Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (4.1992(1993))

bones carried out by Dr. Melody Domurad^ identified the
skeleton as belonging to a young woman about 19-20 years of
age. The cause of death was the crushing of the backbone by a
great stone block. The woman led an active, but not exhausting
life, was in good health, had perfect teeth and had presumably
one child. No personal belongings accompanied her relics
suggesting that the earthquake had probably surprised her in her
sleep.
In the southern part of room 11 there was a staircase made
of large stone blocks on a bedding of earth. The five bottom steps
have been preserved. They led to a courtyard adjoining room 11
on the west. Two separate entrances opened from the courtyard
directly into the building. One led into room 11, the other led up
the steps to a room which must have been located above room 10.
Pottery and fragments of a terracotta oil lamp found in the debris
of room 11 and in the courtyard confirm the dating of the
destruction of the building to the second half of the 1" century
A.D.
Excavations in the western part of the southern peristyle
have revealed the debris of the southern wall of the portico
separating the building from the street which took its course
directly along the southern side of the house. It is surprising that
so many well dressed limestone blocks from this wall have
remained there, while most of the colonnade and the stylobate

^ Dr. Melody Domurad, an anthropologist from Boston, member of the
British Archaeological Mission at Lemba directed by Dr. E. Peltenburgh, was
kind enough to examine the skeleton. I would like to thank her warmly for her
help and express my gratitude to the director of the British Mission for this
neighbourly favour.

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