DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4945#0036
Excavations of 1904-5. 25
period later than the Hellenistic. (5) Many large flat-headed bronze nails,
showing traces of gilding, were found scattered over the west centre of the
platform, mostly outside the cella ; these probably belonged to the great western
doors. (6) Two spots, where Wood or some earlier searcher had dumped
sherds and terracotta fragments, were discovered, one in the north-east corner
of the peristyle, another immediately north-east of the south-western anta ;
but these rubbish heaps, though carefully picked over, yielded nothing of any
significance. Nor were any other sherds or terracottas of value found in the
disturbed superficial rubbish on the platform. (7) The meagre list is completed
by a few fragments of stone statuettes, of which one, found on the exposed
plinth of the south-western angle of the Croesus cella wall, alone is of
interest (p. 321, Fig. 101) ; by clay " loom-weights " and whorls ; and by other
small objects of no importance. On the whole it was made evident
that Wood, or his men, had searched the ddbris with very fair diligence,
and left little to reward the loner and tedious task which was set to their
successors.
(6) The Perron, Steps, and Courtyard.—The area of the platform outside
the peristyle had been explored by Wood, as already stated, only as deep as
the level of the peristyle pavement, except in a few isolated spots. Since the
original upper surface of much of that area {e.g., of the steps and probably the
western perron) lay at a level slightly lower still, I had the deposit upon
the greater part of it turned over anew. That overlying the two ends, east
and west, could not be got at until a great part of Wood's higher mounds
had been removed, an undertaking which was entrusted to a contractor at the
beginning of the second season and not completed until far into May. This
tedious and expensive operation proved so unremunerative that, had I been
able to postpone it till the limits of the productive Primitive strata were
definitely known, I should probably not have recommended it at all. But at
the close of the first season we knew only that there was a rich Primitive
stratum of unknown extent; and test-trenches, which I had already driven
through the mounds, although they revealed extreme denudation at both the
east and west ends, had also shown that Wood had not dug in those quarters
quite to the bottom. When the second season opened, the lower levels were
deeply flooded and operations had to be begun on the higher ground without
the possibility of further information about the Primitive strata being obtained
until such time as a steam-pump could be procured. The result was that the
clearance of Wood's east and west dumps was nearly finished before I could
learn that the work was scarcely worth while. It must be admitted, however,
E
period later than the Hellenistic. (5) Many large flat-headed bronze nails,
showing traces of gilding, were found scattered over the west centre of the
platform, mostly outside the cella ; these probably belonged to the great western
doors. (6) Two spots, where Wood or some earlier searcher had dumped
sherds and terracotta fragments, were discovered, one in the north-east corner
of the peristyle, another immediately north-east of the south-western anta ;
but these rubbish heaps, though carefully picked over, yielded nothing of any
significance. Nor were any other sherds or terracottas of value found in the
disturbed superficial rubbish on the platform. (7) The meagre list is completed
by a few fragments of stone statuettes, of which one, found on the exposed
plinth of the south-western angle of the Croesus cella wall, alone is of
interest (p. 321, Fig. 101) ; by clay " loom-weights " and whorls ; and by other
small objects of no importance. On the whole it was made evident
that Wood, or his men, had searched the ddbris with very fair diligence,
and left little to reward the loner and tedious task which was set to their
successors.
(6) The Perron, Steps, and Courtyard.—The area of the platform outside
the peristyle had been explored by Wood, as already stated, only as deep as
the level of the peristyle pavement, except in a few isolated spots. Since the
original upper surface of much of that area {e.g., of the steps and probably the
western perron) lay at a level slightly lower still, I had the deposit upon
the greater part of it turned over anew. That overlying the two ends, east
and west, could not be got at until a great part of Wood's higher mounds
had been removed, an undertaking which was entrusted to a contractor at the
beginning of the second season and not completed until far into May. This
tedious and expensive operation proved so unremunerative that, had I been
able to postpone it till the limits of the productive Primitive strata were
definitely known, I should probably not have recommended it at all. But at
the close of the first season we knew only that there was a rich Primitive
stratum of unknown extent; and test-trenches, which I had already driven
through the mounds, although they revealed extreme denudation at both the
east and west ends, had also shown that Wood had not dug in those quarters
quite to the bottom. When the second season opened, the lower levels were
deeply flooded and operations had to be begun on the higher ground without
the possibility of further information about the Primitive strata being obtained
until such time as a steam-pump could be procured. The result was that the
clearance of Wood's east and west dumps was nearly finished before I could
learn that the work was scarcely worth while. It must be admitted, however,
E