Rob Nichols, Marty Wells
Corinth Excavations 2010
North of Nezi
We, Rob Nichols and Marty Wells, commenced excavation in the area north of Nezi during the first session of the 2010 Corinth excavation season, 6 April – 23 April. We excavated primarily in the northwest room of the Byzantine house—the ‘well room’ (6288)—bounded by walls 54, 5631, 6426, 10086, 10081, 10087, 55 and 6333 (E. 273.95-283.00; N. 1026.9-1034.78). This session continues the work supervised by Katie Rask, Marty Wells et al. during the 2009 excavation season. Generally, current excavation in this area continues the work carried out during the 1960s by Henry Robinson (director) and William Berg III (supervisor). Our objectives were to expose the earlier (11th cent CE or before) layers of the room in order to understand the changes of space over time in the various phases as well as to open up the house for public display.
The following is a summary and interpretation of the first session of excavation. The director was Guy Sanders, the field director was Marty Wells, the pickmen were Thanasis Notis and Panos Stamatis, the shovelman Sotiris Raftopoulos, and the barrowman Vangelis Kollias. The dry sieve was operated by Raftopoulos and Kollias.
Late Byzantine (1059-1210 CE)
Early in this period (it still may be a late Middle Byzantine action), a small rectangular pit was cut and filled (6757, 6753) against the corner of N-S wall 6421 and 6052.
This period saw quite a bit of activity geared changing the use of space in the room between n-s walls 10087 (and 10086) on the east and wall 54 on the west. Most importantly, it seems that two perhaps mid-byzantine walls (6421 and 6707) were robbed of their upper courses, probably to make room for the well (6288). Two well constructed plaster floors (6693 south of the well and 6748 in the center of the room) were laid in this period. A series of leveling fills in the room (6774, 6771, 6755, 6695) raised the center of the room considerably for the construction of these floors. East – west wall 6426 was built in this period, dividing what had most likely been one long north-south room (wall 55 at the north, probably wall 5341 at the south) into two rooms. More detailed discussion of these contexts follows below.
In the center of the room, probably early in this period, a large trashy fill consisting of tiles, bone and small stone cobbles was deposited (6774, probably 6780 as well). The bones are quite weathered, suggesting that the fill contained re-deposited dirt that had been sitting exposed for some time. This may also be the case for the fill 6780, which seems to have been a re-deposited Hellenistic fill. A series of leveling fills (6771, 6766-67, 6769, 6755) served to bring the floor level up to accommodate a white clay floor surface (6748, including several resurfacings) that extended north to wall 55 and west perhaps to N-S wall 6421 before 6421 was later cut for the well 6288. At some point a small pit for a posthole was cut and later filled (6750 and 6751), though the relationship between this posthole and the surrounding surfaces is still unclear; for now it can only be added that in 2009, four postholes were excavated in this area but at a considerably higher level. At a later point the level of the room was raised again by two fills (6685, 6686).
In the southwest corner of the room a series of fills (6694, 6695) were deposited for the construction of floor 6693 (above two earlier Late Roman/Middle Byzantine walls (E-W 6707 and N-S 6421, probably contemporary, sharing foundation trench cut 6706), likely due to the fact that the shape of the room and its relationship to adjoining rooms by the Late Byzantine period had changed. Further information of the area to the SW of walls 6707 and 6421 is hindered somewhat by the large tree root in the corner of the room as well as the fact that this area was one of those excavated in the 1960s. At some point, wall 6422 was put in as a foundation for a higher level in later phases.
In the southern area of the room, leveling fill (6736) was used to accommodate an E-W wall (6426), which was later robbed out (6724, 6725) and cut by a large pit (5935, 1960s excavation).
Middle Byzantine (802-1058 CE)
In the southern area of the room, leveling fills (6730, 6736) would later be used for the construction of the E-W wall 6426 (or these were fills that 6426 was built on. The fact that this area was excavated in the 1960s and in 2008 and 2009 makes definite dates for this wall’s construction difficult to ascertain. Two pits were also dug in this area, though their relationship with the surrounding architecture remains unclear. The first pit (6742, 6741) was cut south of fill 6736 and is remarkable for containing a large amount of carbon and a nearly complete cookpot. The second (6745, 6746) was cut and appeared to extend N-S along wall 6421 and may have been part of the foundation trench for this wall.
E-W wall 6707 and N-S wall 6421 were constructed during this period. Wall 6707 abutted 6421 on its western side and share foundation trench 6706. The upper courses of the walls were most likely robbed out at the same time in order to accommodate well 6288 later. Eventually the middle section of 6421 was robbed out and filled (6709, 6721), with the lower courses abutting wall 5631 to the south, and terminating on the north at the same elevation as wall 55. This robbing trench fill would be cut by well 6288 in a later phase.
Quite late, the E-W wall 6052 was robbed out and filled in (6718 and 6719); later a pit (6712) seems to have been cut into the robbing trench fill.
Late Roman/Early Byzantine (300-801 CE)
These layers are concentrated primarily in the center of the room. In the Late Roman period, a sewer drain (structure 6827) was in existence (we have not dated the structure as of yet), oriented NW-SE, under the phases of the later Byzantine room and continued under wall 10086 to the east. It consisted of a combination of building materials: worked fieldstones, marble pavers and a collection of weathered and/or badly carved architectural members: two geison blocks (so far excavated), one half-column cut lengthwise, and an unfluted (so far as is visible) column with an offset empolium. At some point the drain went out of use, and an extensive fill of re-deposited material (6788) was deposited over it, followed by subsequent fills 6686, and 6682 in later periods.
Middle Roman (200-400 CE)
During this period a pit was cut to the south (6824, 6822) into a deposit of reddish fill (6813). It is possible that this cut may be for a pit which was later cut by the sewer and then partially filled in by the fill (6788) overlying the sewer. Again, the fact that this area had been previously excavated makes understanding the relationship between this pit and the fill over the sewer difficult to understand. It is possible that what had been an early pit (6824, 6822), with pottery dating to the middle Roman period, was later cut due to sewer maintenance. We only had a small portion of the cut on the south side.
Conclusions/ Suggestions for Further Excavation
Based on current excavation, the earlier phases of the Byzantine house were constructed over a Late Roman sewer and contained a good deal of reused material and re-deposited fill, perhaps from the Forum to the north. In the later chronological phases the internal space of the room was modified and enlarged: the walls in the South and Southwest went out of use and were either filled above their foundations or robbed out completely. The large white clay floor surface in the middle of the room may have extended beyond what was visible upon its excavation; evidence for this may have been obliterated in the construction of the four large piers (observed in the 2009 excavations) used to support a second story. See the Blue summary from 2009 for more detailed discussion on the cutting of the clay/plaster floors 6693 and 6748.
The position of the sewer indicates that the Late Roman E-W road may have passed near to this later room. Director Guy Sanders has suggested prima facie that the major N-S artery to the East of the room may have been wider in the earlier phases, perhaps incorporating the sewer in its urban space; in the later Byzantine periods and with the construction of the major house walls, the road contracted.
Additional items to consider:
1. Mid-Byzantine wall 6707 seems to have extended west past wall 54 about 50cm. What is the wall’s relationship to the surrounding contexts during that time?
2. The Late Roman sewer (6827, revealed under fill 6788): from where are the drain builders getting the architectural members to use as coverslabs? The South Stoa? Some then-defunct admin building? Where was the Late Roman road? Where does the drain go? Can we find a more precise date for the drain after excavating under it? Further excavation and investigation into these issues will have to wait until the second session.
3. The relationship between the sewer and fill above it (6827, 6788) the red fill to the south (6813) and what remains of a pit cut (6824) is not fully understood. See the notes on 6824.