DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2532#0093
72
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
end of the Lower Stoa. The rude square turret-shaped wall at the southeast end of
the second platform was so clearly manifest that, after digging in the interior of this
square tower, I at once erected a Phylakeion (XI on the Plan) over this to contain our
tools and give some shelter against the sun during our midday recess. This was the
only spot where I could predict that no further excavations would be needed. From the
report to the committee quoted above, it will be seen that I did not expect to find so
large a site and so many buildings. The fact that prevkras " excavations " had been
conducted, and the reference of Pausanias to only one building, the Second Temple, and
to the burnt ruins of another, the older temple, naturally led me to suppose that we
had only to clear away the surface of the temple, to explore the Old Temple platform,
and to make out the meaning of the isolated walls to the southwest, in order to com-
plete our excavation of the site and to supplement the imperfect work done in previous
years.
Instead of this we have found nine separate buildings, each of considerable dimensions
Fig,
Site of the Old Temple Platform before Excavation
and importance, and remains of several other structures and walls. Moreover, the work
done at the two temples could only be termed " scratching " the surface, and the system
of going to the lowest depths, to bed-rock, on these sites has been proved by our finds
to be one of the first principles of excavation.
When Ave began our work, in 1892, there were no indications of ancient remains
beyond those mentioned above. The Second Temple platform (Fig. 36) was nothing
but a rough, stony, ploughed field, and the upper terrace as well as all the other parts
of the sanctuary presented the same aspect (Fig. 37).
I have given a fuller account of our first year's work in a separate publication.1 Dr.
Brownson has also written special papers on the results of that year's digging in the
American Journal of Archaeology (Vol. VIII. [1893], pp. 205 ff.). Mr. Fox's excellent
plans of the excavations in that year will be found in the Twelfth Annual Report of
the School. These papers and works have been reprinted in the Paper* of the Ameri-
can School at Athens, Vol. VI. But in attempting to give a short history of the excava-
tions themselves during our four successive campaigns, I will here quote from my Reports
to the Committee of the American School, written towards the close of the excavations
in 1892, and of each succeeding year.
1 Excavations of the A merican School at the Heraion of A rgos, 1S92.
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
end of the Lower Stoa. The rude square turret-shaped wall at the southeast end of
the second platform was so clearly manifest that, after digging in the interior of this
square tower, I at once erected a Phylakeion (XI on the Plan) over this to contain our
tools and give some shelter against the sun during our midday recess. This was the
only spot where I could predict that no further excavations would be needed. From the
report to the committee quoted above, it will be seen that I did not expect to find so
large a site and so many buildings. The fact that prevkras " excavations " had been
conducted, and the reference of Pausanias to only one building, the Second Temple, and
to the burnt ruins of another, the older temple, naturally led me to suppose that we
had only to clear away the surface of the temple, to explore the Old Temple platform,
and to make out the meaning of the isolated walls to the southwest, in order to com-
plete our excavation of the site and to supplement the imperfect work done in previous
years.
Instead of this we have found nine separate buildings, each of considerable dimensions
Fig,
Site of the Old Temple Platform before Excavation
and importance, and remains of several other structures and walls. Moreover, the work
done at the two temples could only be termed " scratching " the surface, and the system
of going to the lowest depths, to bed-rock, on these sites has been proved by our finds
to be one of the first principles of excavation.
When Ave began our work, in 1892, there were no indications of ancient remains
beyond those mentioned above. The Second Temple platform (Fig. 36) was nothing
but a rough, stony, ploughed field, and the upper terrace as well as all the other parts
of the sanctuary presented the same aspect (Fig. 37).
I have given a fuller account of our first year's work in a separate publication.1 Dr.
Brownson has also written special papers on the results of that year's digging in the
American Journal of Archaeology (Vol. VIII. [1893], pp. 205 ff.). Mr. Fox's excellent
plans of the excavations in that year will be found in the Twelfth Annual Report of
the School. These papers and works have been reprinted in the Paper* of the Ameri-
can School at Athens, Vol. VI. But in attempting to give a short history of the excava-
tions themselves during our four successive campaigns, I will here quote from my Reports
to the Committee of the American School, written towards the close of the excavations
in 1892, and of each succeeding year.
1 Excavations of the A merican School at the Heraion of A rgos, 1S92.