DOI Artikel:
Earle, Mortimer Lamson: Supplementary report of the excavations [at the theatre of Sikyon]
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8678#0035
22
REPORT OF EXCAVATIONS AT SIKYON.
"Sra^ova-a2), the northernmost fountain of Basiliko, situated north of
the village in the gorge through which passes the ordinary road from
Moiilki. Our attempts, however, which could not be pushed so vigor-
ously as to interfere with our main work at the theatre, resulted in
nothing beyond confirming the opinion of my workmen : "Tirdp'^ovv
Ta(j>oi, d\X' elvai o\oi dvoiyfievot,! " There are graves, but all have
been opened." I made other attempts on January 4,1888, at a point
north of and below the MiKprj Bpucrt?, and on the following day on
the plain toward Kiato, where some Christian tombs, containing terra-
cotta bowls, etc., of small interest, were the only reward of some hours
of work in a bleak and piercing north wind.
Returning now to the theatre, I will endeavor to state, as exactly as
possible, what additions were made to our knowledge of its construction
and arrangement by the excavations of this second season.
In the orchestra, as already stated, we removed the heavy deposit
of earth, down to what seemed to be the original Kovlarpa, which, like
that in the theatre of Epidauros, consisted simply of stamped earth.
The hard, whitish clay soil of Sikyon lent itself readily to this use.
This was probably the original condition of the entire orchestra; but
at some subsequent period, most likely during the Roman domination,
an alteration was made in the space between kk and A. Here the
soil, differing from that on the other side of kit in being of a mixed
character and not the whitish clay, was removed, in the spaces indicated
on the plan as ZZ, to a depth of some 0.60 m. below the apparent
original orchestra-level. It was in this space on the east side that the
head and torso of the marble statue were found. Between these spaces
and the marble surbase before A, was found what seemed to be a
pavement of rough mosaic-work. The conjecture may be hazarded,
that the so-called drain kk is to be dated with the ancient hollowing
out of this part of the orchestra. Between the double line of stones
forming kk, were found fragments of poros columns, and an irregu-
larly-shaped block of marble 0.75 m. in length.
■ This fountain is at present concealed by a Turkish wall, but the dropping can
be heard through a small square aperture in the wall. Lapse of time may easily
have wrought changes in the conspicuousness of this fountain, aside from its artificial
concealment. Rangabd, cited by Melian'ikes (Teuypaipia 'Ap-yo\l$os ital Kopivdias,
p. 11"), seems wrong in identifying 2Ta(,*ouo-ct with the Tpavr) Bpiais, if that is taken
as the name of the southern fountain.
REPORT OF EXCAVATIONS AT SIKYON.
"Sra^ova-a2), the northernmost fountain of Basiliko, situated north of
the village in the gorge through which passes the ordinary road from
Moiilki. Our attempts, however, which could not be pushed so vigor-
ously as to interfere with our main work at the theatre, resulted in
nothing beyond confirming the opinion of my workmen : "Tirdp'^ovv
Ta(j>oi, d\X' elvai o\oi dvoiyfievot,! " There are graves, but all have
been opened." I made other attempts on January 4,1888, at a point
north of and below the MiKprj Bpucrt?, and on the following day on
the plain toward Kiato, where some Christian tombs, containing terra-
cotta bowls, etc., of small interest, were the only reward of some hours
of work in a bleak and piercing north wind.
Returning now to the theatre, I will endeavor to state, as exactly as
possible, what additions were made to our knowledge of its construction
and arrangement by the excavations of this second season.
In the orchestra, as already stated, we removed the heavy deposit
of earth, down to what seemed to be the original Kovlarpa, which, like
that in the theatre of Epidauros, consisted simply of stamped earth.
The hard, whitish clay soil of Sikyon lent itself readily to this use.
This was probably the original condition of the entire orchestra; but
at some subsequent period, most likely during the Roman domination,
an alteration was made in the space between kk and A. Here the
soil, differing from that on the other side of kit in being of a mixed
character and not the whitish clay, was removed, in the spaces indicated
on the plan as ZZ, to a depth of some 0.60 m. below the apparent
original orchestra-level. It was in this space on the east side that the
head and torso of the marble statue were found. Between these spaces
and the marble surbase before A, was found what seemed to be a
pavement of rough mosaic-work. The conjecture may be hazarded,
that the so-called drain kk is to be dated with the ancient hollowing
out of this part of the orchestra. Between the double line of stones
forming kk, were found fragments of poros columns, and an irregu-
larly-shaped block of marble 0.75 m. in length.
■ This fountain is at present concealed by a Turkish wall, but the dropping can
be heard through a small square aperture in the wall. Lapse of time may easily
have wrought changes in the conspicuousness of this fountain, aside from its artificial
concealment. Rangabd, cited by Melian'ikes (Teuypaipia 'Ap-yo\l$os ital Kopivdias,
p. 11"), seems wrong in identifying 2Ta(,*ouo-ct with the Tpavr) Bpiais, if that is taken
as the name of the southern fountain.