W. Flint Dibble
Mark F. Piskorowski
Corinth Excavations
North of Nezi
01.06.2010 to 21.06.2010
Blue Session 3

We, Flint Dibble and Mark Piskorowski, excavated North of Nezi between June 1 and June 21, focusing on the area directly North of Nezi Field: the eastern portion of Room E (N: 1016.40-1020.60; E: 279.20-282.10) and the eastern half of Room F, “the pithos room” (N: 1015.70-1020.50; E: 273.10-276.90). Previous excavation had taken place in these areas in 2008 (Nathan T. Arrington and Andrew W. Sweet), 2007 (Ioannis Sapountzis), and in 1961. The director was Guy Sanders, supervisor Scott Gallimore, pickmen Panos Kakouros and Athanasios Notis, shovelman Sotiris Raftopoulos, and sieve operator Giannis Oikonomou.

Our goals were to explore the Roman and Hellenistic phases in order to understand the earlier history of the N. of Nezi area.

Room E:

Hellenistic Period (7290, 7291, 7293, 7294, 7295, 7299, 7300, 7303, 7304)
The earliest identified activity in the area of Room E is a cut (7294) through an unexcavated and unnumbered context for the construction of cellar 7301. The elevation at the top of this cut (85.11) suggests that the area had been terraced previously since Hellenistic layers in rooms to the North occurred at much lower elevations. Deposit 7299, filling cellar 7301, provides a solid terminus ante quem for this activity of 300-290 BCE. Cellar 7301 represents two bonded walls, one running N-S (truncated later by a well marked by cut 7260) and one running E-W continuing under wall 7304. Cellar 7301 is faced on the south and east edges and unfaced on the north and west edges, suggesting it was intended as a retaining wall, probably functioning as a cellar. A foundation trench (7291) cut through the same unnumbered context as 7294 for the construction of the E-W running wall 7300, the northern border of Room E. The fill of this trench (7290) also dated to the early 3rd century BCE suggesting contemporary construction activity for cellar 7301 and wall 7300. Wall 7300 continued further to the West past structure 5035.

At some unspecified point in time the top 0.25 m of cellar 7301 were truncated in order to construct the N-S running wall 7304, lying at the eastern border of Room E. Wall 7304 appears to overlie yet an earlier phase of this wall, which was left unexcavated and unnumbered but seems to be evident in the excavation of deposit 7259 in the Early Roman well. No foundation trench was discovered for wall 7304 but it is abutted by deposit 7299, which provides a terminus ante quem for this construction.

The area between structure 7301 and wall 7304 was filled by a large deposit (7299) of vessels, which are complete or nearly complete when mended, dating mainly to the 4th and early 3rd centuries BCE. Above fill 7299 were two dumped fills (7293 and 7295). Fill 7295, dated to the late 4th and early 3rd centuries BCE, was mainly a rubble and tile deposit that included stones and tiles similar to those found in N-S running wall 7303, which directly overlay wall 7304. This suggests that wall 7303, for which no foundation trench was found, was also constructed in the Hellenistic period.

Early Roman Period (5343, 7236, 7237, 7259, 7260, 7275, 7276, 7279)
Some construction activity seems to have taken place in this area in the Early Roman period. The dates are not precise from the few excavated diagnostic sherds (ranging from 1st BCE-2nd CE). Some fill layers (in the North: 7279 cut by 7276 filled by 7275; in the South: 7283) were deposited over the Hellenistic phase of the room.

Two construction activities took place sometime after the above fills were deposited. Context 7260 was cut through the above deposits (7275 and 7283) and the unnumbered, presumably Hellenistic contexts. This pit was oval-shaped and large (long diameter: 1.90; short diameter: 1.60) and truncated cellar 7301. Its fill (7259) was dated to the Early Roman period (1st CE/early 2nd CE). Excavation of this pit was halted due to time after 0.94 meters. Mostly likely, 7260 was cut for a large well that continued deeper. A foundation trench (7237) for wall 5343 also cut through fill 7283. The fill of this trench (7236) had an Early Roman not precise date. Wall 5343 ran E-W and formed the southern boundary of Room E (unexcavated below, so it is unknown if there’s an earlier phase).

Middle Roman Period (7226, 7228, 7238)
In the Middle Roman period some fills were deposited in Room E (7226, 7228, 7238). In particular, fills 7228 and 7238 were very rich in pottery and were perhaps contemporaneous, representing differential dumping. Both of these fills contained similar sherds, and were in very similar sandy sediment. The depth of these deposits (7228: 0.24 m; 7238: 0.24 m) suggests the fills were deposited for leveling the area.

Eastern Half of Room F (“The Pithos Room”)

Early Roman Period (7106, 7112, 7113, 7114, 7117, 7126, 7127, 7132, 7145, 7155, 7162, 7163, 7164, 7179, 7181, 7182, 7184, 7185, 7197, 7207, 7249, 7250)
Context 7207 is the only deposit dating to the Hellenistic period in this area. The sediment was not sieved and was quite similar in consistency to deposit 7197, both representing redeposited mudbrick (the decision was made to start a new arbitrary context after a day of excavating 7197). Therefore deposit 7207 probably dates to the Early Roman Period. Since deposit 7207 abuts and provides a rough terminus ante quem for wall 7250, it is also likely that this wall phase has an Early Roman date. This is supported by the fact that wall 7250 and the phase overlying it (7249) were constructed with identical stones and technique.

Wall 7250, an E-W running wall marking the Southern border of Room F, represents the earliest construction in the Eastern Half of Room F and it directly lay under wall 7249. Two small segments running N-S were bonded directly to 7250 at both the Eastern boundary (0.75 m long) underlying wall 7145 and the Western boundary (0.35 m long) underlying wall 5345. This suggests that the space of this room was defined from this early phase.

Several thick fill layers of redeposited mudbrick and construction material were then deposited in the area (7207, 0.40 m thick; 7197, 0.36 m thick; and 7182, 0.22 m thick). Perhaps this activity should be interpreted as the terracing of this area. The foundation trench (7185 filled by 7184) for the N-S running wall 7145, overlying wall 7250, marking the Western border of this room was cut into deposit 7182. Two postholes (7179 and 7181) were also cut into 7182, suggesting the top of 7182 was a beaten earth floor. Above 7182 lay clay floors 7155 then 7132.

An L-shaped foundation trench was cut (7127=7164, filled by 7126=7163) into clay floor 7132 for the E-W wall 7249 bonded with the North-South wall 5345 (marking the Eastern edge of the area), both of which overlay wall 7250. While wall 7249 primarily re-used material from wall 7250, both wall 7249 and especially wall 5345 included several large orthostates marking fairly monumental construction for the area. The construction of wall 7249 truncated wall 7145 to the South. It is evident that the robbing trench B5113 in Room F, West of wall 7145 robbed out a portion of wall 7249 and/or wall 7250, suggesting that this wall extended further West.

After this construction, fill 7117 leveled the area and deposit 7114 marked a new clay floor with posthole 7113 (filled by 7112) in a similar location in the room to the earlier posthole cut 7179. Above this the hard beaten earth surface 7106 lay.

Late Roman (5450, 7042, 7046, 7047, 7050, 7051, 7055, 7058, 7062, 7066, 7068, 7069, 7076, 7078, 7079, 7080, 7095, 7149, 7103, 7107, 7140, 7144)
There are three major construction activities that took place in this period. At some point in the fourth century, four large rectangular pits (7069, 7078, 7107, and 7144) were cut around three sides of an earlier floor layer (7106). Due to their arrangement and size, it is likely that these pits were used for storage vessels.

Later, all three of the above pits were filled in with a series of fills. Deposit 7068 was the fill for pit 7069; deposits 7076 and 7149 for pit 7078; deposits 7066, 7096, 7099, 7103, and 7140 for pit 7144 and 7107. In the latter two cases, the different fills were likely deposited at approximately the same time because they share similar sediments and inclusions. Above the three filled pits a surface of compacted earth (7062) was set down over most of the room. A pit (7050), which likely held a storage vessel, cut context 7062 suggesting that it was used as a floor surface.

Above this floor surface, two leveling fills were added in the West (7055) and in the North-East (7046). These deposits helped to give the room a slight slope to the north, upon which a concrete floor was constructed. This concrete floor was one of the latest feature in Room F, other than walls, that was left from the 2007 excavations. The other feature remaining from previous excavations was a pithos (Pithos 6) in the North-West corner of Room F E-half. This pithos, and the deposit around it B5118, which we left martyred, are probably later than the concrete floor. Even so, it is likely that the concrete floor was used in some agricultural process (eg. Olive or grape pressing). The products of this pressing, then, would have flowed into and/or been stored in the pithos or a similar container in the same place space.

The foundation trench 7080 for wall 5450, originally excavated in 2007 (B5140), was continued in this session. The dates provided this session suggested a 2nd century CE date; however, B5140 dated to the Late Roman period. Wall 5450 runs E-W and marks the Northern boundary of this room, perhaps closing the space to the North for the first time (although the martyrs left for the pithos and step into the room during the excavation of 7182, 7197, and 7207 prevents 100% confidence).

Byzantine Period (5335, 7136, 7137)
Coin 2010-126 dating to 1152 – ca. 1260 CE was found during the excavation of context 7106. It is clearly intrusive, since 7106 and everything above was clearly Roman in date. Its location along the southern E-W wall at the interface between phases 7249 and 5335 suggests this coin provides an excellent terminus post quem for the construction of wall 5335.

NB 238 Bothros 4, originally excavated in the 1961 season, was also continued (cut 7136 and fill 7137). Although fill 7137 dated to the Roman period, the date of this bothros, determined at he time of its original excavation, is the late 13th century AD.

Suggestions for Future Excavation

Room F, east half was backfilled and does not allow any opportunity for further excavation. Most likely what is left in this room was terracing fill. However, Room E, East of structure 5035 will probably provide more Hellenistic contexts. Cellar 7301 suggests the presence of more early architecture. Although, it should be noted that cut 7294 was rather ephemeral, created out of necessity for the construction of cellar 7301, so there might be an early Roman context left.

In Room E, to the West of structure 5035, excavation would answer some important questions. Notably wall 5345 is on a different alignment than 7250/7249/5335/5334. Excavation within here would answer some important questions concerning the relationship between Room F and Room E in the Hellenistic through Roman periods. Interestingly, it appears as if the two areas were terraced in different periods (Room E, East of 5035 in the Hellenistic period and Room F, Eastern half in the Early Roman period). Therefore, excavation between structures 5035 and 5345 would answer questions left unanswered by the current excavations.