ATHENS - Kolonos - 2002

General Information

Record ID

2174

Activity Date

2002

Chronologies

Antiquity - Classical - Hellenistic - Roman

Key-words

Cemetery - Road system/waterway

Type of Operation

Excavation - Rescue excavation

Institution

Γ' Εφορεία Προϊστορικών και Κλασικών Αρχαιοτήτων (Γ' ΕΠΚΑ)

Localisation

Toponym
Académie de Platon, Academy of Plato

Αρχαιολογικό Κτηματολόγιο

Archaeological sites :
Πόλη των Αθηνών

Linked Record

2002

Report

Junction of Serron 2, Konstantinoupoleos, and Platonos (property of Skazikis-Maragkos A.E). Ch. Stoupa (Γ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports the discovery of a section of an ancient road and roadside cemetery (Figs 1,2). In the southern part of the property lay part of an ancient road (11.5m long, 4.75m wide) oriented northeast-southwest and flanked by retaining walls.

The northern, isodomic retaining wall (10.5m long, 0.7m wide, 1.26m maximum preserved height) consisted of two courses of reddish conglomerate blocks oriented east-west, and founded in the sandy layer which covers the area at a depth of 2.4m.

The southern retaining wall has two phases: the first consists of conglomerate blocks contemporary with the northern wall. Four foundations blocks were preserved 4.7m from the north wall and to the west of the road. Pottery in the foundations dates to the second half of the fourth century BC. The wall was later replaced with a structure of unworked stones, architectural members in secondary use, and mortar. The continuation of the wall to the east was previously found at the junction of Konstantinoupoleos 155 and Platonos 3.

Stratigraphical study of the road revealed 4 layers, the upper two (Late Hellenistic-Early Roman) related to the later south wall, the third with a pit which cut through the lowest layer and contained much pottery of the end of the fifth - end of the second century BC plus architectural members, and the fourth layer which was preserved only in a small section 1.33m wide.

The road was built in the fourth century BC with strong retaining walls, and rebuilt (along with the south retaining wall) at the end of the second century. It must be associated with the ancient road of the Demosion Sema (to which it runs perpendicular) which leads from the Dipylon to the Academy and has been found at various points in this area (including at a location just west of this plot, below the surface of Serron Street). The road found at Serron 2 is probably a secondary route linking the road to the Academy to the east with that to the Hippios Kolonos. If the same road continues to the west, it probably links the main artery to the road from the Sacred Gate to the Academy, and then to the Sacred Way, thus joining the three main routes of the southwest section of Ancient Athens.

Alongside the road lay 23 tombs from a roadside cemetery known from previous investigations in the area. North of the road were six tile graves and two pit graves. T8 was the only child grave, with a glass unguentarium of the first to second centuries AD.

South of the road, 15 tombs (mostly without goods) date from the second century BC to the second century AD. These include four tile graves, four pit graves, three built cist graves, two cist graves with mortar inside, and one vaulted tomb.

Author

Robert PITT

Bibliographic reference(s)

AD 56-59 (2001-2004) Chr., 227-231.