DOI article:
Waldstein, Charles; Meader, Clarence L.: [Excavations at Sparta, 1893]
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8681#0222
210
EXCAVATIONS AT SPARTA.
the bed-rock, being nearly white (slightly creamy in tint) and
very soft. It can be cut with a dull knife and scratched with
the finger nail. In most cases the bed-rock has been cut to fit
these poros blocks. At e e was found, only a few inches below
the surface, a wall, 7 in. long, of excellent Hellenic con-
struction, consisting of rectangular blocks of hard limestone,
varying slightly in length and breadth and carefully fitted
without the use of clamps or mortar. A small depression in
the rock at the eastern end is filled with a bit of polygonally
fitted pavement, the upper surface of which is continuous with
that part of the wall. The breadth of the wall varies from
.40 m. to .60 m. At r', r' were found two pieces of Byzantine
or Turkish wall, and at/' a late grave.
The large circular wall is essentially a retaining-wall.
Its main strength is afforded by a heavy wall of unworked
stones piled upon one another and fitted together without the
use of clamps or mortar. Its thickness varies from .80 m. to
one metre. The mode of construction is indicated in the
section, Fig. 2. This rough wall was originally masked with
a facing of breccia, which has been entirely destroyed in its
upper part. Enough remains of the lower courses to give a
fair idea of what it originally was. It consisted of the usual
Greek basement of three steps, upon which rested a vertical
wall of about .40 m. in thickness and of unknown height.
The wall is best x^reserved near the eastern end, where (through
x y) the section (Pig. 2) is taken. There are here preserved
three courses of the wall. The lowest is a range of ortliostatcti,
or stones set on edge, .40 m. in thickness and 1.30 m. in
height (about 4 Greek feet). Their length varies from 1.50 to
3 metres. Upon these lies a band of unpolished red marble
.30 m. high and .70 m. broad, having cut upon its upper face
a broad, shallow channel to form a bed for the next course of
stones above. This consists again of ortlwstatai, here .97 m.
(3 Greek feet) high and .43 m. thick. Only one of these blocks
is still preserved in situ. The steps of the basement vary in
height and width, as shown in the section. The broadest and
highest is that at the bottom and the narrowest and lowest is
the uppermost one. The top step has on its upper face a joint-
ing surface, slightly hollowed, for the reception of the ortho-
statai, as is shown in the section. The entire wall is sup-
EXCAVATIONS AT SPARTA.
the bed-rock, being nearly white (slightly creamy in tint) and
very soft. It can be cut with a dull knife and scratched with
the finger nail. In most cases the bed-rock has been cut to fit
these poros blocks. At e e was found, only a few inches below
the surface, a wall, 7 in. long, of excellent Hellenic con-
struction, consisting of rectangular blocks of hard limestone,
varying slightly in length and breadth and carefully fitted
without the use of clamps or mortar. A small depression in
the rock at the eastern end is filled with a bit of polygonally
fitted pavement, the upper surface of which is continuous with
that part of the wall. The breadth of the wall varies from
.40 m. to .60 m. At r', r' were found two pieces of Byzantine
or Turkish wall, and at/' a late grave.
The large circular wall is essentially a retaining-wall.
Its main strength is afforded by a heavy wall of unworked
stones piled upon one another and fitted together without the
use of clamps or mortar. Its thickness varies from .80 m. to
one metre. The mode of construction is indicated in the
section, Fig. 2. This rough wall was originally masked with
a facing of breccia, which has been entirely destroyed in its
upper part. Enough remains of the lower courses to give a
fair idea of what it originally was. It consisted of the usual
Greek basement of three steps, upon which rested a vertical
wall of about .40 m. in thickness and of unknown height.
The wall is best x^reserved near the eastern end, where (through
x y) the section (Pig. 2) is taken. There are here preserved
three courses of the wall. The lowest is a range of ortliostatcti,
or stones set on edge, .40 m. in thickness and 1.30 m. in
height (about 4 Greek feet). Their length varies from 1.50 to
3 metres. Upon these lies a band of unpolished red marble
.30 m. high and .70 m. broad, having cut upon its upper face
a broad, shallow channel to form a bed for the next course of
stones above. This consists again of ortlwstatai, here .97 m.
(3 Greek feet) high and .43 m. thick. Only one of these blocks
is still preserved in situ. The steps of the basement vary in
height and width, as shown in the section. The broadest and
highest is that at the bottom and the narrowest and lowest is
the uppermost one. The top step has on its upper face a joint-
ing surface, slightly hollowed, for the reception of the ortho-
statai, as is shown in the section. The entire wall is sup-