Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (17.2005(2007))

NEA PAPHOS

CYPRUS

on the higher level was plundered by stone-
robbers, making it impossible to recon-
struct the exact room dimensions. The
width was probably about 0.52 m. In such
a case, Room 29, which is immediately to
the west, extended 2.35 m E-W. Its length
was probably 5.30 m, but its northernmost
part is yet to be uncovered. The mosaic floor
is preserved northward only 3.85 m from
the south wall. The entire northern part of
this room had been damaged by the same
modern trench, which had disturbed the
northern part of Room 24 and the western
part of Room 24N. The west wall of Room
29 was 0.51 m wide. The mosaic floor
consists of large blue and white tesserae,
c. 2-3 cm in size.
Room 31, found further west, extends
1.80 m E-W; no more than c. 1.50 m of its
length has been excavated so far. A similar
plain mosaic floor was preserved at the
EASTERN PART OF THE
Excavation in the area south of the Villa of
Theseus {Figs 11, 12} have shown that the
ruins of the Hellenistic House were
removed in the northern part when the Villa
of Theseus was erected over it and north of
it on a lower level. Much later, a Byzantine
enclosure wall was built to the south of the
Villa and above the Hellenistic House.9 The
southern face of the Byzantine wall was
uncovered and a long block c. 0.75 m long,
visible in the south face, interpreted as an
entrance threshold 0.52 m wide. It was
situated 1.20 m above the floors of the
Hellenistic House. The foundation of the
Byzantine wall is of the fill-in type, 0.90 to
1.00 m deep, and is much wider than the
wall (c. 0.52 m). The layer, which contained

southern end of this room. Further west, the
southeastern corner of another room (32)
was partly excavated, but no floor was
found.
A long narrow corridor, Room 30, ex-
tended between Rooms 31 and 12E; it was
a mere 1.37-1.40 m wide N-S. Almost 4 m
of its length were uncovered, but it seems to
continue to the west, possibly joining a nar-
row space uncovered north of Room 12 W. If
so, it would measure 8.85 m E-W. A test pit
dug in its eastern part uncovered a Roman
wall and floor with traces of fire and below
it, a Hellenistic stratum, yielding a virtually
intact unguentarium of the Aegean type.
The layout explored so far suggests non-
residential function for this part of the
House of Aion. The structure appears to
have been auxiliary with regard to the
Roman palace (Villa of Theseus); it could
possibly have been a school (?).
HELLENISTIC HOUSE
Late Roman pottery, was limited to the
topmost 0.40-0.60 m, including humus
and top fill. Pottery included Cypriot Red
Slip Ware forms H2, H9/10, Phocaean Red
Slip Ware Hayes forms 1 and 3, and
amphora fragments of the 4th century; some
probably medieval coarse pottery was found
in the top layer.
Two rooms of the Hellenistic House
(9E and 10E), south of the Byzantine
enclosure wall, were excavated. Room 9E is
situated behind Room 6S (both are 4.75 m
long N-S, while 9E is narrower on the
north (2.60 m) compared to the south
(2.95 m). Room 10E lies east of Room 6N.
Both were 5 m long N-S, and again the
northern side of Room 10E was narrower

9 BCH 111 (1987), 683-685, Figs 34-38.

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