Stephanie Kimmey and Jennifer LaFleur
Session 1
TESE Excavations, NW Passage
N: 1073.00 N; S: 1058.07 N; E: 108.91 E; W: 94.00 E
April 7-May 3, 2014

This is the final summary of excavation for the first session of the 2014 excavation season which took place in the Frankish quarter, southeast of Temple E. Guy Sanders (director) and Jody Cundy (field director) supervised. The area supervisors were Stephanie Kimmey and Jennifer LaFleur (recorders), and the workmen were Thanasis Sakellariou (pick man), Christos Sakellariou (shovel man), and Agamemnon Karbouniares (wheelbarrow man). Excavations began on April 7, 2014 and ended on April 25, 2014.

Excavations occurred in the NW passage, in the courtyard and exterior areas between Units 1 and 2 of the Frankish quarter, in an area roughly shaped like an ‘L’. Thus there is a secondary east and north boundary dictated by the west and south walls of Unit 2, Room A. To the north our area was bounded by a modern water pipe (1073.00 N; NB 839). On the west by an excavation scarp to the west of Wall 8 (also known as NB 866, Wall 4) that lay on the grid at 94.00 E. The south boundary was determined by the north wall of the courtyard of Unit 1 (1058.07 N). The eastern boundary was the west wall of Unit 2, Room 3 (also known as NB. 830, Wall II) on the grid at 108.91 E. For the first week work concentrated along the western part of the area and for the remaining two weeks, within the eastern half of the courtyard proper. In the last week of excavation, we sectioned off the northeast corner of the courtyard (N: 1063.53; S: 1062.00; E: 108.85; W: 103.01 E).

The goal of excavation this session is to better understand the activities and chronology of the Frankish quarter. Concerns related to the future consolidation and conservation of the area in order to open it to the public also determined excavation activities. More specifically, our area will allow for a clearer sense of exterior activities bordering both the domestic space (TESE Unit 1) and the church complex (TESE Unit 2)

Frankish (13th and 14th century)

Roads
In order to facilitate communication between the church complex (TESE Unit 2) and domestic spaces (TESE Unit 1) within the Frankish quarter, a series of roads were built on a north-south axis running to the west of the buildings. One of these was a very well built, level road surface (Deposit 36, N-S: 1071.61-1065.68) that was laid up to the west wall of the church complex (Unit 2). This road was later cut by two pits, one possibly a post hole due to its circular shape (Cut 35, N-S: 1068.13), the other is irregular and possibly due to animal activity (Deposit 27; N-S: 1069.60-1069.1). Both of these pits were filled in either by wash over the road or naturally, since both fills contained no material culture. The pits are still clearly visible in the lower layers of roads. The roads were built and maintained over a long period of time, as evidenced by their superimposed nature. The purposefully built roads are typically characterized by their use of round and angular pebbles and cobbles mixed with a sandy silt soil. Over time these roads were either relaid or resurfaced as a result of wear and damage from extended use and human activity. Thus it is also possible that the western part of the preserved road was later resurfaced to cover the post hole, evidenced by the thin lens of a small rounded pebble road surface laid above the post hole (Deposit 33; N-S: 1069.42-1066.89; E-W: 97.12- 96.32). It is clear that these roads were important in the Frankish period because of their location within a high traffic area and the continual maintenance over time. To the south the roads allow for the shops on the west side of the domestic space (Unit 1) to communicate with the extended Frankish community.

Also cut into this series of roads (most clearly evident in the unexcavated surfaces) was a possible foundation trench (Cut 65; N-S: 1070.23-1068.76) for a north-south wall (Structure 51; N-S: 1070.18-1068.50) that forms the west wall of the church complex (TESE Unit 2 Room A, NB 839). After the wall was built, this cut was filled first with a layer of large subrounded stones (in situ), followed by a dark yellowish brown soil fill (Deposits 57 and 60). Within this fill (Deposit 60) was found a Corinthian Villehardouin coin (Coin 2014-17) of Frankish date (1246-1278). This can provide a terminus post quem of the third quarter of the 13th century for the construction of Room A.

Courtyard
A rectangular courtyard lies between the church complex (TESE Unit 2) and the domestic space (TESE Unit 1), which can be accessed from an alley in the southeast corner (N: 1058.20; E: 107.89) or from the west, which is open to the roads. It was an area of high activity as evidenced by the multiple layers of surfacing and leveling within a short period of time, spanning the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th centuries. Upon these surfaces was built a circular stone structure (Structure 94) that was laid against the exterior face of the west wall of the church complex (NB 830, Wall II; TESE Unit 1, Room 3). This structure is one course 0.57m high with an exterior diameter of 2.66m, built of roughly hewn limestone, conglomerate, and tiles, with no bonding material (N-S: 1063.37-1060.70; E-W: 109.03-107.04). Its function remains a mystery, but was filled in the late 13th century (Deposit 96: Lot 2014-013) by a layer of light brown soil with pebbles, bone and material culture that does not appear to be related to its use.

Within the northeastern area of the courtyard (sectioned at N: 1063.53; S: 1062.00; E: 108.85; W: 103.01 E) a clayey silt layer (Deposit 173: Lot 2014-015) was deposited in preparation for the laying of a pebble courtyard surface (Deposit 172: Lot 2014-016). The leveling fill contained a purple steatite button (MF 2014-14) and a Frankish coin of Guy I or II de la Roche of Theban mint dating to 1280-1308 (Coin 2014-70). This functioned as a leveling fill to cover a circular cutting (Cut 178), which may have been a post hole, a large pit (Cut 187), and a possible refuse dump (Deposits 180 and 186: Lot 2014-014) within the northern area of the courtyard. Included in the refuse dump was a small iron key (MF 2014-8). Upon this leveling fill a small bench of three roughly hewn stones, measuring 0.69 x 0.31 x 0.15m (Structure 147; E-W: 105.67-104.98), was installed parallel to the south wall of the church complex (TESE Unit 2, Rooms A and B). Both the surface and the bench were laid upon the leveling fill, but since the two do not interact with one another it is not possible to know which activity came first. Into this pebble surface a shallow, oval pit (Cut 171) was dug, and its fill (Deposit 170: Lot 2014-017) was characterized by its high concentration of ash. This pit may be the result of an outdoor cooking event, which seems contemporary with the use of the pebbled courtyard. Subsequent to this activity, a second layer of pebbles (Deposit 163) was laid to resurface the area, in which were found two adhering iron keys (MF 2014-7a, b) and a small fragment of a stamped Arretine plate (C 2014-5). This second layer of pebbles had larger, rounded pebbles in comparison with the first layer of pebbles (Deposit 172). The layer not only resurfaced the area, covering over the ash pit, but extended further to the north to abut the bench (N: 1064.51) and further to the west (103.01, western limit of section). These pebble surfaces stand out because of their high concentration of river pebbles indicating that they were specifically intended for the courtyard surface. The use of river pebbles would allow for better drainage of water within the courtyard, which may have been necessary after using clay as a leveling agent. These phases of activity happened in relatively quick succession at the end of the 13th century; the material culture from these surfaces is not sufficient to provide more specific dates. As a result of sectioning the courtyard to focus in the northeastern area, it is impossible at this time to make generalizations about the use of the courtyard and its relationship to the larger Frankish quarter based on observations in this limited space.

The activity in the northeast corner of the courtyard may reflect a separate series of events within the 14th century. The surfaces were destroyed by several pits of varying sizes (unexcavated), which allowed for a later disposal of a large amount of material (Deposit 167: Lot 2014-018), including a high concentration of bones and ceramics, including a ceramic waster of a coarse ware basin (C 2014-4). The origin of this material is unclear, but there was a similar amount of fine and cooking wares, which is notable. This, in addition to the bones, may suggest a refuse dump. Over this dump, a leveling fill (Deposits 152 and 158) of dark brownish black soil with rare shell and carbon was deposited, unrelated to the earlier clay leveling, which lies further to the west. Also in this fill were two Frankish coins, one a Corinthian Villehardouin dating to 1250-1278 (Coin 2014-64) and the other a Charles I of Anjou from Avignon dating to 1246-1285 (Coin 2014-65). This fill also served to cover a small pit in the far northeastern corner of the courtyard (Cut 161; E-W: 108.41-107.74) and its light brownish black soil fill (Deposit 160), which may be associated with the leveling (Deposit 152). The pit’s function cannot be determined as it was truncated on the north and east by the reconstructed walls of the church complex (Wall II and Wall III, NB 853). There was not sufficient material culture within the pit to provide a more specific date than the Frankish period. Upon the leveling fill, the bench (Structure 147) was extended to the east (Structure 146; E-W: 107.01-105.71) in a second phase that was not as well built as the first. This addition measured 1.13 x 0.40 x 0.19m. The four stones were not of identical shape or size, nor were they laid as carefully. There is no constructed surface associated with this leveling. These two factors suggest that a project to expand the pebbled courtyard surface to the east was begun but not completed.

In the 14th century, the majority of the courtyard was leveled by a substantial fill (Deposit 117: Lot 2014-020; N-S: 1064.44-1059.75; E-W: 108.80-100.23). The dark brownish black fill had a high concentration of ceramic, while the rest of the inclusions made up only 5% of the soil matrix. Also within this layer were the following special objects: a blue-threaded glass lamp (MF 2014-10); a lead weight (MF 2014-12); a marble capital fragment (A 2014-1). In addition to these were three Villehardouin Frankish coins from Clarenza (Coins 2014-40, 2014-42, 2014-44) and one of Corinthian mint (Coin 2014-47), all dating to 1250-1278. By the early 14th century, as dated by the pottery, the courtyard was completely covered (Cut 143; N-S: 1060.81-1059.81; Cut 145; E-W: 103.64-100.19). One pit was filled with dark brownish black clayey silt (Deposit 142) and had very little material culture. It does not seem to be intentional because of its location and irregular cutting, but may be the result of animal activity. The other pit was filled by dark grayish brown sandy silt with a high concentration of ceramics, bones, shell and carbon (Deposit 144: Lot 2014-019). The contents suggest that this was a refuse dump. Also within the fill was one Frankish Villehardouin coin of Corinthian mint dating to 1250-1278 (Coin 2014-62), which supports the ceramic dating of the fill to the late 13th to early 14th century. Its full southern extent is unknown because of the reconsolidation of the north wall of the domestic space (TESE Unit 1) truncates the pit. To the west and northeast the fill and cut of the pit are truncated by a drain (Structure 164; N: 1060.40; S: 1058.00; E: 101.65; W: 99.36), which enters the courtyard from the south and turns to the east in a curve 2.76m in length. The drain was constructed with a tile lining at the bottom and orthostates of a variety of materials, mostly rough hewn: marble, limestone, and conglomerate. The drain was then capped with stone. The relationship between the leveling fill (Deposit 117) and the drain (Structure 164) is unclear due to previous excavation in the early 1990s (B. 15, 29, 40, 41, 42; NB 880). In addition, the leveling fill covered the southwestern part of the circular stone structure (Structure 94) where its upper courses had tumbled due to its lack of bonding agent. This indicates that the structure had gone out of use by that time.

After the courtyard was leveled, no well-built surface was immediately laid. In the southeast corner of the courtyard were two superimposed surfaces made of pebbles, cobbles, and shells (Deposits 109 and 113). It is possible that the later deposit was a resurfacing and extension of the earlier one. Within that later deposit were two coins, one illegible (Coin 2014-35) and one a Frankish coin minted in Corinth (Coin 2014-36: 1250-?). These surfaces did not extent far into the courtyard (Deposit 109; N: 1060.83; Deposit 113; N: 1059.58). Their southern extent is unknown due to excavation boundaries, but it is possible that these surfaces continue into the alley that runs between the church complex and the domestic space (Units 1 and 2), while their full northwestern extent was not preserved.

The only surface (Deposit 102) to follow the massive early 14th century leveling event (Deposit 117) is not well made. It did include flat cobbles and tile at a low concentration, but was mainly made of light brown black sandy silt. Also within the deposit was found the upper part of a terracotta female figurine, Greco-Roman in date (MF 2014-11) and a Frankish coin of Clarenza mint with a terminus post quem of 1250 (Coin 2014-29). This surface was not only laid upon its leveling fill, but also seemed to cover a pit (Cut 108; N-S: 1064.12-1063.13), which was mostly filled with cobbles and tile (Deposit 107) that seem to have been deposited as part of the preparation for the laying of the surface. Within this fill were found two Villehardouin coins of Frankish date (Coin 2014-31: Clarenza mint, 1250-1278; Coin 2014-32: Tours mint, 1223-1270). The pit also cut into a very thin, irregular lens of light reddish brown clayey silt that lay between the leveling fill and the subsequent courtyard surface, which may have been some kind of debris dropped in the courtyard.

In the northwest corner of the courtyard is a 1.87m deep bothros (Cut 80; N-S: 1063.80-1062.93; E-W: 101.88-101.03), in which was found a homogenous deposit of dark brownish black sandy silt with a high concentration of ceramic and bone (Deposits 78, 88, and 100: Lot 2014-021). The material culture within the fill included some joining fragments, suggesting that the ceramics and bone were part of quick filling during a single event. The bothros was carefully cut into a bell-shape (Diam. of top: 0.79; Diam. of bottom: 1.53) with a flat bottom, as well as the addition of four hand-holds. These hand-holds are regularly placed, two cut into the northwest and two in the southwest. The concern for ease of access to this space argues against a single use for the bothros; perhaps it was originally dug as a storage area. Although the layers through which the bothros was cut are still unexcavated, an architectural fragment possibly of Roman date is visible at the bottom of the cut. The neck of the bothros had a much higher concentration of large tile fragments and boulders, forming a seal for the deposit. The top of the fill was capped by four large stones. The ceramics date the fill and quite probably, then, the cut as well, to the 14th century. A coin found near the top of the fill supports this date (Coin 2014-21).

Turkish II (18th and 19th century)
During the Turkish period, a series of superimposed roads continued to be laid on the north-south axis within the corridor to the west of the domestic space (TESE Unit 1) and continuing to the western edge of church complex (TESE Unit 2). Many of them were later truncated by modern activities, so their full extents are unknown. One of the Turkish roads (Deposit 30) that ran to the west of TESE Unit 2, Room A (N-S: 1071.90-1069.80; W-E: 96.95-98.62) was a metalled road made primarily of tiles and medium angular cobbles. Although it has been interpreted as a road, it was a very thin lens and thus possibly the result of an underdug context from the 1995 excavation season. In 1995, a series of superimposed Early Modern and Turkish roads were removed from the area, and Deposit 30 may be associated with B. 45 (NB839). The Turkish roads appear to have been laid directly upon the layers of Frankish roads with no activity from the Post-Medieval or Venetian periods. This leads to several suggestions about the use of this N-S corridor. While this space continued to be used to facilitate communication between buildings in the Frankish period, its identity as a road continued through to the 19th century (B. 40 and 61, NB 839). Its exact direction and function during the Turkish period is unclear since only a small part of it has been preserved.

Modern (1992 to the present)
The modern feature that had the most impact on the excavation of ancient layers was Deposit 12, the fill for Cut 16, both associated with the modern water pipe. Prior to World War II, Mrs. Kosmopoulou excavated in the area to Neolithic levels (Grid 83G; B. 81, NB 839, p. 139); her trench was subsequently backfilled. Then at some point before 1995 a foundation trench was dug through the backfill in order to lay the water pipe. The preserved portion of this trench extends east to west (E: 97.10; W: 94.97), while the water pipe continues in both directions to an unknown extent within unexcavated areas. In 1995, the water pipe was again exposed as a result of excavation activities. At some point after the 1995 season, it was backfilled a second time, probably to preserve the stability of the water pipe. Thus the current excavation revealed a cut stepped on the south side (top elevations 86.17 and 85.72) as a result of several phases of activity. The cut truncates the northern extent of the series of roads that run to the west of Unit 2 and along the corridor between Units 1, 3 and 4 (at 1070.15 N). The fully exposed length of the modern water pipe is 5.81m (circumference 0.21m); only 2.15m of this was exposed this season.
Throughout our area excavations had previously been conducted in the 1992 through the 1995 seasons. These excavations had revealed several features within the area including a wall, Structure 8 (Wall 4, NB 866 and NB 880), a Frankish water channel (NB 880, p. 79), a second drain to the north of Unit 1 (Structure 164; also see NB 880, p. 62-77), and modern water pipe (NB 839, p. 139). In the subsequent years, though unknown to the current excavators, these features were backfilled. The area was backfilled to allow for the ease of transportation of materials and machines needed to consolidate the walls of the buildings for Units 1 and Unit 2.

Conclusions and Recommendations for Future Work:
1. Explore the date of the circular stone structure in the courtyard (Structure 94) by removing the surface upon which it sits. This may also aid in determining its function.

2. Continue to excavate the lenses of fill in the northeast corner of the courtyard, especially what Deposit 167 revealed to determine if it was either overdug or taken out of sequence.

3. Clarify the use and construction for the south drain (Structure 164).

4. Remove courtyard layers into which the bothros cuts (Cut 80) to support or refute the currently proposed date.

5. Continue the removal of the superimposed roads to the west of Unit 2. This will answer several questions: What is the relationship between the roads and Wall 51 and the vaulted chamber? Is the currently exposed cut for the north drain related to excavation, cleaning, or repair? This will also allow for the discovery of the drain’s foundation trench, which seems to cut these roads.

6. Excavate the possible graves in the western side of our excavation area.