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

212

EXCAVATIONS AT SPARTA.

These are indicated on Fig. 1 by the ruled surfaces. Only
two stones of the next (the narrow) course above are pre-
served, and only one block of the second range of ortliostatai.
These last stones are all at the western corner.

From the point s the ortliostatai have been removed from
position and a very roughly built wall of breccia blocks of
various sizes built in their place. These blocks are laid upon
one another carelessly without fitting or fastening of any
kind, and no attempt has been made to give the wall a
smooth outer face ; it is such a wall as might be hurriedly
constructed for purposes of defense. N"o mortar or clamps
are used, and a large block of marble, an architectural frag-
ment, has been built in with the breccia.

As stated above, the circular wall is joined at its western
extremity by a second wall of similar construction and
likewise curved. It also has the rough stone supporting
wall and the facing of breccia resting upon a basement of
three steps. The two walls are joined at their meeting point
with much skill and are apparently contemporary. The only
difference in their method of construction is that, answering
to the ortliostatai in the former wall, we have in the latter
four quadrilateral blocks carefully joined, thus :

The combined height of the two courses is exactly that of
the ortliostatai to which they correspond.

Unfortunately this wall is preserved for a length of only
2.25 m., when it is interrupted by the Byzantine church. As
the level of the church is below that of the wall, all traces of
the latter have been destroyed and it is now impossible to
state how far it extended. Possibly it formed a semicircle,
or even a larger arc, and like the longer wall supported the
earth of a second mound since entirely destroyed. The
ground lies so low west of the Byzantine church that it is
hard to believe that any further remains of the wall could be