FIGARETO - Kanoni - 2001

Figareto, Kanoni. ΕΠΟ football ground. K. Kanta-Kitsou (Η’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports the discovery of a section of the harbour fortification walls in the area of the Hyllaic harbour. The plot neighbours others which have previously produced antiquities, notably on the east the Rarri plot (ca. 2,000 Archaic terracotta lamps) and the property of the Kabitsi brothers (a shipshed). A strongly-built wall (1), with two faces of unworked stones and a fill of smaller stones in mud, ran northeast-southwest. This represents the continuation of an identical wall previously found on the Spinoula plot to the north, giving a total length of 216.8m. Further sections were also found in exploration of the intervening 130m between the two plots, although with evidence of at least one break (perhaps an entrance). A second, parallel wall (2) of identical construction lay 65-79.8m to the west: its continuation to the north was also traced on the Kapsali, Koskina, Vlassi and Spinoula properties. A likely entrance cut this wall too. Trial excavation in the area between the two walls revealed no antiquities. A third wall of different construction ran south of wall 1 but on a different alignment.

The relatively few finds do not support any particular harbour-related or defensive function. Archaic Corinthian decorated finewares (including kotyles and a trefoil-mouthed oinochoe) provids a terminus post quem. In the same layer were small Late Classical-Early Hellenistic black-glaze vessels (kylikes, skyphoi, plates, kyathoi, and a mug) and a terracotta altar. Hellenistic pottery includes plain vessels of varying sizes (basins, cookware and transport amphorae), loomweights and a spool. Two bronze coins date to the period 300-229BC. A rooftile stamped with the name of the prytanis (ΕΠΙ ΝΙΚΟΜΗΔΕΟΣ) confirms the public character of structures in this area.