FIGARETO - Kanoni - 2002

Figareto, Kanoni (Voutsela and Doukaki properties). J. Provata and A. Karamanou (Η’ ΕΠΚΑ) report on excavation on these two adjacent plots, the plans of which were then united to give an overview of remains across the Evelpidi-Voutsela-Doukaki area.

On the Voutsela plot (previously excavated in 1993-95), cleaning revealed bedrock exposures across the east and much of the south side of the plot, with traces of cuttings. Trial excavation in the area where a coin hoard had previously been found revealed that a main building wall continued down for at least a depth of one further metre: black-glaze pottery, two black-figure sherds, a terracotta female figurine and iron masses were recovered. Excavation was begun in the previously untouched northern part of the plot, which borders the Doukaki property. Thirteen bronze coins were found in the topsoil.

The third season of excavation on the Doukaki property focused on the road on the east side of the plot and on buildings A and B on either side of it, and on assessing the relationship between these recent discoveries and the buildings excavated in 1987-8 (ADelt 42 [1987] Chr 337-40; ADelt 43 [1988] Chr 340-2). An angle at the east end of the north retaining/boundary wall defined the east end of the street between the houses at its junction with a wider (4.9m) cross street, the stone-paved surface of which was mostly lost. Beyond this to the east were traces of a further building (one room with a terracotta tiled floor was exposed). The early date of activity on this plot was confirmed by the discovery of Geometric-Subgeometric pottery (including sherds with hourglass motifs and in one case sigmas, conical oinochoe handles, a Rhodian sherd with a bird, and kotyle rims with bird motifs). Sixty-one bronze coins were collected, mostly Corfiot with single examples from Sikyon and Ambracia.

Excavation to establish a connection with previously discovered buildings revealed a westwards continuation of the road bed and of the north retaining/boundary wall. In the same way, the retaining wall 1 found in 1987-8 was shown to continue to the east, implying a link and spatial continuity between the complexes: a section of road surface was found exactly on the line of the putative connection. The 1987-8 excavation area on the Doukaki plot was cleaned. Excavation inside the temple-like building on the north side revealed its clay floor: the wall (1) which bounded the north side of this building continued beyond it to east and west, probably serving to retain and define the street.

Building Δ was further explored, revealing the fragmentary remains of the Hellenistic buildings - northeast corner of one and part of a larger probably commercial building which contained a large quantity of transport amphorae and 69 bronze coins of the same date and type. Finds include a triglyph and metope which may have been deposited from a neighbouring temple. Pottery largely consisted of transport amphorae.