Agia Paraskevi
of Arachamitai

2006 - 2007

2008

2010

Hellenistic Building

Cult Activity

Roman Courtyard

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AGIA PARASKEVI OF ARACHAMITAI

Report of work conducted in 2010

Early Cult Activity and Identity of the Deity

In Room III we dug a deep profile trench. In it we encountered, below the floor level of Room III, black-glazed pottery decorated with ribbing and grooves that dates to the fourth and third centuries BC, representing layers predating the building. A handful of other finds connected with earlier activity at the site was also recovered, mixed into the Late Hellenistic layers inside the building. The finest piece is the handle of a bronze mirror depicting a Caryatid in Doric chiton, holding the skirt with her right hand and a small bird in her left hand. It finds its best parallel among the Caryatid mirrors of the Sikyon school that date to the 470s BC.

Already during the trial excavations conducted in 2007 to 2008 we found a smaller amount of Corinthian roof tiles belonging to an earlier building. More tiles of the same type were found during this field season, all however mixed with the Late Hellenistic layers. Especially worth mentioning is the painted piece of a sima belonging to the Corinthian roof. It can be dated to the sixth century BC, thereby giving a clearer date of the earlier building (a temple?) which existed prior to the Late Hellenistic building.

Apart from the couple of fragmentary female figurines that were found inside Room II, another couple of female figurine fragments were found outside the building itself, on its south side. Further indication of cult activity at the site is given by the roof tile stamps. From the trial trenches we had found stamps beginning with ΑΡΤΕΜ… and ΔΕΣΠ… This year we found further examples of these two stamps – unfortunately still no complete one, but one reading ΑΡΤΕΜΗ… and another …ΠΟΙΝΑ… These two new stamps seem to strengthen our assumption that the roof tile stamps give the genitive form of Artemis and Despoina, i.e., the names of the goddess(es) worshipped at the site. Such a cult is well known elsewhere in this part of Arcadia.

The Late Hellenistic Building

The Roman Courtyard Structure