Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (10.1998(1999))

NEA PAPHOS

CYPRUS

VILLA OF THESEUS

A small trial pit (1 x 1 m) was dug in the
southwestern corner of the west portico (no.
5), taking advantage of the opportunity
provided by the lifting of the mosaic floor.
It was found that the foundation of the E-
W wall separating the portico from R24
was made of irregular stones laid in a nar-
row trench. The wall adjoins the east wall
of R20, but is not interjoined with it. At a
depth of ca. 40 cm, the foundation runs
parallel to an oblong, well-dressed block
with traces of plaster. The block, 0.22 m
wide and visible for 0.86 m, appears to be
part of an earlier wall not connected with
the Villa. The narrow space between the
block and the foundation was filled with
brown soil which yielded a few sherds of
Hellenistic amphorae. In the fill on the
other side of the block, some sherds of
black-glazed pottery of the late 4th and 3rd
cent. BC were uncovered at a depth of ca.
0.60 m below the floor. Yet another similar
block runs parallel (i.e., N-S) to the south

wall of R20, but stops short of joining the
E-W block. The bulk of the pottery from
the pit ranges from sherds of lst-cent. BC
tableware (e.g. ESA £.3/4 and 22) found in
the lower part of the fill above the blocks,
to fragments of amphorae of the Pseudo Cos
en cloche, Roman amphora no. 45 from the
House of Dionysos, and Mau 27/28, found
in the upper part. These vessels allow the
layer under the mosaic to be dated to the
early 3rd cent. AD.
On the other side of the Villa, in front
of R86 of the east wing, remains of debris
were removed with a view to clearing
completely the Roman street running par-
allel to the facade of the Villa. In between
the stone blocks, a few fragments of thin-
walled cups (urnetta a collarino type) were
found, probably dated to the 3rd cent.
AD. Under the blocks and on the street
surface some sherds of CR Slip f.lB of the
second half of the 4th cent. AD were
uncovered. Found among the street cob-



Fig. 5. Bronze figurine of Eros standing upon
a theater mask. Found in Hellenistic
House, R9 (Drawing M. Droste)


*5.
Fig. 6. Stone table. Found in Early
Roman House
(Drawing M. Smola)

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