ATHENS - BOTANIKOS - 2011

Athens, Botanikos, Falaisias 4 (property of A. Adrianopoulou). Giannis Maurokefalidis (Γ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the discovery of a Late Roman – Early Christian cemetery, which was built on top of a Classical one (Figs. 1, 2). 13 cist graves with an E-W orientation were excavated. These were built with strong walls which incorporated many spolia from the earlier, Classical cemetery (Fig. 3). The burial offerings include bronze coins (one of which is of Justinianic date), a bronze pin, a lamp and 6^th c. A.D. pottery (including an undecorated lekythos). In addition, numerous pottery sherds dating from the Classical period to the 6^th c. A.D. were found in the walls of the graves. One of the graves was enclosed by a rubble wall (Fig. 4), which also enclosed a mudbrick structure that appears to have served as a table for nekrodeipna. Some of the spolia found in and near the graves include a funeral colonnette with the inscription ΕΛΕΥΣ..], and a second one with the inscription ΔΙΟΝΥΣΙΟΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ ΣΙΔΩΝΙΟΣ. Finally, a Classical pit grave was revealed. It contained few skeletal remains and a poros alabastron.