DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.47495#0033
2.1 The Stratigraphy of the Tetragonos Agora (P. Scherrer)
9
When King Lysimachus founded Hellenistic Arsinoeia (between 294 and 281 B.C.), as he called Ephesus,
a terraced, but still slightly inclined (to the west) area of at least 95 x 125 m seems to have been singled out
for the commercial market, but finds of this time are almost completely missing up to now. Above the rubble
clay layers covering the ground walls of the devastated village of Smyrna (Fig. 6, layer no. 5, upper part) a
thick strong layer (Fig. 6, no. 6) of light to greyish or dark brown clay formed the walking level of the new
Agora (height at roughly 0.90 to 1.10 m above today’s sea level) and at the same time isolated the market
place against the ground water. This layer already covered a groundwater well, which contained some Chian
and other wine amphorae and a set of dishes, including Attic black glazed ware. On the uppermost level was
unearthed a terracotta figurine of Cybele. The well must have been in use only for a brief period and was
ritually filled up in the years shortly after 300 B.C., probably when the last Smymaeans left their homes or, at
the latest, when the Agora level was to be finished31.
Fig. 9 Profile 3: Agora; trench 95/1; Roman West Stoa; west-east profile through eastern part of basement
(for exact position see Fig. 12).
The architectural formation of the Hellenistic Agora (Fig. 8) with a market building in the south-western
comer (building H-WSS) did not take place before the years around 270/260 B.C. This building, of about 43.4
m length, consisted of two rows of nine almost square rooms. Colonnades on the west (street) and east (Agora
courtyard) sides may belong to the original plan or be additional features. In the later third century B.C., after
a further heightening and thus levelling of the Agora walking horizon (Figs. 6 and 7) at a distance of 5 m to the
north, a second stoa-like, but non-canonical market building (H-WSN) with one large and five smaller rooms
and a wide colonnaded hall was erected (Figs. 7 and 9). These two buildings have largely been excavated, but
Roman activities have not left us much more than the foundations. In between and along the east side, that is,
in the Agora courtyard, the pebbled Street layer V and the slightly higher similar level Street IV formed the
walking horizons outside the halls 1.80/1.90 m above modem sea level. Street IV was probably added as a
correction soon after. In these streets an open drainage channel of about 2 m width was cut. Probably because
31 Forstenpointner et al. 1993; Soykal 1993; for the Attic drinking set see: Trinkl 2006, 188 Fig. 176; 191 Fig. 178.
9
When King Lysimachus founded Hellenistic Arsinoeia (between 294 and 281 B.C.), as he called Ephesus,
a terraced, but still slightly inclined (to the west) area of at least 95 x 125 m seems to have been singled out
for the commercial market, but finds of this time are almost completely missing up to now. Above the rubble
clay layers covering the ground walls of the devastated village of Smyrna (Fig. 6, layer no. 5, upper part) a
thick strong layer (Fig. 6, no. 6) of light to greyish or dark brown clay formed the walking level of the new
Agora (height at roughly 0.90 to 1.10 m above today’s sea level) and at the same time isolated the market
place against the ground water. This layer already covered a groundwater well, which contained some Chian
and other wine amphorae and a set of dishes, including Attic black glazed ware. On the uppermost level was
unearthed a terracotta figurine of Cybele. The well must have been in use only for a brief period and was
ritually filled up in the years shortly after 300 B.C., probably when the last Smymaeans left their homes or, at
the latest, when the Agora level was to be finished31.
Fig. 9 Profile 3: Agora; trench 95/1; Roman West Stoa; west-east profile through eastern part of basement
(for exact position see Fig. 12).
The architectural formation of the Hellenistic Agora (Fig. 8) with a market building in the south-western
comer (building H-WSS) did not take place before the years around 270/260 B.C. This building, of about 43.4
m length, consisted of two rows of nine almost square rooms. Colonnades on the west (street) and east (Agora
courtyard) sides may belong to the original plan or be additional features. In the later third century B.C., after
a further heightening and thus levelling of the Agora walking horizon (Figs. 6 and 7) at a distance of 5 m to the
north, a second stoa-like, but non-canonical market building (H-WSN) with one large and five smaller rooms
and a wide colonnaded hall was erected (Figs. 7 and 9). These two buildings have largely been excavated, but
Roman activities have not left us much more than the foundations. In between and along the east side, that is,
in the Agora courtyard, the pebbled Street layer V and the slightly higher similar level Street IV formed the
walking horizons outside the halls 1.80/1.90 m above modem sea level. Street IV was probably added as a
correction soon after. In these streets an open drainage channel of about 2 m width was cut. Probably because
31 Forstenpointner et al. 1993; Soykal 1993; for the Attic drinking set see: Trinkl 2006, 188 Fig. 176; 191 Fig. 178.
