Papers of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (5.1886-1890)

268

DISCOVERIES AT PLATAIA.

from the main Avail. This offshoot-wail is of rougher and apparently
late masonry. Inside the main wall, due west of B' at a distance of
17 m., are remains of a square building, measuring about 8 m. each
way, with a small threshold—probably a late Byzantine structure.
AtJS', traces of a round tow er can be made out. The slope down to
the brook all along this east wall is very gentle, no rock crops out,
and the soil is apparently deep. At A'', near Church No. V, all traces
disappear, but at L' we make out a bit of wall, and hence trace it, at
intervals, to Pf. The only rock along all this stretch is a narrow
ridge running from If to N', along the top of which the wall was built,
as shown by the cuttings. At 0' there are traces of a round tower.
Too little remains of this stretch, south of L', to determine its period;
but it probably belongs to the first, that of the extreme southern part.
At P', both faces of the wall can be seen, and hence to A it is fairly
preserved, though not high above; the surface—less than a metre. It
is all 3.30 m. through, and of the same period, the first, as that near A,
described above. At a point 37 m. from A, there is a cutting in the
wall—traces of what may have been a threshold. The slope to the
south down into the small ravine which separates the wall from Mt.
Kithairon is very gentle, though in one or two places the wall runs
along rather steep rocks. At P, the wall is nearly 150 m. from the
mountain slope, while at A, as stated above, it is only 50 m.

This completes the survey of the walls, and a few remarks may be
made as to the area included within them. It seems probable, from
the apparently greater age of the walls there and from its height
above the rest of the plateau, that the extreme south end was the
original acropolis. Search was made for an old north enclosing-wall,
but no trace of such a Avail was found. Such a wall probably ex-
isted near where the upper cross-wall now stands, but running more
east and west. The plateau, as has been said, sloped down to the
north, the northern half being comparatively level. The southwest-
ern part is very rocky, the natural rock here jutting out in large
rough masses, while the southeastern part is almost free from rock,
except the ridge between L' and N'. The middle zone (between the
north and south parts) is rocky on its western side, while to the east
it is mostly good soil. The northern third is entirely free from pro-
jecting rocks except along its western and northwestern edges. In-
side the lower cross-wall (to the north of it), and for a little distance
to the east, the ground is entirely uncultivated, owing to the circum-