DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45927#0031
1. EXCAVATION HISTORY AND STATE OF RESEARCH
29
identity of the building as an essentially political rather than theatrical monument seemed for the first time to
be firmly established.
E. Fossel’s observation that the marble facing of the analemma walls bore vertical seams, and that the ma-
sonry behind it differed on both sides of these seams, suggested a secondary enlargement. She did not pursue
the point or attempt to offer a date of construction for the original building, and we were left instead with F.
Eichler’s remark: “So bliebe noch die Frage nach dem bisher vergeblich gesuchten alteren Bouleuterion zu
Ibsen.”34
The possibility of an earlier Bouleuterion underlying the standing one had already begun to present itself in
1960 as early remains started to appear in deep trenches in the Prytaneion.35 In spring of 1961, W. Alzinger at-
tempted to test this hypothesis by excavating in the orchestra.36 After lifting the marble paving, the semicircular
space was divided into three north-south segments which were dug in turn (pls. 13, 1-14, 1). Work progressed
in 50 cm layers to a total depth of 1.50 m producing significant numbers of Megarian bowl sherds in addition
to Hellenistic utilitarian wares.37 Two parallel water channels were revealed running down the center and some
scanty remains of walls appeared near the curved podium on the west side (pl. 14, 2). In the east corner of the
orchestra immediately beneath the base molding of the cavea podium was a massive (foundation?) wall pre-
served to three courses. It consisted of large blocks laid without mortar as headers and stretchers and seemed to
represent the northwest corner of some structure which disappeared under the cavea and the pulpitum.3* None
of this, however, could be construed as belonging to theatrical architecture.
Sondages in the “Stierkopfhalle” dug in 1966 revealed an older, single-aisled Hellenistic Stoa with a sty-
lobate ca. 1.30 m deeper than that of what was by this time known to have been an Augustan Basilica.39 In
1968, Alzinger sunk two trenches against the Basilica’s rear wall (S 4/68 and S 8/68)40 and discovered in each
a seam where this late Hellenistic predecessor abutted the front corners of an early building.41 The west corner
was aligned with a wall of large blocks which underlay the east stylobate of the “Rhodian Peristyle” immedi-
ately adjacent to the Bouleuterion.42 The second seam, 28.80 m to the east, suggested another north-south wall
parallel to the first which Alzinger hoped would prove to be the east wall of a Hellenistic Council House. As
this wall had not been picked up in the previous excavations, the orchestra was reopened in 1970, and a broad
trench was dug concurrently in the pulpitum (pls. 15, 1-2). The latter produced foundations which Alzinger
believed to be Hellenistic, but nothing lined up with the seams in the front wall.43 As no further archaeological
evidence seemed likely to appear, W. Alzinger eventually took advantage of the less formal forum a “Fest-
schrift” can provide to present his arguments for the existence of a Hellenistic Bouleuterion beneath the Roman
one (pl. 15, 3).44
While the search for the original Bouleuterion proceeded, excavation was carried out in the narrow corridor
behind the scene wall where the deep water channel had been discovered in 1966.45 Work progressed in seg-
ments from east to west and produced numerous finds including relief sculpture and statuary, but none of this
could be definitely connected with the Bouleuterion. However, fragmentary inscriptions from the canal and
34 Eichler 1966, 9.
35 See the excavation reports: Eichler 1961, 68 f.; Eichler 1962, 38-39. See also below chap. 3.1.
36 For a brief notice on this work, Eichler 1962, 41. A detailed account of the work appears in W. Alzinger’s fieldbooks for 1961
housed in the archive of the Austrian Archaeological Institute in Vienna. See entries for April 24-30 and August 13-15.
37 Eichler 1962, 41. The finds currently could not be retrieved in the depot at the excavation house (A. Giuliani and Ch. Rogl, via
personal communication).
38 An entry in Alzinger’s notebook for April 30, 1961 gives the average block dimensions as 1.00 m 0.50 m 0.80 m. He assumes
this wall to be Hellenistic. The upper surface is visible today and is shown in the state plan (plan 1).
39 Eichler 1967, 20; Eichler 1968, 82.
40 On these trenches s. Mitsopoulos-Leon - Lang-Auinger 2007, 4-8.
41 Alzinger 1988, 23 fig. 4. 5.
42 Scherrer 2000, 84.
43 The sondage in the stage was designated S 6/1970. These excavations are described in Alzinger’s Fieldbook for Spring, 1970, May
1-31. See also chap. 3.1.
44 Alzinger 1988, 21-29; Alzinger 1988, 25 mentions a sondage in the orchestra in 1986, see fig. 18 in this volume. There is no
record on the finds.
45 Brief mentions in Eichler 1967, 16. 20. The work is described in Alzinger’s notebooks for spring, 19661 (along with an inventory
of finds and “Fundskizzen”), and spring, 1968 I, p. 21. The contents of this channel will be published separately.
29
identity of the building as an essentially political rather than theatrical monument seemed for the first time to
be firmly established.
E. Fossel’s observation that the marble facing of the analemma walls bore vertical seams, and that the ma-
sonry behind it differed on both sides of these seams, suggested a secondary enlargement. She did not pursue
the point or attempt to offer a date of construction for the original building, and we were left instead with F.
Eichler’s remark: “So bliebe noch die Frage nach dem bisher vergeblich gesuchten alteren Bouleuterion zu
Ibsen.”34
The possibility of an earlier Bouleuterion underlying the standing one had already begun to present itself in
1960 as early remains started to appear in deep trenches in the Prytaneion.35 In spring of 1961, W. Alzinger at-
tempted to test this hypothesis by excavating in the orchestra.36 After lifting the marble paving, the semicircular
space was divided into three north-south segments which were dug in turn (pls. 13, 1-14, 1). Work progressed
in 50 cm layers to a total depth of 1.50 m producing significant numbers of Megarian bowl sherds in addition
to Hellenistic utilitarian wares.37 Two parallel water channels were revealed running down the center and some
scanty remains of walls appeared near the curved podium on the west side (pl. 14, 2). In the east corner of the
orchestra immediately beneath the base molding of the cavea podium was a massive (foundation?) wall pre-
served to three courses. It consisted of large blocks laid without mortar as headers and stretchers and seemed to
represent the northwest corner of some structure which disappeared under the cavea and the pulpitum.3* None
of this, however, could be construed as belonging to theatrical architecture.
Sondages in the “Stierkopfhalle” dug in 1966 revealed an older, single-aisled Hellenistic Stoa with a sty-
lobate ca. 1.30 m deeper than that of what was by this time known to have been an Augustan Basilica.39 In
1968, Alzinger sunk two trenches against the Basilica’s rear wall (S 4/68 and S 8/68)40 and discovered in each
a seam where this late Hellenistic predecessor abutted the front corners of an early building.41 The west corner
was aligned with a wall of large blocks which underlay the east stylobate of the “Rhodian Peristyle” immedi-
ately adjacent to the Bouleuterion.42 The second seam, 28.80 m to the east, suggested another north-south wall
parallel to the first which Alzinger hoped would prove to be the east wall of a Hellenistic Council House. As
this wall had not been picked up in the previous excavations, the orchestra was reopened in 1970, and a broad
trench was dug concurrently in the pulpitum (pls. 15, 1-2). The latter produced foundations which Alzinger
believed to be Hellenistic, but nothing lined up with the seams in the front wall.43 As no further archaeological
evidence seemed likely to appear, W. Alzinger eventually took advantage of the less formal forum a “Fest-
schrift” can provide to present his arguments for the existence of a Hellenistic Bouleuterion beneath the Roman
one (pl. 15, 3).44
While the search for the original Bouleuterion proceeded, excavation was carried out in the narrow corridor
behind the scene wall where the deep water channel had been discovered in 1966.45 Work progressed in seg-
ments from east to west and produced numerous finds including relief sculpture and statuary, but none of this
could be definitely connected with the Bouleuterion. However, fragmentary inscriptions from the canal and
34 Eichler 1966, 9.
35 See the excavation reports: Eichler 1961, 68 f.; Eichler 1962, 38-39. See also below chap. 3.1.
36 For a brief notice on this work, Eichler 1962, 41. A detailed account of the work appears in W. Alzinger’s fieldbooks for 1961
housed in the archive of the Austrian Archaeological Institute in Vienna. See entries for April 24-30 and August 13-15.
37 Eichler 1962, 41. The finds currently could not be retrieved in the depot at the excavation house (A. Giuliani and Ch. Rogl, via
personal communication).
38 An entry in Alzinger’s notebook for April 30, 1961 gives the average block dimensions as 1.00 m 0.50 m 0.80 m. He assumes
this wall to be Hellenistic. The upper surface is visible today and is shown in the state plan (plan 1).
39 Eichler 1967, 20; Eichler 1968, 82.
40 On these trenches s. Mitsopoulos-Leon - Lang-Auinger 2007, 4-8.
41 Alzinger 1988, 23 fig. 4. 5.
42 Scherrer 2000, 84.
43 The sondage in the stage was designated S 6/1970. These excavations are described in Alzinger’s Fieldbook for Spring, 1970, May
1-31. See also chap. 3.1.
44 Alzinger 1988, 21-29; Alzinger 1988, 25 mentions a sondage in the orchestra in 1986, see fig. 18 in this volume. There is no
record on the finds.
45 Brief mentions in Eichler 1967, 16. 20. The work is described in Alzinger’s notebooks for spring, 19661 (along with an inventory
of finds and “Fundskizzen”), and spring, 1968 I, p. 21. The contents of this channel will be published separately.
