and mortar, which has more than one construction phase and which continued beyond the plot. Four tombs were found, oriented east-west, two of which contained grave goods (plain pottery, a glass vessel and a bronze coin). Finds from the area include 65 small bronze coins (some of the reigns of Theodosios II, AD 408−450, and Zenon, AD 474−491), much tile and brick, domestic pottery, glass vessels and small metal objects. Architectural members in marble and other stones are reported (Fig. 2). The kiln and the building complex were likely contemporary.