DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4945#0031
20 The Archaic Artemisia of Ephesus.
istic head and fragmentary architectural sculpture of the Roman period at a
high level; but no trace of a building of any importance was found. At a depth
of 8 metres, at a level roughly corresponding with that of the paved court-yard
surrounding the Temple platform, a patch of pavement of polygonal marble
blocks came to light, with sherds of the 6th and 5th centuries immediately
overlying it and a layer of mortar above these. Upon a trial being made
further west at the same level, this pavement was not again found, and indeed
the second pit led to no discoveries whatever. Professor Benndorf then
abandoned the enterprise, and eventually allowed me to use his large pits as
receptacles for dumps.
Before our excavation began, the central part of the site offered a deep
hollow coinciding on the west and east very nearly with the limits of the
Hellenistic peristyle, but on the north and south extending to the lowest steps.
In this hollow space some fragments of the Croesus stratum were visible here
and there to anyone who succeeded in penetrating the brake with which all the
area was overgrown. Upon the western and eastern ends of the site, however,
Wood had thrown the dumps of his last two seasons, and his mounds rose green
and shrubby to elevations varying from 6 feet to 15 feet above the Croesus
stratum. Mounds of less height (4 feet to 10 feet) covered the lateral limits of
the Hellenistic platform, north and south. It was obviously politic to clear first
the hollow and least encumbered space, and so expose the area of cclla and
peristyle, and to leave the deeply covered extensions of the platform and the
steps, east and west, for further consideration.
The dense growth, which choked the hollow, was mainly rooted in mounds
of loose earth and stones, overlying the Croesus platform. These were the
result of Wood's latest operations, especially his demolition of the " church "
piers by blasting. In the intervals between these mounds lay pools at various
levels, relics of spring inundation, which were prevented from escaping to the
true level of the ground-water by the massive foundations of the Croesus
Temple, laid on an impervious clay bed, and from evaporating by the thick
screen of vegetation. After the brake had been cleared, an operation which
took the greater part of a week, the sun soon sucked up this surface water, and
no more was met with in the autumn season above the Croesus pavement.
When, however, work had to be resumed in the succeeding March, alter a very
rainy winter, the general level of ground-water had risen to '95 above the
pavement of the Croesus peristyle, and by the end of June had not fallen below
that pavement. All work, therefore, on the Croesus level and below it had to
be done in 1905 with the help of a powerful steam-pump.
istic head and fragmentary architectural sculpture of the Roman period at a
high level; but no trace of a building of any importance was found. At a depth
of 8 metres, at a level roughly corresponding with that of the paved court-yard
surrounding the Temple platform, a patch of pavement of polygonal marble
blocks came to light, with sherds of the 6th and 5th centuries immediately
overlying it and a layer of mortar above these. Upon a trial being made
further west at the same level, this pavement was not again found, and indeed
the second pit led to no discoveries whatever. Professor Benndorf then
abandoned the enterprise, and eventually allowed me to use his large pits as
receptacles for dumps.
Before our excavation began, the central part of the site offered a deep
hollow coinciding on the west and east very nearly with the limits of the
Hellenistic peristyle, but on the north and south extending to the lowest steps.
In this hollow space some fragments of the Croesus stratum were visible here
and there to anyone who succeeded in penetrating the brake with which all the
area was overgrown. Upon the western and eastern ends of the site, however,
Wood had thrown the dumps of his last two seasons, and his mounds rose green
and shrubby to elevations varying from 6 feet to 15 feet above the Croesus
stratum. Mounds of less height (4 feet to 10 feet) covered the lateral limits of
the Hellenistic platform, north and south. It was obviously politic to clear first
the hollow and least encumbered space, and so expose the area of cclla and
peristyle, and to leave the deeply covered extensions of the platform and the
steps, east and west, for further consideration.
The dense growth, which choked the hollow, was mainly rooted in mounds
of loose earth and stones, overlying the Croesus platform. These were the
result of Wood's latest operations, especially his demolition of the " church "
piers by blasting. In the intervals between these mounds lay pools at various
levels, relics of spring inundation, which were prevented from escaping to the
true level of the ground-water by the massive foundations of the Croesus
Temple, laid on an impervious clay bed, and from evaporating by the thick
screen of vegetation. After the brake had been cleared, an operation which
took the greater part of a week, the sun soon sucked up this surface water, and
no more was met with in the autumn season above the Croesus pavement.
When, however, work had to be resumed in the succeeding March, alter a very
rainy winter, the general level of ground-water had risen to '95 above the
pavement of the Croesus peristyle, and by the end of June had not fallen below
that pavement. All work, therefore, on the Croesus level and below it had to
be done in 1905 with the help of a powerful steam-pump.