Papers of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (6.1890-1897 (1897))

106

A TOPOGRAPHICAL STUDY OF ERETRIA.

where we might expect one. Except in the corners of the " square "
towers, such an angle does not occur in the whole circuit of the city.
The existing foundations of this eastern wall of the lower town rise
above the surface from 0.10 m. by station B to one metre near D.
They are on an average 2.6 m. thick, varying but a few centimetres
either way from this measure. The slight variation is in part ac-
counted for by the difficulty in obtaining, on the somewhat roughly
dressed stones, exactly corresponding points from which to measure;
so the thickness of these walls, here as at every other point where
sufficient remains are extant to render measuring possible, may be
considered as accurately given by the above figures. These founda-
tions are made up by a wall of stone on either side, the space between
being filled with packed earth in which are scattered small stones.
The stone is fairly well dressed on the surfaces which face outward;
the inner surfaces however are quite in the rough, just as they were
broken from the quarry. The work is semi-polygonal, there being
very rarely a right angle in the joints. Many blocks are nearly quad-
rangular, but others are decidedly polygonal. Much pains seems to
have been taken to make the upper surface of the foundations as nearly
horizontal as possible. In this respect, indeed, the walls are much like
those of Mantinea. There are absolutely no remains of the super-
structure scattered about. This is not difficult to explain when we
consider that Eretria has always been inhabited, and has, to judge by
the graves, at times been the site of a considerable town since the
days of its ancient renown. Even now the village numbers some 150
buildings of various kinds. It has not been uncommon for the walls
of a city to disappear under such circumstances; and even to-day the
inhabitants of Eretria are in the habit of digging up the foundations of
the old city-walls to obtain stone for building. But there are reasons
which tend to show that the upper portions of the walls of the lower
city were built of sun-dried brick. Had the superstructure been of
stone, it would be remarkable indeed if, in more than a mile and a
half of such walls, some fragment had not escaped to tell the character
of the rest. The foundations can be traced throughout nearly their
entire length; yet not a stone which can be surely ascribed to the super-
structure can be found. On the acropolis, some towers still stand to a
height of 4 metres, while the M'all of the citadel is in places 3 metres
high. In this no attempt is made to have the first course above ground