Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (2.1989/90(1991))

beginning of the 7^k century. The parallel room 19 is smaller, but it was preceded by a
porch of two columns, later walled in front and equipped with a tannur. The eastern
wing of this part of the house still awaits excavation.

Fig. 2. A stucco fragment found in Room 20.

We also conducted this year a limited programme of stratigraphic investigation
behind the apse of the basilica excavated in 1989. The results are interesting: it appears
that the apse was not part of the original 2*^ century building, as was thought earlier
because of the style of the decoration of its arch, but that it was built especially for the
church, while borrowing the voussoirs and the imposts of the arch from another
monument. Pottery evidence points to the 4^ century as the date of the church and this
is confirmed by a coin of Constantius II as Caesar (324-337), found on the floor upon
which the apse was erected. For this purpose, the shops lining the street alongside the
original basilica were dismantled, their doors blocked, and the whole sector transformed
first into two, then into one big room accessible from the porch in front of the church.
The dependency of the church was destroyed and filled up in the late or early 7tk
century, but the aisle itself survived until the 8^ century, as described in my 1989
report.

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