DOI Artikel:
Meader, Clarence L.; Waldstein, Charles: [Excavations at Sparta, 1893]
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8681#0221
EXCAVATIONS AT SPARTA.
209
various sizes, bricks and pieces of marble all set in mortar.
None of the marble was found to contain sculptural remains
or inscriptions on the exposed faces. At c and m two small
tile-drains were found (diameter about 10 cm.). The tiles are
of coarse clay and are joined with mortar.
The depth of soil with which the circular wall was cov-
ered varied in different places. It was least at the south,
where it scarcely exceeded a metre, and greatest at the east,
where the lower part of the wall is about 2>\ metres below
the surface.
The work of clearing the surface of the mound had mean-
while been begun, and was finished on April 24. The highest
point of the upper surface of the mound lies, as stated above,
at the northwest, just back of the wall e e, where there is a
small plateau about 7 m. square. Here the surface-soil is
very thin and the bed-rock (a fairly hard, yellowish poros
stone) is exposed in places. From this point the surface of
the mound sinks slowly toward the southeast and the bed-
rock dips a little more rapidly in the same direction, thus
sinking gradually deeper below the surface. Toward the
south the rock passes into a soft yellow sandstone. Every
point of the surface of the rock was at one time or another
exposed to view and examined. To save the expense of
conveying the soil to a distance by carts, that from the newer
diggings was continually thrown backward upon the part
already excavated and mapped, and the whole surface was in
this manner recovered.
The surface of the rock was found to be weathered into
irregular cavities. Near the centre, however, an area had
been artificially levelled and smoothed for the reception of the
basis discovered last year, and probably for a pavement about
it. Exactly at the centre of the arc of the large circular
wall a round well-like cavity, one metre in diameter and about
half a metre deep, with perpendicular sides, was cut in the
rock. In the bottom of this was a second hole about .40 m.
in diameter and .50 m. deep. Accurate measurements are not
possible.
On the upper surface of the rock was found (besides the basis
discovered last year) a number of blocks of soft poros stone
in situ. The poros stone is of a finer quality than that of
209
various sizes, bricks and pieces of marble all set in mortar.
None of the marble was found to contain sculptural remains
or inscriptions on the exposed faces. At c and m two small
tile-drains were found (diameter about 10 cm.). The tiles are
of coarse clay and are joined with mortar.
The depth of soil with which the circular wall was cov-
ered varied in different places. It was least at the south,
where it scarcely exceeded a metre, and greatest at the east,
where the lower part of the wall is about 2>\ metres below
the surface.
The work of clearing the surface of the mound had mean-
while been begun, and was finished on April 24. The highest
point of the upper surface of the mound lies, as stated above,
at the northwest, just back of the wall e e, where there is a
small plateau about 7 m. square. Here the surface-soil is
very thin and the bed-rock (a fairly hard, yellowish poros
stone) is exposed in places. From this point the surface of
the mound sinks slowly toward the southeast and the bed-
rock dips a little more rapidly in the same direction, thus
sinking gradually deeper below the surface. Toward the
south the rock passes into a soft yellow sandstone. Every
point of the surface of the rock was at one time or another
exposed to view and examined. To save the expense of
conveying the soil to a distance by carts, that from the newer
diggings was continually thrown backward upon the part
already excavated and mapped, and the whole surface was in
this manner recovered.
The surface of the rock was found to be weathered into
irregular cavities. Near the centre, however, an area had
been artificially levelled and smoothed for the reception of the
basis discovered last year, and probably for a pavement about
it. Exactly at the centre of the arc of the large circular
wall a round well-like cavity, one metre in diameter and about
half a metre deep, with perpendicular sides, was cut in the
rock. In the bottom of this was a second hole about .40 m.
in diameter and .50 m. deep. Accurate measurements are not
possible.
On the upper surface of the rock was found (besides the basis
discovered last year) a number of blocks of soft poros stone
in situ. The poros stone is of a finer quality than that of