DOI Artikel:
Buck, Carl Darling: Discoveries in the Attic Deme of Ikaria, 1888
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8678#0057
44
REPORT OF EXCA VATIONS IN IK ARIA.
The grave was of a late period, though possessing an earlier bound-
ary-wall of good construction. For one of the sides had been used a
sepulchral stele which bore two rosettes and an inscription of the 4th
century recording the names of the two deceased, one a Plotheian and
the other an Ikarian. This inscription, as I believed, had never been
published, and it seemed a discovery of importance in relation to the
sites of the denies of Ikaria and Plotheia, the proximity of which
had already been surmised. Not till some months later was it found
that our inscription had already been seen and copied by Milehhofer.2
On the same day there Avas found to the west of the church a massive
marble seat (plate v and Fig. 8) which had been brought here from
its original position, as was determined afterward by the discovery of
other seats of similar form remaining in situ (at K on plan i).
On Friday, Feb. 3, work was carried on north of the church, and
resulted in the most important discoveries of the first week, including
a nude male torso of archaic style; a draped statue of a young woman,
wanting the arms and head; a female head (afterward stolen) found
directly above the draped statue but perhaps too small to belong to
it; a fragment of a relief of the best period, representing a seated woman
with a vessel in her right hand while with the left she holds the mantle
away from her breast; three inscriptions, one a boundary-stone, the
other two, decrees of the Ikarians. The one which came to light first
was on a stele in perfect preservation and supplied absolute proof that
here was actually the site of the demc of Ikaria (see below, p. 71)—
more than this, that the official seat or centre of the deme could not be far
distant. Gravestones with mention of the deme to which the deceased
belonged establish nothing more than a possibility that the place of
finding may have been the actual deme-site, but it is hardly conceivable
that a public decree of a dome concerning only its internal affairs should
be set up anywhere but within the limits of the deme. Thus, by the
discovery of this inscription alone, the first object of our excavations
was accomplished. During the remainder of this week the finds were
of no special importance, and on the first of the following week a
violent snowstorm obliged us to return to Athens.
Wednesday, Feb. 15, work was resumed, and the remainder of the
week was devoted mainly to taking down the walls of the church and
to digging beneath it. These walls were formed chiefly of large blocks
*Mitlh. Inst. Aihen., 1S37, p. 312.
REPORT OF EXCA VATIONS IN IK ARIA.
The grave was of a late period, though possessing an earlier bound-
ary-wall of good construction. For one of the sides had been used a
sepulchral stele which bore two rosettes and an inscription of the 4th
century recording the names of the two deceased, one a Plotheian and
the other an Ikarian. This inscription, as I believed, had never been
published, and it seemed a discovery of importance in relation to the
sites of the denies of Ikaria and Plotheia, the proximity of which
had already been surmised. Not till some months later was it found
that our inscription had already been seen and copied by Milehhofer.2
On the same day there Avas found to the west of the church a massive
marble seat (plate v and Fig. 8) which had been brought here from
its original position, as was determined afterward by the discovery of
other seats of similar form remaining in situ (at K on plan i).
On Friday, Feb. 3, work was carried on north of the church, and
resulted in the most important discoveries of the first week, including
a nude male torso of archaic style; a draped statue of a young woman,
wanting the arms and head; a female head (afterward stolen) found
directly above the draped statue but perhaps too small to belong to
it; a fragment of a relief of the best period, representing a seated woman
with a vessel in her right hand while with the left she holds the mantle
away from her breast; three inscriptions, one a boundary-stone, the
other two, decrees of the Ikarians. The one which came to light first
was on a stele in perfect preservation and supplied absolute proof that
here was actually the site of the demc of Ikaria (see below, p. 71)—
more than this, that the official seat or centre of the deme could not be far
distant. Gravestones with mention of the deme to which the deceased
belonged establish nothing more than a possibility that the place of
finding may have been the actual deme-site, but it is hardly conceivable
that a public decree of a dome concerning only its internal affairs should
be set up anywhere but within the limits of the deme. Thus, by the
discovery of this inscription alone, the first object of our excavations
was accomplished. During the remainder of this week the finds were
of no special importance, and on the first of the following week a
violent snowstorm obliged us to return to Athens.
Wednesday, Feb. 15, work was resumed, and the remainder of the
week was devoted mainly to taking down the walls of the church and
to digging beneath it. These walls were formed chiefly of large blocks
*Mitlh. Inst. Aihen., 1S37, p. 312.