We, Nathan Arrington (NTA) and Drew Sweet (AWS), excavated North of Nezi between April 8, 2008 and April 22, 2008, focusing on the eastern area, in Room E, a “corridor” north of Room E, and a room north of Room F: 271.60-282.00 E, 1016.30-1022.80 N. In this summary, note that there are two wall numbering systems in use, one created in the 1960s that will appear as W followed by a two-digit number, and the numbering system now in use for all of North of Nezi excavation that will appear as a four-digit number. We considered Room E to be east of W21 (i.e. W21 as so termed in late 2007 early 2008, =5345-5347), west of W16 (=5338, 5339, 5342), north of W29 (=5343, 5336, 5337), south of W26 (=5340, 5344). We considered the room north of Room F to be east of W22, west of W21 (=5345-5347), north of W23, and south of an unnumbered wall. The area sometimes referred to as a “north corridor” refers to the space east of W21 (=5345-5347), west of W16 (=5338, 5339, 5342), north of W26 (=5340, 5344), and south of W28 (=5341). The director was Guy Sanders, supervisor Alicia Carter, pickman Panos Kakouros, and wheelbarrow and sieve operator Takis Papaioannou.

ROOM E:

Our goals were to remove any material in the area that was later than Late Roman and to work on dating and phasing walls and structures. Wall phasing is presented at the end of this summary in a separate section, partly because so many new numbers were assigned, partly because few specific dates have yet to be assigned to the walls.

One of the most important discoveries of the season was a group of nearly-intact vessels deposited in a 4th-cen. AD re-foundation act (part of context 5250). This context and others that we think consisted of re-deposited destruction debris (5278, 5281, 5282) cut the floor revealed in 2007 (5130) which does not yet have a context number. These deposits are dated 4th cen. AD based upon the pottery. (The floor should be excavated in an effort to ascertain a more precise date for the cutting action. It meets wall 5347.) Presumably these fills were redeposited to level the area for new habitation. Significant among the finds were the large amount of glass slag and some ceramic wasters. Amongst this re-deposition activity was the careful placement of four nearly complete vessels into the edge of W21 (=5347). This action cut about 0.10 m. into the wall. Two of the vessels were carefully propped up on the south and north edge of the group (Vessel 1 (C-2008-2) and 5 (C-2008-1), respectively), one was on its side (Vessel 2, no inventory number), and one was smashed in situ (Vessel 3 and 4 (combined as C-2008-3) and then placed with its mouth upward, with some of its sherds used to support Vessel 5. Vessel 5 was inscribed in Greek “DIKAIOS.” What we termed Vessel 4 when we saw it lying in the ground turned out not to be a complete vessel but a large sherd later joined to Vessel 3.

A crescent-shaped cut (5249) cuts these deposits and the floor and is dated on pottery to the 3rd cen. AD – this date must be later based on stratigraphy. The foundation trench (5242) for W26 (=5344) also cut these deposits. The foundation trench is cut by the drain but continues on the other side of the drain (as 5226), and by association with this cut can be dated to the 4th-5th cen. AD. The foundation trench was cut by a pit (5005) of the 4th to mid-5th cen. AD (based on a coin of 393-450 AD). We might then be able to put the foundation trench and the wall more precisely to the 4th to early 5th cen. AD.

In Room E we dug underneath a context that was removed in 2007 as a possible clay floor (5013). We found two pits, the smaller one (5182) cut by the larger one (5173), the latter dated to the 5th-6th cen. AD. The smaller pit was only dated on pottery (Early Roman) so is not reliable.

Corridor North of Room E

This area yielded very little material that could be dated securely. Earlier floor levels may have been removed in previous excavations. Indeed, the fact that the context dug in the west of this area (5287) lay over an earlier wall oriented N-S further suggests that this fill and others in this area may have been leveling fill. Most of it seemed to be middle Roman redeposited destruction debris. Perhaps the tiles and cobbles found in the west (5287) are associated with the same event that was re-deposited to the south in Room E. A small patch of cement (5304) was probably not a floor in situ. The soil throughout this area was very mixed and loose.

Room North of Room F

The foundation trench for W23 (cut 5329) dates securely to the 5th cen. AD based upon coins and pottery. The floor (5314) that lay over the foundation trench dates securely to the 5th cen. AD based on pottery and coins in its matrix. Due to possible over-digging in the 1961 excavations, it is not clear yet how this room relates to the corridor to the E or to Room E. However, given the dates of the foundation trench and floor found here and those of the deposits, floor and foundation trench in Room E, they are probably from the same phase.


Future Work

A priority is to excavate the matrix of the floor revealed under 5130 and the sealed floor beneath to secure a date for this area and find out the time lag between the construction and/or use of the floor and the re-foundation activity exhibited by the deposit of the nearly complete vessels.

The activity in the northwest of Room E (e.g., 5250) and the construction of the walls needs to be pinpointed. That is, wall phasing and deposition activity needs to be joined. It seems that the northern extension of the floor revealed by 5130 was cut together with the wall to its west (an earlier phase of wall 5347), then the wall was repaired by wall 5347 which filled a gap between walls 5345 and 5346. Complete vessels were put in place as some type of ritual act. Material was then redeposited around the complete vessels. Then the foundation trench was constructed for wall 5344 and wall 5344 itself. However, wall 5346 goes over wall 5344 and is later, so perhaps there are two phases of wall 5346. More excavation to the west of wall 5346 may make this more clear, as could investigation of the 1961 excavation pit to the north of 1961. It would also help tie in the area of the room north of F and room F.

The function of the ashlars in the northwest and the southwest of Room E also remains unclear. It seems that the most southwestern ashlar within foundation trench 5226 does not belong to the foundation of wall 5344 because the foundation trench does not encompass its south side. As for the ashlar in the southwest of Room E, it seems related to the other ashlar extending out of the room to the southwest. It could be another structure, maybe though a threshhold or entrance for the room.

Even though excavation is at a low elevation in the north corridor, it has still not reached anything firmly dateable. Perhaps more digging around the wall that is appearing to the east of 5287 would be fruitful.

Finally, it is possible that the redeposited destruction debris of 5282 is part of a layer in a pit. More investigation to the south of 5282 might clarify the situation.

Samples taken from the small pit (5179), area around the complete vessels (5250 and two from 5282), and from below floor 5314 (5328) should be water sieved and studied.


Wall Phasing

At the end of the season we assigned context numbers to all of the walls around Room E and on the south of Room F. This task should help excavators refer more accurately to the areas they are digging and should also aid in phasing the walls. Up until this point the designations given in the 1960s had been used. In 2007 these same designations were used, and for most of the first session we used them as well. For context sheets entered into the database on and after April 24, 2008 we used the new wall context numbers. A list of old and new designations follows. Often what was referred to as one wall number actually consisted of different phases that have now received different context numbers.

W16: 5338, 5339, and 5342
W19: 5334, 5335
W21: erroneously labeled at the end of 2007 and throughout most of the first session of 2008. W21 was in fact removed in 2007 (5126); it had stood over the drain, to the east of what was referred to in late 2007 and 2008 as W21. This latter has been designated, from south to north, 5345, 5346, and 5347
W26: 5340, 5344
W28: 5341
W29: 5336, 5337, 5343

The phasing and dating that follows corrects some mistakes made in 2007, especially regarding the so-called drain structure that was dated much too early.

(1) The latest wall, based on construction technique and its angle, is probably 5341. It does not bond with any of the walls mentioned above.

(2) Walls 5340, 5339, 5338, 5337, 5336, and 5334 all probably belong to the same phase because they share a similar construction technique: dressed limestones (probably reused), medium roughly hewn cobbles or smooth river stones, tiles, and cement with many large pebbles of various colors. 5340 bonds with 5339.

(3) In the south, walls 5336 and 5337 of (2) are over an earlier wall 5343 that also uses concrete as a binder but is of an earlier phase. 5343 does not touch 5345 to the NW.

(4) The so-called drain (5035) is joined with concrete to 5343 and 5344; therefore it must be later. It also cannot be a true drain because there is no outlet. How much earlier it is then (3) is not clear – it could be even earlier than (2).

(5) 5346 abuts but does not bond with 5347. The placement of the cobbles and tiles at the interface suggests that 5346 pre-dates 5347.

(6) 5335 abuts but does not bond with 5345 – but it is very hard to tell at this point. Its place in the phasing of the area is not clear.

(7) 5345 runs N-S along most of the western edge of Room E. It seems to be repaired by 5347 which was carefully placed against 5346 to the north, possibly more specifically against an earlier phase of 5346 (see discussion in Summary).

(8) Below the concrete walls in the north and east of Room E (2) can be discerned a phase consisting of 5342 and 5344. These two walls bond and are generally characterized as long limestone slabs placed over cobbles over tiles. To the west, 5344 goes under 5346. A foundation trench was found for 5344 but not for 5342 dating 300-500 AD (5226 and 5242).

(9) 5344 rests on an even earlier wall phase (currently unnumbered – the top course still not entirely visible) which also appears to the north of 5344 (on the eastern edge of 5287). So far this earlier phase has not appeared under 5342.

All the wall relationships are, in numerical order:
5334: over 5335
5335: under 5334, does not bond with 5345
5336: over 5343
5337: over 5343
5338: over 5342
5339: bonds with 5340, over 5342
5340: bonds with 5339, over 5344
5341: adjacent to but does not bond to 5342
5342: bonds with 5344, under 5339 and 5339; adjacent but does not bond to 5341
5343: under 5336 and 5337, adjacent to the large ashlar in the southeast corner of Room E, does not meet 5345; drain wall 5035 abuts the wall and is attached with concrete and must be later
5344: bonds with 5342, under 5340 and 5346; drain wall 5035 abuts the wall and is attached with concrete and must be later; on top of an earlier wall phase
5345: abuts 5347; traces of an upper course bond with 5347 which is probably a repair; does not meet 5343; abuts but does not bond with 5335
5346: over 5344; abuts but does not bond with 5347; there are possibly two phases to this wall
5347: abuts but does not bond with 5346; lower course abuts but does not bond with 5345 while fragments of upper course may bond with 5345

More excavation is necessary to determine the place of 5355 in the phasing (excavation to the south and especially lower might help), the extent of 5343 to the south, the relationship of 5342 and 5343 to the ashlars in the south of Room E, the nature of the northernmost piece of 5342 (is it truly a continuation of 5342?), and the relationship between 5344, 5346, and 5347, including the possibility that 5346 consists of two phases.

Walls 20, 22, 23, and the unnumbered wall in the North need context numbers and phasing.