DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4945#0052
Excavations of 1904-5. 41
assume that we had found the limit of Primitive structures on the south flank
also. The position of these fragments of the south wall is shown on the plan
{Atlas II.). One of them, it will be observed, lies west of the Primitive
western wall, and must, therefore, be presumed to be part of one of the western
antae. Great difficulty was experienced in investigating the foundations of
these fragments and even in keeping them clear of water long enough to
measure them, since it was to the south-western region of the site that the
steam pump was drawing the drainage. In getting down to them in two pits
near the end of the west wall we found several objects in the earth packed
between and under later foundation blocks. On the top of the Croesus founda-
tion, just at the point where the distinction between it and the overlying
Hellenistic blocks was clearly marked, lay several candle-lamps and fragments.
From —3"90 down to — 4-30 occurred fragments of painted pottery and a
bronze gryphon-head, together with many bronze fragments, an ivory statuette,
and an ivory ram.
On the west the limit was less quickly found, partly because the larger
space, which had to be dug over, proved more productive both of early
structures and objects than any other region on the site except the central
Basis. With the exception of the denuded axial belt, already mentioned, almost
the whole of this area was covered with massive blocks of Croesus foundation
laid evenly upon a clay bed, and presenting an upper surface so accurately
levelled and fitted that it might have been supposed to be a pavement, had
we not already observed elsewhere the slabs which formed the true floor.
These blocks were all removed by us up to the line of the west wall of the
Croesus cclla. Along the extreme flanks of the area foundations of a
different kind (continuous with those already described north and south of
the Basis) filled up the remaining space as far as the north and south walls of
the Croesus cella, and overlay the Primitive bounding walls on each flank.
We began on May 16th to open out the structure projecting before the
west wall of the basis and supposed in the previous season to be pavement,
but could not get down to the bottom of it till the Basis itself had been cleared
out to the sand, and could be used to drain off the water from its immediate
neighbourhood. The clay bed of the Croesus foundations had been removed
at this point as well as the foundation-blocks themselves, and the superficial
rubbish was much mixed with sunken fragments of the Croesus stratum,
among which we had found in the earlier season a piece of the Parapet,
showing the trunk and neck of a draped sword-girt figure, and now we
found a fragment of a lion gargoyle. On the 18th, after breaking a drainage
<;
assume that we had found the limit of Primitive structures on the south flank
also. The position of these fragments of the south wall is shown on the plan
{Atlas II.). One of them, it will be observed, lies west of the Primitive
western wall, and must, therefore, be presumed to be part of one of the western
antae. Great difficulty was experienced in investigating the foundations of
these fragments and even in keeping them clear of water long enough to
measure them, since it was to the south-western region of the site that the
steam pump was drawing the drainage. In getting down to them in two pits
near the end of the west wall we found several objects in the earth packed
between and under later foundation blocks. On the top of the Croesus founda-
tion, just at the point where the distinction between it and the overlying
Hellenistic blocks was clearly marked, lay several candle-lamps and fragments.
From —3"90 down to — 4-30 occurred fragments of painted pottery and a
bronze gryphon-head, together with many bronze fragments, an ivory statuette,
and an ivory ram.
On the west the limit was less quickly found, partly because the larger
space, which had to be dug over, proved more productive both of early
structures and objects than any other region on the site except the central
Basis. With the exception of the denuded axial belt, already mentioned, almost
the whole of this area was covered with massive blocks of Croesus foundation
laid evenly upon a clay bed, and presenting an upper surface so accurately
levelled and fitted that it might have been supposed to be a pavement, had
we not already observed elsewhere the slabs which formed the true floor.
These blocks were all removed by us up to the line of the west wall of the
Croesus cclla. Along the extreme flanks of the area foundations of a
different kind (continuous with those already described north and south of
the Basis) filled up the remaining space as far as the north and south walls of
the Croesus cella, and overlay the Primitive bounding walls on each flank.
We began on May 16th to open out the structure projecting before the
west wall of the basis and supposed in the previous season to be pavement,
but could not get down to the bottom of it till the Basis itself had been cleared
out to the sand, and could be used to drain off the water from its immediate
neighbourhood. The clay bed of the Croesus foundations had been removed
at this point as well as the foundation-blocks themselves, and the superficial
rubbish was much mixed with sunken fragments of the Croesus stratum,
among which we had found in the earlier season a piece of the Parapet,
showing the trunk and neck of a draped sword-girt figure, and now we
found a fragment of a lion gargoyle. On the 18th, after breaking a drainage
<;