Kelly E. O’Connor and Catherine A. Uritis
Corinth 2022 Session II (5/9/22- 5/27/22)
27 May 2022

Northeast of Theater, Trench 19B, Session II Final Report

Elevations of Identified Road Levels in 19B South East Extension
– Measured in Northern Scarp of Cut 46 “Cut through Upper Road”
– Subject to change upon further examination
1 (Potential paved road) 58.95
2 Additional potential layers between Roman fill TBD
3 (Exposed, compact road, cut for wall 30) 60.12
4 (Thin road, cut for wall 30) 60.17
5 (Over wall 30) 60.35
6 (Entirely through scarp) 60.60
7 (Disturbed by gulley) 60.93
8 (Disturbed by gulley) 61.02
9 (Exposed upper road) 61.52

PERSONNEL
Christopher Pfaff (Director), Ioulia Tzonou (Associate Director), James Herbst (Architect), Panos Kakauros (Foreman), Vasilis Kollias (shovelman), Phanis Kollias (wheelbarrow and sieve), Kelly E. O’Connor (recorder) and Catherine A. Uritis (recorder)

INTRODUCTION
In Session II May 9-28, 2022, it was decided that excavation of the destruction layer in NET 19B (Deposit 30) would be completed and then 19B would be extended to the south in an attempt to define Wall 25 and the compact surface (floor?) of Deposit 31. The first area of excavation, 19B 30 is located from 1378 N-1375 N and 28 E -35 E. The first extension is located from1375 N – 1373 N and 28 E – 33 E, to the south of wall 25. The southern extension revealed multiple soft fills, most notably a mixed fill in the East (Deposits 37 and 41). Dr. Pfaff determined that this mixed fill was a result of T. Leslie Shear’s 1920’s excavations. Once we reached Wall 30 at the bottom of Deposit 41, it was decided that another extension would be opened to the East and South to determine the depth of the previous excavation trench, located 1375 N – 1371 N and 33 E – 35 E. Most of this session was dedicated to defining and understanding previous excavation decisions. More definitive chronology was discovered in the scarp during study week and K. O’Connor and C. Uritis split their time between the museum and the site. Once the final depth of the modern deposit was discovered and Panos indicated a change in soil, excavation ceased on Thursday May 26, 2022.

ROMAN
The earliest Roman activity appears within Context 46. As very little non-contaminated pottery was found, stratigraphy is the main source of identification of this chronology. Excavation identified a potential paved road (1) running north-south, indicated by a large, flat stone beneath later layers of road and road fill. Other layers of road (2) are potentially identifiable in the scarp of the ancient cut through the roads but will require more study for comprehensive understanding. More fill was accumulated over these potential surfaces, after which a very compact road (3) was laid. The eastern edge of road 3 begins 1,05m from the east scarp and has a width of 1,07 m. Road 3 continues into both north and south scarp, but was cut to the east, down to at least the level of road 1, after its construction. The reasoning for this is unknown and would require further investigation, but the area of the cut would presumably have been filled in the Roman period. Over the compact road, another level of Roman road (4) was laid, which is identified within the north scarp of Contexts 46 and 41. This next phase extends 2,12 m from the east in the northern scarp, where the compact road also terminates. After this road was constructed, both roads 3 and 4 were cut on the western side, presumably to allow for the construction of wall 30 which abuts both road levels. The wall is 1,13 m wide, beginning 2,12 m from the eastern scarp, and has an elevation of 60.51-60.20. The western half shows a more finished face, while the eastern half of the wall may have been robbed out, leaving just the cobbling to be seen.

BYZANTINE
Wall 30 was demolished, signaling some sort of change in use of space. While it is unknown whether the destruction was intentional or not, it allowed for a new road surface (5) to be laid over the entire length of the scarp. Separated by additional fill, Byzantine roads 6-9 were built. The Upper Road (9) is a continuation of the surface identified bellow Deposit 19B 6. The western sides of the 3 final road layers are obscured in the northern scarp as road fill, as the gulley identified in 18B 19 and 19B 8 presumably continued through the road.

To the northeast of the roads, a flat, very hard floor was identified, the same as found in Context 29. The floor slopes down from the south, indicating that the builders did not cut the earth to make a level surface. Wall 25 was then built over the compacted surface, suggesting that the floor was associated with the wall in one structure. The floor may be the coeval with the one on which Wall 20 in 18 B sits. After the wall and floor were constructed, there was some sort of destruction, indicated by a debris layer (discovered in 19B 28, further revealed in 19B 29, and excavated in 19B 30) of ash and burnt tiles, primarily the local Laconian style. As mentioned in 19B 16 and 19B 17, a later Byzantine robbing trench (8) cut through the debris and was filled.

MODERN
A deposit of modern soft fill was discovered in Deposits 37, 41, and 45, with a max. depth of 3 m. The modern fill cut through the upper road surface, down through the layers of Byzantine and Roman roads to the level of road 3 and wall 30. The modern fill then continued down through the ancient cut of road 3 to a level of undisturbed soil at the elevation 58.95. Excavation notebook 324 confirmed that this fill was a result of T. Leslie Shear’s 1929 excavations. Modern ceramic finds additionally substantiate the identification. The trench was labeled “North Trench” and was excavated by DeWaele. It measures 36 m east/west, approx. 3 m north/south, and 3 m deep. On April 12, 1929 a plan was drawn of the trench (p.883). 19B overlaps with L 15, M 15, and N15; the wall is present in the plan, labeled as “l” and described as a “well built foundation [ion?] (1.50)”. The road surfaces are not mentioned. While Shear was attempting to locate the road north of the theater, it appears excavators removed all Byzantine and most Roman roads in the process.

An additional modern cut was found through the modern fill for an irrigation trench and pipe, presumably for the orange grove above.

CONCLUSION/FUTURE RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Further study can be done to better define the Roman and Byzantine road surfaces exposed in the scarp of Shear’s trench. Additionally, excavations can be conducted to the south to reveal what lays beyond Shear’s excavated area. Other important questions include the direction and extent of the ancient north-south cut through the road surfaces. As the end of the modern fill was reached, continuing to excavate further down within said cut may provide a better chronology and understanding of its nature. Finally, the pipes of 16B which were originally expected to be seen within the scarp, are apparently missing. Excavations to the north may clarify their location or the lack thereof.