DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.74781#0012
11
1 STRATIGRAPHY AND CONTEXT OF THE AMBER
FINDS
1.1 METHODS OF EXCAVATION AND PROCESSING: EXCAVATION AND
RECONSTRUCTION OF THE STRATIGRAPHY
The archaeological exploration of the Artemision between 1965 and 1993 by the Austrian Archae-
ological Institute (OeAI) under the direction of A. Bammer, was mainly carried out as a metrical
or arbitrary excavation (»Abhubgrabung«)\ after its beginnings as a dredging excavation. It was
not until the year 1994 that a stratified excavation was executed2.
In preparation, the entire excavation area was divided according to an orthogonal coordinate
system, which was fixed to the edges of the Late Classical altar of Dipteros 2, namely the altar
east edge (AOK) and the altar south edge (ASK) (plan 1). This internal excavation system is rela-
ted to the axes of the temple and altar, which deviate slightly from magnetic north3. All trenches
(with a few exceptions) were basically oriented to this system. Also, the heights were related to
the internal survey system of the excavation. They refer to a local zero point, which was fixed at
the foundation of the Late Classical altar, i.e. +0.888 m above sea level4 (see plans 1 and 2 for the
following remarks).
The excavation was carried out as a trench excavation according to a metrical system5. Only
occasionally was consideration given to stratigraphic elements identified during the excavation,
such as different floors and layers. This inevitably means that natural strata were ignored and fre-
quently intersected. As a consequence, finds from the same natural layer were found in different
excavation units; on the other hand, the metrical units often contain material from two or more
natural layers. Therefore, the actual stratigraphy had to be reconstructed afterwards. The metrical
excavation unit (»Fundkiste«) in itself is not a stratigraphic unit but a self-defined unit (pl. 1, 1).
This fact was often misunderstood in the older literature on the Artemision, which sometimes
created pseudo-contexts6.
The metrical excavation units were given a unique number consisting of the excavation year
and a serial number (e.g. 892938 = excavation year [19]89 + serial number 2938). A similar height
of two numbers does not always say anything about the spatial relationship between them, since
serial numbers can also be located in different trenches. In the older publications a K (»Kiste« =
box) was placed in between (e.g. 89 K 2938). However, since this letter is meaningless, it is now
omitted. Instead, one or more zeros are placed between the year and the serial number to achieve
a consistent six-digit number sequence, as is necessary for entry into the digital finds database.
During the excavation, each trench was divided into stripes of basically 1x1m7. These stripes
were excavated in metrical or artificial spits (»Abhub«), the height of which varied. As a rule, it
1 WeiBl 2002,315. For the metrical or arbitrary excavation see Bammer - Muss 1996, 20; Kerschner et al. 1999, 49.
51 n. 16; Kerschner - Konuk 2020, 156 f.; Praetzellis 1993.
2 Kersclmer 1997.
3 Ohnesorg 2007a, 4 f. (with literature on older measurements).
4 Bammer 1982, 62; Kersclmer et al. 1999, 51; Ohnesorg 2007a, 3 f. for remapping.
5 On the method and its faults: Harris 1989, 15-20 (»arbitrary excavation«); Praetzellis 1993, 68-86 (»metrical
excavation«).
6 Misleading equation of a metrical excavation unit with a natural layer i.e. in: Bammer - Muss 2013, 155 f.
7 On the excavation system, its problems as well as its possibilities and limits of evaluation: Kersclmer et al. 1999,
49-51; WeiBl 2002, 314 f; Kersclmer 2011, 19-21; Kersclmer - Konuk 2020, 155-162.
1 STRATIGRAPHY AND CONTEXT OF THE AMBER
FINDS
1.1 METHODS OF EXCAVATION AND PROCESSING: EXCAVATION AND
RECONSTRUCTION OF THE STRATIGRAPHY
The archaeological exploration of the Artemision between 1965 and 1993 by the Austrian Archae-
ological Institute (OeAI) under the direction of A. Bammer, was mainly carried out as a metrical
or arbitrary excavation (»Abhubgrabung«)\ after its beginnings as a dredging excavation. It was
not until the year 1994 that a stratified excavation was executed2.
In preparation, the entire excavation area was divided according to an orthogonal coordinate
system, which was fixed to the edges of the Late Classical altar of Dipteros 2, namely the altar
east edge (AOK) and the altar south edge (ASK) (plan 1). This internal excavation system is rela-
ted to the axes of the temple and altar, which deviate slightly from magnetic north3. All trenches
(with a few exceptions) were basically oriented to this system. Also, the heights were related to
the internal survey system of the excavation. They refer to a local zero point, which was fixed at
the foundation of the Late Classical altar, i.e. +0.888 m above sea level4 (see plans 1 and 2 for the
following remarks).
The excavation was carried out as a trench excavation according to a metrical system5. Only
occasionally was consideration given to stratigraphic elements identified during the excavation,
such as different floors and layers. This inevitably means that natural strata were ignored and fre-
quently intersected. As a consequence, finds from the same natural layer were found in different
excavation units; on the other hand, the metrical units often contain material from two or more
natural layers. Therefore, the actual stratigraphy had to be reconstructed afterwards. The metrical
excavation unit (»Fundkiste«) in itself is not a stratigraphic unit but a self-defined unit (pl. 1, 1).
This fact was often misunderstood in the older literature on the Artemision, which sometimes
created pseudo-contexts6.
The metrical excavation units were given a unique number consisting of the excavation year
and a serial number (e.g. 892938 = excavation year [19]89 + serial number 2938). A similar height
of two numbers does not always say anything about the spatial relationship between them, since
serial numbers can also be located in different trenches. In the older publications a K (»Kiste« =
box) was placed in between (e.g. 89 K 2938). However, since this letter is meaningless, it is now
omitted. Instead, one or more zeros are placed between the year and the serial number to achieve
a consistent six-digit number sequence, as is necessary for entry into the digital finds database.
During the excavation, each trench was divided into stripes of basically 1x1m7. These stripes
were excavated in metrical or artificial spits (»Abhub«), the height of which varied. As a rule, it
1 WeiBl 2002,315. For the metrical or arbitrary excavation see Bammer - Muss 1996, 20; Kerschner et al. 1999, 49.
51 n. 16; Kerschner - Konuk 2020, 156 f.; Praetzellis 1993.
2 Kersclmer 1997.
3 Ohnesorg 2007a, 4 f. (with literature on older measurements).
4 Bammer 1982, 62; Kersclmer et al. 1999, 51; Ohnesorg 2007a, 3 f. for remapping.
5 On the method and its faults: Harris 1989, 15-20 (»arbitrary excavation«); Praetzellis 1993, 68-86 (»metrical
excavation«).
6 Misleading equation of a metrical excavation unit with a natural layer i.e. in: Bammer - Muss 2013, 155 f.
7 On the excavation system, its problems as well as its possibilities and limits of evaluation: Kersclmer et al. 1999,
49-51; WeiBl 2002, 314 f; Kersclmer 2011, 19-21; Kersclmer - Konuk 2020, 155-162.
