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SPYRIDON :VIARl:\ATOS

Excavations at Thera
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EXCAVATI ONS Kf T I--IERA
I-I II
 ISSN I I O.i-77H5
JSB;s; \lfi0-7036-80-H

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22 PancpisLimiou A\'C, 106 72 A1 hens. Greece

Fax (0 I) 36H996
I I I F. .\RCII /\EOLOG ICAL SOCIETY ,\T ;\ rll t-:NS LlllRARY ?-:o, liX

A:-.'CIEN'I SITES AND MUSEUMS I N ( ;REECE

S PYRIDON MARI NATOS

EXCAVATIONS AT THERA
I-III
1967- 1969 SEASONS

SECOND El>ITION
ATII ENS 1999
EXCAVATI ONS AT T I-IERA l
1967 SEASON
 ~:XCAl'AT IO:-iS AT THERA I
(,\ Preliniinari· Reporl of lhe 11167 Season)•
I, GENERALITIES

• ,,\ n ar,·haeolo.l,!trnl 111\'(>i;liJ.t.tlion on tlw ii-lonJ or Thera wal'- 1•htnncd

many ~-i•ars ai-:-o hy thr writer W5 it was fairly 1·cr-lain lhal al S:f'l\'('r.tl
plan•s lhroughm1L T hcru and Therasia ronsidi"r:ihlt• ruins. ,,•t•rc hitlden.
Tlte qu('slum ha-. sremetl to ripcu during receut y<-ors. ln<ll!t•d 1 ard10.r11l-
o;,:i1~a1 dHwovcries likt• lhal or the Palar-" ut Zakro and new srientilk
papcr-s likr that or Dr. N 1~KO\lt;11 and Dr. lltrnzE~ t lrn,·c 1•ontrih11tNI
add1l10n.tl .-•vul('11(·e for the t \'oltanu: Ueslrm·tioni. tlwory. This Lheor~·.
formulated as i'Mly us l~•:Vi a11d drfi111ll\'ely rxprrs.sed in l!UP, attrib-
ul('d lhe gl'e,1L df'!ttrut'lmn or ~lino,111 Crete ·around l !l-1)0 8.C. l e\ a \'3$l
truption or lhf" Tlter:1.•voll'n11u'!. Cri•l t- would hav•• been 1les.trny('J by u
~erit•s or ticlal wnvei; ~uttl hy rt'Jtt'Hh•,I N1.rlh<1uakts. T iu• majority or th~
1nl1aluttrnts. Wt)Old li11v1• ~d->11udor1t:ll lh,· 1slan,t. The J>alru-es wen"' Jr~lroyc1I
antl went out. (•fuse rore,·er, wilh the exeeption or llw Pala,·e of Kut)s•
sos, w l11d1. lu>w~\'t-1', was 111fwhit(,,J hy a lif'''', A('haeau dynasty. The C\:•
pa11·iolf• ) li11mu1~ fl(•tl lo t.'\'('ry 1>art or lhr .\ led1tcrran('a11, espt•l'ially to
:i.1a111la11d lireN·t• and parh£>11larly to lhe \\'t·strrn Pelopon1tesE•, Th"Y I rar,s~
r~la fllt•d lfw1r arl m1cl rt1li1tiun Mtcl ,·ullurt- to ~ly<'cl'Hlcan (irrri·e. Till'
1.tsl s11rnv111g 1>alotial !li<'r1lw!'; ()r t:r<'lr olTcr.\d I heir ~(•rvi,·e-s l•J th1• t·ourls
of the mor1• puw••1-rul ,\ lyrcunr•:m rulers. T lu..' y aduplNI llwir s,T1J>t to
lh(' Grj•t!k langua~" (ulmo:;L c1•rta111ly tltr- lirsl. lltlcmpl wiji; madr •tl
l'\rMs.w:;) anti Ihm~ llw l.uH'ar B M'ript wa~ i:r,·ated 3,
Tiu, wril,•r luul ,·ollt••·lNI lht~ ft,•1<leneC' ;wuilttbll! frlllfl Parlier t'X·
,•;1\·ati,Jn rt'purts 011 T l1t'rn. from a1T1dental dis('o,·eric.s, n11<l even rrom

• Photos, unles.s otheMA'ise st.-ted, .1r-e by the author.

I IJ. ~"t.o\ 1;.11 .11111 It 111 tZF.\, ~-1111,,ruu 1'1•plir,t. {C,11-.ton Pa1}1•r-, .'\XII
Hlti~. fl. 'd 3f.J
:? $1•. \I \Ill\ ,To'>, rt,,. \+,Jk,rn11· U,•-.tructi,,n or \linoan Cr,•tf', .\ntiquity 13,
llJ'.19, p. ',!;jL
3 !:11. '1APtSA1'0t. Tf; 'll?~i,r.-cw, ,;,,: ~i;;-x,; «xt ,,t ::1,i.~,mw,~ ~•,:; \\y:d~n
(lly:t)(.tKIX U' h.;.,,,,,>.,,·.11-.c•,~ ~wt.3;i')'.,. ~l'· I , HIGi, o. 198 itl Comp. Sr \1u1•
NATOs, The. u\"ukan11:1t Oriitm ,,f J.,inear ll, f-:uropa (Fest:sclu'lrt OrumachJ
r•tQ a.
livinj:t tradilion amon~ the inhabitants ahout oltl finds. No less lhan
lcn tlreh~eologit·ally intercstiujt 11h•<·N; ,m• koo,,·n: Therai-ia, P,1111mo!.
Perissa (and Exorny1is), l\amari , PJ11ra (,11mrrir~). (Hu. \krotiri, anti

(in it!- 1ulii::l1hnrho<1d) II . \ikol;,os, II . IOt\ll1l1s, Kut'-mh•!:. CHhtr ph1<-c."

l e!$ prominrnl (for the mornl.'nl) are oio,t lvd 1,cre.
The rnain Jil11•·11ll_\' for an iird1al'olo~i1-·ul scnrth ,~ the fa(_.t thal a
while layer or voknnic· ash, lhirty to Hrty 11\eten. thirk, 1·0, ,•r~ 1lu.> sur•
face or tl1e i~hwJ, wltert• llie ~ettl1!1111•11t5 om e lay (fo~. 3). In ~•l lllC 11laee:-,
howevel\ f-r(ISl(III has mndl' lilt+ htyl•r or ~1t-h thi111u•r. In .l r(•\\ (.':t))t•s
Ii FXC \\ ,\ 110,:,, \I TIIHl\ I

(Potamos) deep ravines have been formed by rain.waler, so that, the

oriJ?inal lava•sorrace of the pre-erupt.ion island is complclely free of ash
or pumice. ll was thus that. the earlier invcstis;ations were made possib1c,
of the French scholars GORCEIX and ~IA>IF.T al Akrotiri and of R. Z,11,
.at Potamos. As early a.s 1962 the present. writer recogniied Lhat both,
the reports of Gonct:1x aod MA:iU!T and I hf! fortunate erosion throughout
the village of Akrotiri (see the map fig.1 ond fig. 2) the district of
which wa:s carefully surveyed, made this ,,lntc. parti<'ularly suit.J;lb)o for
a rt'11aeological ex ploration. In 196ft this opinion was corr-oboral ed. This
is the reason why the 1967 investigation )'l:Lartcd in Akrotiri.
The results or this i1wcsligation , though in~rresting indeed, have
bt'en l'xaggerated or at )east ovt'rdis:(•ussed b.e torc being de11niLe1y rs•
tnbJishcd. The first impres.'4ions or the exe;walor, t'Xpres::;ed :is mere in-
timations or as mere subjects for rurther dis.t~ussion in pri\'Ql(': talks, hu\'e
been announced as ra('ts: a town probably lies buried i11 Akrolirl. Even the
number of its inhabitants was fixed at lhirly thousand, as i£ a census
document had been dilSeovcred. A subLerronean museum ,nighL be de·
voloped there, et.c. Thus it. is worth while to starl with u description or
L.hc t ircurnstanccs, unique indood, which d.-.Lorrnuw e\'ery {trc haeoh,gi•
tal attemp1 &L Thera.
As said, thC' original soil-surface or the island heforr the rruptioo
was a datk coloured lava {colour plate A 2.•ft) with a thin luyor of
c ultivable humus superimposed upon it. The eruption deposited a
huge layer first. o f pomice and then or ash {thcmicolly tlti11, lasl hayer
consist.s or minute pure glass-crystals), which even after so ,nany
centuries or erosion, reac hes a thickness or 60 Lo iO meters i1i i;OIRe places.
The character of the deposit is as follows (studied l'artic11larly by
those exploiting the qua.rries)I;
Directly upon the Lhin humus-layer or the original lova•surface,
which ronstituled the source or vegetation in Thera, lies a layer 4 • r.,m_
lhick of pumice. A p•rl of it is white and the rest is darker in colour.
The pumice constitutes today the mosL ,·oJuohlc product or the rn..ines
(for isolation and other industria l uses). It is lighlly solidified by lhe pres•
sure of the &uperimposed layers ol ,tephra• (voleanir ash). llowcver, the
use of a light in&lrument or a knifo is enough for excavation purposes.

1 1-"or a detailed diis,eussion or aJl qucs~ions cunctrning th~ eruption and lhe
.nalerials ejected see ll1a book ol f. t"'ouout, Santorin el ~ l-ruptions (18i9) which
will always remain fundamental, even irter tho modific~tions introduced by Hans
R..k.
t. X<..\\ \JIOV\ \I lllttn I 7

The wperimposecl tephra constitutes a huge layer (fig. 3), whirh

today i, exploited for building purposes, especially as hydraulic
mortar. IL is cheaper than pumice. Its t:olour is white, in some places
exceptionally white 1 powdery and pure. lt is so sort, that. it. can be
removed by hand.
The tephra possesses C'Urious qualities whkh will be diseribed here
briefly so lhat the ar<hacological dantasies, which have been so widely
and prenrnlurely spread by the press can be better appretialed. Though

f'ig. 3. Mining methods in the Phira-quarril"S,

this rnalerial 1~ so sort, it. possesses great elastic•ity 110 that thcro is ulrnost
no example of the cnllApse or n eo.ve cut. int.a it. Th~ method or exploit•
ing the inines today is as follows: 1'1auy parallel, deep, horizontal tunnels
are opened 011 the lowest layer or the Lephra (fig. 3). Inside the laye1·
these tunnels ar,c c_·rossed by others at riih 1 angles, so lhal a grid if~ rorm-
t-d. whith vrry mud, weakens lhc fou11datio11s or the tephra-layer. The
workmen conlinue Lheir work ,1uiet1y ror weeks, until their skilled
foremen feel rather than observe a light, nlmost imperre1Hiblc tremor
i11 the white mass. LitUe, alrnost hair-thin cracks begin to appear. The
workmen stop work and come out.. or the tunnels. They are employed
on other jobs, while a day or a week or more i!; needed, before the
mass begins to collapse, after which it is thrown down directly to
the ships waiting helow the precipices of I hP rrater.
The peasants, when opening caves for their animals and son1etimes
ror Lhcmselve:-., rub the walls of Lhe cave with a 111erf> ur l'lotli or a brush
rnoislcn~d 111 walL'r. This is enough to form t1 iskul impermeable by hu-
midity and prevrntivc against the falling or partitles of dust. A rurther
quolity or the osh worthy or consideration is. thttl even tho heaviest
rains or the winter do not penetrate more lhtrn I to 1,50 11'1. hrlow the
~urface. The deep layen; remain dry; all these fuds t1re of gr~at value
in l'Onsidcring a tunnel-e:<('avation which would uncover and leave
everythin~ in situ. An additional fact is, thot therr 1s no underground
water on Thcra. There is, thust no seriou$ ditlif-ulty in preserving. with
lhC'ir c-011tents inlart, the rums Lo be e.'(tavatcd. in order to trunsrorm thr
rxravation in Lo a •livin~ and most original museum. The only important.
c-onsidcration is the def)lh; lhe greater the doeth of Lhe rui11s, the .safer
the raviLy to be formed by the exeavations. Ash-layers less t.har\ 4 m.
thick are liable lo colla 1>se ir extensively undercut.

2. THE SITE
The hug~ cruJ>lion 1 whith by some writers I!'! illrcohly t·allrd , i\li•
noan"t, anoihilatrd the whole central part of the ,stand, onc-C round, (ratl1•
er Mli~htly (H' oid from NorLl1 Lo Soulh) uml I ti.-. grcatf'lll purL ,,r 11,ij \Ve.et.
t·m..·1111\fC'r cucc (hg. 1 and 2). Whal 1s lefl of tlniJ lul$l ronstitule$ the little
island or Therasia and Aspronis1, a rneri: rvt;;k. The southern parlor the
originally cirrular island was tra.nsronnrd mto a long promonlory, hence
ils modern name, Akrotm {see the rnap fig. I and Iii:. 2). The southern
shore or this promontory lies opposite Crete and a part of it (this i:; dear
on the map). has heen lightly submtrJ,ted. lleof"f' sevrral Jillie buys are
formed, whirh tonslitute today lhe si.tfcst t111<'hora~es or Thrru. For the
same reason the waters are shallow here (:.>O lo 40 meters deef)) anJ a
ship ,·trn nse itt- ::11whor, wl1ich is i,npossiLlr in the wholP WPAlPrn part,
where the l'rater i~ 1>ew•ral hundred meters deep. It, seems I hat the
largest ph1in or the original island was in this southern parl. If a <"hief
seLIJcmf'nl ,~...:isLf'd 1 ii must have he1tn ther('. Additional ev1den('C
comes rrom the finds made by Gonc&1x ond MAMET one hundred years
ago in Lhis dislricl; though the descri1,tio11s l-lre scanty, the find~ &urvived
for the most parl anrl ore int-eresting. Sinte 1000 I hn,•e studied Thera
with n view to excavation and in my diary or 1962 (dated 26 June)
tl1ere is noleJ: •It set'ms that Akrotiri was an important <'entre...
~loreover, in Akrotiri. erosion has reduced in many places the layers
or tephra, so that al certain points the <.,rigi11c.1.I lava• surface of the
island is lo be se~n. These were the <"hier reasons for my decision Lo
start, excavating at Akrotiri.
 •X< \\,\110~~ \I IIHR.\ I

or course, Akrotiri is a big district and t::hoo~ing lhc righL point

from tbe little Balos bay Lo the North (inside the caldera, sec rolour
1>lat,e A 2) down lo St. Nicholas (colour plate J\ 3) through the
village Akrotiri (colour plnte A I) and its plain and valleys, was not
a simJ>le mallcr. Bet.ween Lwo or the JiUle bays me1ltioncd lies a
projc<:Ling stretch or the shorP in whirh crosiou left nothing lmt the
brown boulders or lavu. A chapel or St. l\'ifholas. Ihe patron or mnriners,

f'ig. "· Akrotirl. Cha.pd of SL. Nicholai.

with the imow•white colour usual in the Cyclades, fOO!ltitutcs a charming

contrast against the dark backgrou11d (colour plate J\ ;1 and fig. lo). No
trace of older Limes is pre&~rv.:,d in it. and even tho main icon is a
vertically cracked wooden plank, on which SL. Nicholas was painted
no more than a century ago. The only link with ttie past iis the
tradition connected with this icon by the pious inha.bita,lts or Akrotiri:
A caploin set sail from there, but soon his vessel slopped, though
under full sail and enjoying fine breezes. The captain felt at once, that
somcon~ of his crew must have committed some serious sin. Indeed,
one or his seamen bad stolen the icon of SL. Nicholas. Fearing
punishment. he brok1!- the icon in two pieces and threw thorn into the
sea. The ship began moving again and tho icon was round soon alter OI\
the shore in front or the rhaf)'el. It is a story or Old, ,mrcrently repeated.
Responsible lnr the ship's immobilization were the Gorgons in Medieval
times and the Jillie miraculous fish iz,"'ll; (•the ship-stop, ) in the Classical
period. Plutarch once devoted a whole treatise to ,ecbeneis,.
Ill I" \ \ \ I H >'-.., \I I II Ht\ I

If you ,,ttlk alonµ- the ::shore a £cw 1111n11Lts lo tht> F.;u,l of the
du1pel 1 you will lind youn;oH on a din)inuh,·r sN:tion nr lwarl1, whi,·h
is the outflow or o lilll(' ra,·ine des('endin~ from Akrotiri toward the

.
.,; ,._,

... ,..
. ~-·,
'
..

sea (colour plate A 5 and fig. 5). T"onty meters or so from the bc"d'
a welt {fig. 6) "'a$ sunk al on unknowu Jute. ll ~ho,,:,, ~igos or muuy

repairs. Hemg no murf than :~ 111. dC't!J>. 1l ro11c•ds hruck1sh water,

which howP\'('r uppeaSP:!-> Ll11rsl for hoth c·&tlle nnd men . .'.'tear il stand
two troughs to be used by sheep, c.oats, <logs and donkey~. They a.re
tXC.\\'.\110\;, .-\T llltR,\ I II

t..·leurly onrient and too heavy to have been transported from any
distance (fig. 6). This was a fir.st indication, that we were in the
neighborhood or so,ne hidden ruin.
fl err I he la~·('r or te1>hra has: st iii a considerable lhick,ltSiS, but it
is badl~· \\'Orn by erosion. About Lhree hundred meters inland frorn lhe

1-'i~. i llott'I Allanbs in Phlr11 I oloailmg .\tis.,; E. lfalph's. 1n;,~11elr>lllt>h•r--chJ\'it'-:'$,

(W11rl1-.;,\· ur \hJ...,;; J,;, Ralph,)

~hor(' just ll€'.Sl·ribed, is 1114' 1rnrl of lhc ra\'inc illu!lil rated in our plnlc A 6.
Thr ,·olnlnit• ash. unable to r('~1$I r.tin o.nd especially \'iolent winds, is full
or holn1 hke a spon~e. Sonwl intt'S lhe holes arc pierc•ed through betwceu
the a~h ~lopes just ben~al It the pebble layer cltarly ~ecn on the lop ur the
asl1e~. This layer is. vrry dangerous for an exc.a"ator (colour plale A ()).
If, during cx<'avation, a reasonable rnass or llshes falls upon you,
t li('re is 110 mor.-. harm than hcf•omiug too dusly. Bul i£ lite pebble:;
eo11ti11uc mc-rti=1.ting over your head, the psychologieal t"'nsiou jg grcal£'r.
This was. one hunt.Ired years ago, the great rear or .\1.,)H;T, who some•
where l1ere 1i)a<lc some I rhtl~, unCorl unutely so va~uely desuibed 1 that.
IOl' alizatiou has been impossible.
lt. was round this district, that. we lestcd with the <'esiu,n magneto•
I:! l·"\( . \\'.\ 110\o; \I llltft\ I

,n,tor (rig. 7) ur )liss Eli•ah~th Ral1>h for '"" ,lays. )!is> ll•lph
rralizcd ol nuc,', tha1 thr mttgnelit· field of I Iii• la\'a was loo ~lrong to
11ermil !he srnsillw• instrument lo nolc minor d1f1'('rrntes in the
magnel1r licld of lhf' soil. Tlu·rc was no altcrrwtn·r hul to use the
('lt1~~1,..a l methods of old• fashioned nrehacology: trml lrendws with
1•it·~ •·mJ shovel. From thc> natC'r•preripircs lo llH• ~orlh of Akrotiri
(c·olour plate A :l) 1lr,wn lo lht• pill('(', where prohahly Hu1n."T 7.,nN
~~t'6\'flh'd n mansion two J:l'IH'ra tions ajto, th11re \\f'N' srvtral places,
,,hid, SPt.'rned linhlt• 111 be• alhH'kf\11. I wa~ ru1rlit·11lnrly an-<1ou:i. to
r('tlist·U\"N' lhr form<'r ·•~t·U\·ation~ 1,r both z,11"' nnd ~l\\lf:1', hut lt
lws ht-NI 1111pnssihlr. \l -.}n;T rsp1•,·iall,· did not rt•••orJ llH• 1Mme or :1
sin~!,• phtt•f' or m, nt•r. .\ n oltl 111ao 1 Ct•orge Sali\'eroi;, wlio11\ I mrt
in llw \'illn~e l\:u11:ir.1J1. ,luri11,1t lllY lflG2 invc:,;l 1~atio11s or tl1r cli:drit·l.
pretend1•d tlwt he wa~ lhl! di:•wover9r or lho hie jars anti he serYrcl
lit- Ille ror1'11)tlll nr z.,11~
nnd hr told \'ivid Sll)rit•~ ahoul ('Hll)Jltirlmenl:-.
with woode11 lwiuu:s pr1•st•n·NI lo lhe liri~lit of a 11Mn. II E> ,If'•
s.cribed, with m111'1, r<•alism, how tlu• hram.s \\'('rt" ('Xleru ,lly tarbo1111.etl.
h11t ~till with lhC' •·Pul r(' or n well•11rrs.1..'rvcd •livi11R• wvod. 11 was known
I h,,t Z -.11, had tfSt•;i, J.il f",I m I :-t~J iu a 1,lu1·<' 1'1.111•••1 I 'ol ·11t10R, Thi"" olcl
111a11, lfwrdori•. \\1111 wa:o. ;,d ,oul SC\'ent,· f1yf' 1•<niM not h::tvr 1wl-'ll
z.,11:-.·s ,t"'pistfll(•J,1,;i nt the JJ~t' or lirtce11 ~r so. In any i'U:1-(' ht• might :still
lw trustworthy It$ urTt•rin~ us 111:.. d11ldhoo1l•nu·11,or1c-!!I. llowN•('r, hr
:dlOWt•,I Ill( us 7, .\11'\•~ <·~1·u\'at1011 o fit>M wiih ti <·a,·1ty {lm~~1hly l1 Lomh)
sl 1II n~1hle in thP la\'a uml willt rurther tr;w<'.\ of $lo11('S <>tc·. 1 111 a
v1111•.\'nrd iu Pnlmni\s. \\'1• found ldlrr llwl Z,n;,.'i,; c•x•·.avntiou was io
lh•· 1wi~hhurh110tl, bul nol 1•xt1dly thrre. )I , ,\ lt.T•"\ c,x,•11v:1tions wtin•
11Hhlf' a ~('nrralio11 rar)tl'r ( lt11ti7). '.'to om• ~ur,•1vt'rl and no menHlry
1
w.1s pri•:-•.•n·t•d m .\ kro111'1 II) tell U$ anylh111g uhont llm, rvcnl ,

S Puhli1 ali1>11:,. ;ihoul ;1rdi.1t'ol•~w.il fmd~ rn Tlll'ril 111·,• 111\hl d,·.-1rl~ and anu•
ra1t ly 11 ..i,.rJ b~ F,11 ,_.., t II,< I' t,r;f I wlw, thoui,th ,1 ~••olv!,,'1"1 :uut \·uln1nul11gi.,t,
1

.. hll\\,- lum-.••lf ,m " "·•·p lionall~ ~,r11-c1 .,, holat 1' \'1•n m ;tn·ha•••1l1,,:,- \1" \IJ:T d,·S4·rih,·1I
hi, ih-.1•u,·,•ri,•-. 111 J,r,••r n•1•11rh puhli.-.h••cl m HCII 'J (\l.1~ 111;0 p unf 1,11111 10 t.lun,,
l ~i~I p l 'J!.t· :!OIi ,11111 luli'r in 111-. llwM~ Ut• ln~ulu. 'l'lwr,1 t lM;', 1. SI••• :11,u 1"111111,f
i :u 11'1 n \"I, 11-19°1, I' 1:isr S11lr.-.1•1111r11lly I lw find$ "'''I'\' publb?h•d by I. Ht , , 1 01,
,,t
111 Hc:11 ',ti, 19.!.!. p 11:,r 1-'ur a ...urwy or ·h,wolo1en:;1I 1l.-.•·11\'1•rw, 11iro11i-:h11ut 111 ..
, ..1.111d ...,.,. I lu1.r11 , , l: \ 1 "', 11 1, ,., , , Tlwr.i 111, I'- :t'.)r Y.,11, ·,. t•:,w.,,·ation, r,•111;1111,·•I
,111p11bh-.h•••I. Z ,u, ..:,o·,, ;, 11r-.t -.horl r1•1mrl iu 1111.1.n1's Tli,•M 11 1. I'· ',Of. s.,,, .11..:..
\ . .\111 "'·· Hr,m1.1•i.,•1lhth1· u t'n1h,•1~••11:t_ ~·.tu•onoh>;cw I\' I' l:!il .• •'1'J1•'1ial1,\ p.
1:er \,twro.· 11,· i:n•-<i ,-11111•• informt•Uoo h,1",~11 0111111 Zu,,•.., 111,irw, Th,• l;.1l••~l hook
lty l'rur l.◄11-.. h,1111.t1111,a111, S.1ntorm pcih~) 1-. 11ru11.iril~ ..rh...tit .11111 ~i,•l·.s II luwly,
v1n1I 1,ich1r uf uht .;111d 1ww S:uatorin,
1•
 8 . THE EXC AVATION. THE TRENCH BRONC$ I

F'or various rea~ons I chose tor my first trench ti. point :ii <.I phu•f
ralled Favata and io a field or MaJarnr Ci,lliopc Broooi:i on L11r \\'t~s1 :,;ule

... . ....
~ . ~·

.::
.. '
~►
. .....t"
4'., •.• ft...,,,,.,, ...~. ~.. ~

or the ra,~inc (rig.18) <l('"Sf'ribed a.hove. The excavation8 of ) I ,MET 0111st.

have bceu sornewhcrc in tliis neighborhootl, on the opposite {EasL) 1.id,·

or I lu• r,tviu,·. Tlw rt•usoM for 111y d1om• of the Urouos lu:ld w,•rr rn.-ny
H11d nol 1•11 I ir,•1.\' •·lt>ar ,..Vt'll I 1) 111y,-rlr. Two 11o~i l i\'f• r('tt::i-ous ,wr<•. l1ow-
II ~XC.\\..\110'"> ,\I lllfJt.\ I

eve.r. thaL rrosion '-''M well advanced here and that. no layer or pebbles
existed lo endanget our work. On lhe surhH'P or the ~oil h{lrP and in a

£cw other plo.<'es we had observed scanty llellcnistic sherd:., whilr some
others could be prchii,lorir ('oarsc warE". Bul erosion m this dist rid has
disturbed everything and th(' sherds C'Ould hl'tvc hccn wughed down rrorn

1-~ig. I:!, The fu-c,l lr<1C4'S or Cycladic bui.ldmgs. {C:ourk~y of \hs..<. tt Ralph.I

remote places. E(1ua1ly inlc:rcs:ting for me was lite fact tha.t on the lc-
phra-sur£a«·<· of the fitld numerous pieces of pumi,·e were observf"cl. This
meant that the 1H1mkc layer (l>y whith th(' ,1ntiq11ities are always
covered) roul<l not lie very dl'ep.
\Vr started tligging the lronch Bronos 1 \,•ilh a few workmen oo
t-:XC \\,\J IO;\.._ .\ I 1111- lt\ I

Thursday, Ma)' 25th (fig. 8, photo Miss Ralph) and we advanced

quickly (fig. 9, photo Miss Ralph). The 1>oi111 ..i,osen was u lm·ky one,
Arter only n rew hoors, as soon as \\'l' rc•adll'd about I ,n. i11 de1>th, we
rountl si'veral pie-e~:s or Ont' l'lr more jars (rig. 9. 12). Tiu.~~· \Wrr

lrnnd-mode oncl or c·onrse rnl>l'i<-, hul some fni~ments werr ◄lf'ligl1 tf11lly
p:.iiuteJ in hltH'k, wlulc ~111d rrtld,~lt <lesi~ns slronily rt'.'mmisc·enl. or

Fig I l, Cirn1l.ar 6lulh'. stvn" l:\11111,

,11111 d.1y i'\lfJ HI $1111,

,\liddlc Cy•·ladic· po11er~1 frolO other site~ ::i11<l e\'rn or lht' l\amarcs
1>ottery or Crete. A tree 1•lnntf<l tl1crr earlitr musl atc-onnt. for the
disturbatH'C ur 11ic layc•rs. Soon loose :ctones UJJpeareJ (Ii~. 12, J)holo
Miss lhllpJ,) r~ud pro\1C1I almost ul orlt't! lo helon~ Lo rt•(;ognizable
 t.:\.L \\ \110'\, \I I IIHt\ I

walls (rig. 13). A cirrular ,lah scomed lo ho ;,, si111 (fig. 14) and
be~irlC' it lay a <'Oniral rup or day an,I a ~tone lamp, lhP month of
which sl1II preserveJ the tratfls or hurning (h}!l'I 15. IG). )lany sherds
o f small prehistoric- v~1scs wer{• found (two earlv llr•llenistit· sherds were
inlru!:-ive) 1 hut PSllf'\'ially prccio11$ ·
were two ~enuine imported Minoan
,hortls (fig. 17) or l,)lla dnt•. 0111
r-ltronnlu~ir•AI srlling was lhu~ r,•i•
drnl , l:,f>O • r:,00 B.C. Bo,•ause or
lh('- hri~ht ot whi.-11 lhe nbove
fi11d::, w1·rt• noted, lherP ,·,mid nol
ht> rcn:-:of1ahle tlouhl I lul1 we lwd
rcad1r1I I he upJlCr storry or u
b11ilJi11'{. \\'e •·over~d our ll't'1wh It\ f,'ig. 16. ~Hon,· l;1111p wilh Ir.in·.)
avoi,I t•Vf'11lual cJamt~~o lo the
underlying rni111;. F'ra~mC'nh of

v; I :Vfrihh!!

mud-hrir-ks, in which trt-.·c~ (If straw were clear~ lold thrir slor~· about
the b1111d 111~ material o( the upper ~t,1rf•~·s.

4. THE TRENCH ARVANITI S I

On Sat1mlay, ~lay 27th. :ioothrr trend, was Ol)(lllf•d, this time be•
yond llw r{1,·ine (l<1 lhP Etti::il of il) in the liehl or C. ,\rvanilis (see
topographical plan Ii~. 18). II was aho11l 80 m. distant lo tho Northeast
or the Hro110J1. I lrP114'1t. \Vr ~nvc it tht• nnme Ar\':,initis I. The rea~on
£or ,lij!J:IOK tlwre wns lhP id ea, prov('(J err(Hu•o11s, tlmt a deep c·ave
\
I
...:r=
.,
r' ~
=
-=I I
e

.,u
>
~

LI
I .,
-=
X

Q
.,,.
"'=
u

!.,
-=
Q
~
.,
"'
~

11
:;;
"-
E
lf
"-
,o
r

~
~
:..
 1-\(.\\ \IIO;'\, ,\l llltlt\ I

situated the.re (fig. 19) might be one or MA~n:T1S tosts. Only Joler ,vas
I convinced lhal the father or t,h,") prest>ot owner had made it as ,1
sheller for hill shrcr. ll r rr we had to JHmetrale dt•rpcr an,I my " 'orkrnen

Fig. t9. An·anitis 1. $farting excavation in Cront or the mouth of the eave.

prcrcrred t'elel,rali ng Ii) working. On Monday, )hLy 2Hlh, the v1lla.~!l or

Akrotiri <'elebrnted a loc:-nl feast. IL pos:;esses 30 •·hurt"hes fo r no more
than 60 inhabited houses {n fart obsern1hle in other \•ilh1ge.s or Tliora
loo, where duird1es {lnd drnpels a re more than one hundred). ll, was
a diflitlull job to persuade even a few workmen Lo work arter 9 o'dock
and even the11 I beuofited more rrom their pious stories than from their
labor. St. Epiphanius, their special protector, «accept$» no blood
meals. No lamb, kid, or othPr kind or meal is welcome during the
rclcbralion. Once wh('n the celebrators kept three lambs tor Lhi.s
spe<·ial day, all three died myslcriously horore lhe anni,,crsary itscU.
The Saiul l ikes only q>i'« (horse-beans for which the island is ritmous),
1..·.1pcrs and salted sardi11t1L A c·urioua thin~ in lhis ease iiJ. LhaL while
~11rctldnJ,t of their reslival m<-als, they say thal tlhe Saint doC'S not..

Fig. 'lO. Walls al right angles ;1nd a wiodow-p(l(st, w ilh slab sill.

O.f'ccph as if it were a ~•lerific-e in the old sense or the word. And why
:ih0uld this not be so?
\Ve had reached a c:onsid"rabfe depth, a little less Lhan 1..wo meters,
I hat isalready about 0,50 m. bclleath the ravine-path, but without reach-
ing the pumice-layer. In Lhc J)ure ashes some stones were round, but
the)· might have belonged to the sheep-stall ol Arvan,lis. Uuring the
nrxl day we reached almost 2 m. in depth. Work was dillicult and lhe
ash cdgfis of our treneh were knocked down upon us sc,·cral times~ but.
because some stones were \•isible which might be m situ, my workmen
were full or eagerness and persisted. Before sunset a wall and a corner
appeared. Already we had 1>rogressed rar enough to cho raeterize the
building technique in the day-book as «Minoan•. Subsequently we un-
 •-"'-< \\ \110'!'> .\I 1111 k.\ I

covered a whole •door jnmb• whirh oorc had wnodf"n beams al lhP rornf:'r~
((ig. 20) and a lhreshold or Lhi11 slabs was still ;,, situ. Only h r,•w
roarse sherds and slonc implemenls were, fournJ.
All lhis Look plact" before i\.hty 30th, h11l 011 1hr next day wni.
ohliged In rfluro to Alltrns. The trend, wa$ c·uvrn,,I, I herL'for<', nwl t'X1'n-
vatiom; wt•re re~umctl again rrorn lhP 20111 lo IIH' 26th or Ju,w wilh
Mrs. £mil~· Vermcule and the Gerrnn11 ur1•hitc•c-1 \Ir. \\'. Sd1lohk<- r1,m1•

Fig. :!I, :-,,.,utlJ.fr,mw uf th•· l,n,,111 ,,i11rlo,, \\llh "••fllH in ul.ir ;-,11,111•
us llw b-a:,t• of a wondt•n l1;1lf••·~•h11nn.

ing nur scicnlil'h.· slafT. From lhe 12th to lhi• ~H Iit or July I 11,•vot.-d llw
tirne to doing only a little t0lllJ)lernentary exc•;wtition work; It wu!t t'~JI<'·
cially ne<:essary for me to 11rotecl Ilic_. last. uwntioneJ lrcu·t>s, wl1id1 111
the meantime proved lo be a slore-room will. ••ll of 1b ec1uiprn<.·nt still
int.net. I had to pro\'idc it with a roor. Mr. S1·hlc:1bckc madf" some pla11s
and designs or Lhe exctn·Med area and much work wai,; done in the Phlr.t
Museu,n, lo which some or the objcd...~ round wPn• trA11~porlc-1I. I was
groally belpcd by Mi"' Helen Kotsa1ido11, field-assistant 011 rny oxra\'a·
lions, 1,y tlte able lec:hnit·ians Mr. A. ~1:,vr::igani$ <1n•I Z. Kanakis and by
the roreinan G. Va$silindis. £specially \'aluable \\'US tht• trdrnic:al ht:lp
generously ollcrcd by Lhc personnel or the Chiowpoulos qui,rrics an<l by
~Ir. Xtmophon C:hioLoJ>Onlos 11~rso1rnlly. His able <1'1arric.!\ - forcma11 1
lhe wonderfully cal m and selr-conlidcnl Maslro-Lefteris, has olferc<l
 I-XCi\\ ,\1 10;'.~ ,\I I l l l•R,\ I 21

lo us precious ,;(•r\'iees, especially i,1 Lunnelling and in akin dangerous

\\'Ork. For the sakL· or t·on,·enicncc tlir furl her report here• \,111 not
follow lhe order of th1· ,lny-book hec-ausr tliis would affe<'I t he umty.
Eu('l1 or the 1>laces so for cx1·a,·o.led will be dcsL·rihed in turn lo thr•
rnd or thP in"estigation. \Ve he~in with lite trcnrlt 1le.st•ribed last,
,\ n·anitig I.
Aflt•r Ilic res-u111ptio11 or the «-x<·nvations 0 11 Juue ~Isl it. \\:l ~ :;.0(111

Fig. '.!2. l 'ppl•r-1nost layf-r or tl,c s to~•roorn. ~Ian)' lo~► rn-wcights trnd tho rims
of Lwo slanding jars a.N \'i.siblc.

n1,pnrenl thal her<'\\'(• \\1•rt• t·om·m-nod with a busemcnl. Tht· •door jamb•
1>roV(•d to he :t broad wiudow, of which only tht :south frarnr was exea·
val<'tl {fig. 21 and 1·oln11r plutt• A 8). Thr- 11l hrp~l1olcl 1t, 110w 1lro,·etl lt) he
ll1e ~ill. lir~ sumewh:1l above fhf' lloor (aro1111•I l in.; cxa4'1 11\easurements
nol y,•t i\\'ailuhlr) mld t·onsisls of a thin ~;lnh or slaLs. The sirte piece of
tf11· window end~ i11 u sr111itin•uh1r t:lOHP·ha!ie, rlf'~rly inteudcd lo sup-
porl a wootlf'11 hulf column.
Bryond lllis window to thfl \Vesl l(•drni,~111 diflirulties .tro8e in tlear•
ing 1hr hnscment room, ti:,; we had to dell)troy part. or the village•J>alh •
•\lmost un the s~1111c level »s l11e rxisli1t1J; ,q,p<:rrnosl trn4.•cs or the stone
walls n ppe;,rcrl first tho lips or staodir)g jars and loRcllu..' r with them doz.
ens or lentoid object$ or clay, pierced (loom-weights. in Greek iyw8u;
or «r,vO~) (rig. 22). Soon we reuchEt-41 one or the most dr1;1mol1(' mo•

::_,t ..
... -¢,....._'-,,
~-..;....,..
~~_.\ ..... \

~ ;:;."}-;,
~... -:;::-..

~
...

Jo"'ig. !:t 1'11t slon•.. room a_..; t•xn\·ation advaru:ed: Utn•t- j,,,,,. an· already visible
sHrndinjt and ~ \ 1•1'(1l sm3lh'r \'rust;:; lying- 111~ tht1 !lour.

menls or the excavation: The tilling was now exeh1sl\·ely pure pumice
tX(\\\110~~.\I IIH K.-\1

and beneath it sloo<I, slill erert, a magniHcenl row of jars, while other
vases in dC'sorder beg,H1 to ap,u.~Qr (C'O lt>nr plMc 1\ 1, the design plat.r C

Vig, ~S. ~tote-room: Uw ,·.1,!;•-S on I he floor show t'11r101.1s crockrngs,

prohahly ~uu._,,,I by fXCN,.~i,·L· lu.'.iL

and fig. 2:1), Soon 11 wns dt•nr thal thC'${' ,·asf's (rwq,lior:,e and a hugP
ju~} !llOod on 111 .. noor or Iii,• hnRf'mf'nl Hitt. ?'i} Tliuu~h iulnt·t, th,•y

Fig. :!Ii. -.:1,,re rm1111: .i J.ir f.111,•n from tlh• 111•11t•r ~loo·r hai. l)('t'n
,•mh~,;1(1, .. 1 lu,ritontidly m ll11• cft,J,ri .. n1·i,r llw :-ill or Ila,, window.

8howed t·urious t•rndrn1µs 011 the- body su rhu·e (ri~. :?:,}, possibly owing to
exc◄'ssivr
hral.
A nircly pttintcd j~tr or 1HeJium ~ize was found some 0,70 m.
above the noor1 lyi,,g hori1.ontally, almost le\"l.'1 with the window-sill
(colour plalcs A 8, B I and fig. 26). IL had apparontly rallcu rrorn
the floor ab1.wc the basell'lent. Many loom-weij!hls had fallen will1
it. (rig. 26). \Vhen pieces of the jar were remo,•ed (fig. 27), it. was
found that simi!ar loorn - weighls were inside it. together witl1 volcani1.:
ston(ls. Beneath the ,·ases on lhe Ooor a stone tolu11H1·h~~t• was found
frt situ, while another, also belonging lo I he stor,•y ,d,,wt, lw,d fallen
below (colour plate O 2 and lig. 29). Near 1l, ju,l in fronL of the

Fig. •!;. Th11 111,roar of lilt' 111Qlllt.'nl oC \:.tta~ln•pl.1• 1.. "hu"u l ►y thr (,wl
that l11orn-,w1jthb (a.-t ,,di ;t$ ston1,s,t hv in,ul•· ;111tl 11uh1rl,· U11• J,1r.

third Jar, ,I l1olt- 0.(1-8 111. hroad and 0,80 m. ,lr1'11 ""~ 1·l•';.1rly V1sil1l,·
.'30 aml :JI and colour plate BJ. wh(•n· tlw p111u11·1• w.i, wt,•n
{SCf' f1J,!S 4

liorw11y lrrt) .•\11 11pri~l1l woodt"n bram on1•1• sluml tht"rt'. Pfl ..:-rl,h· 11
bt•lori~rd to c•nr or the looms whi<'h ~,nod III llw lw.;1•1m•11t a, \\1•11
as in Lh1' upp1~r room.
Tht• j:lrs, ol,oul- O,!KI rn. hi~h. were p:ully 1um1t,•1I (i uluur plat•• B
2<3 a11d fiJ,t:s 29 :l2) ,11111 J)artly dec·orah·d 111 l'HJ1t.'•rt1lt<'f (f1:,e. ;n). The,
4

werr :-ix in all, th., first from the left beiug ,·yli,ulric·~I in shapl', (Se,·
plun and section~ fig. 28.) lL soon became· t•li•ar, thut to prolt!ct the
 L;
.
L
•
! ~
x::. i
.,'
.
-~
t
~

',
~ ~
B 1C
"
ii:
~.,.
I
Ij p ~
!!'

i,.
\ ~Ji: l
a
0
.,_ - •

.. , ...,...- -
'd '
. it ~ -n~

-- I
-·-
1-X( \\ \IIOV•, \I 1111-K.\ I

jars it wuuld be 1lC(•cs:-su.ry tu roof over t.hc lmsemrul. For I his puriJOSe

Fig. 29. :-:t1.•re•MOIII. n,,,, jal'$ .ir,• 110\\' un• \ o\,•f'1'(t; a .,1011,• , 11lur1111 ha~• h,~
rn $HU, ('lnhtcM,•d 111 Hit• floor, wlul•· lllf' <'c1rr-•'ll'm1din)( 011, • from ti..- up111.·r
room \\ ◄IS found lh .•,1rl1,\

Fig. :u,. ,\ t•a,•11,, ;1p1w;1n!d in llw pumi(',• 01'i.lr llus jar. wluc·h 1:,. an 1ndit.-ilio1l
of --omdlung of wo•lrl or ollll'r pt•ru.h.ible m11h•rial.
we tried during Lhe final stages or Lhe oxea"ation to extend ~lightly
the• exrnn1t1•,I parl 1)r lhc h,,s.c•111rnt rn c,rd+•r lo huiltl n IJri,·kwall Lo

Fig, 31. TIit' tmh• pM\'t•d le• t..~ fl,0~ m. 1n 1h,11nPlt-r, 1l.ltO 111. cl,•,•p :-:inrl ah~luldy
1wtp,:"n1hrufar Pcrb.tps tl1t rnrnw of a lw,m'

Ji'ig. 3:!. Tl••• l'llnttn• fi1hn~ i, ;m ••~n•ll,•nt prolt•Cliun fur th•· >U1hqu1tu-.. , bl'1'..ilth('
1l d()I~ nril t:•ml;1ln llw ~"It., 11-.11,11 m tlw !!-WI. 1"hc l\r.:tl lhr'\.~ j.ir-. oC ll1~ ~WIX·
roo1n \H'l'l' ready for 11huto~n•11hinµ- .b ..von us lh1• pvmin· \\,l"> n•muvc,I.

support. Lhc roof. New finds appearc-d immediately:

 .,,.'

Fig. 33. Tho wc-~ltrumosl jars of tho Fi~. !S~. :0-lot'l•·n•um; ,1 low ~quan_•
store - room W(•r,• dt~•or-,ll(•d w1ll1 N>Pl'• lwarlh with ktlf'l1••n impll•tn.:nts
pJlln-n in r.•li1•r. IU ,.;/Ill

Fig. 35. Tll~•.s(' va.~ or roarse c-fo,v, with thick wall and with a narr..,w d rcufor
base add h,;tht:r lo U1c problem vr ti!..-~ of k1tchen•ul.:osils in 11w Cydad!.'s duri,~g
tile Bronle ,\gc.
 Op1•M1l4" the w,rntow. ,.., the \\'es.I side of the ba~t>11w11l u kind of
low, redonJ,:111:'ir liNtrlh 1'1pprarr-cl
(colour 1,latc B ', and log. 34).
IL coosists or sevt>ral lnyr~ or
clay 1 bul without mu<'h trare or
Ore. On it stood. i;t ill int art, t Ji,•
,•rssels seen 111 thr ilJ?ort!-. T'
one-handled •·oarse pol5
£1Xccptionally lhirk walb
pN'uli'aritie~ 111 form (h~. :1;,,
mny be ,norc l'Om1;frlt•ly 11111I Pr-
stood whrn a ~pM'i:tl slucly Ila~
been u11dtrlaken nf dnmr8:I ,,, :uul
pnrii•·ularl~· kil1·h1>•1 1•11ui1111lt'nl.
so ohu oda,1 lly rr1,r1•,(•n lt•d hol h
in Cyrhvlir t111tl Hl ,\li1\MH1 re·
11\ains.
Hie. :16. ,, llll'J<•• ;;-<ookullt'·f•GI wai. rounrl Near th(' hrurlh t Ii<· (til'f'('!'i
II) fr.Jj(llh'nt... ht•si,t,• th,• ll<'arlh or 3 l~1rge tr,potl ('OoJ.:111:,.: • pol
were 101111d (log. :m). ,\ httlt
rurthpr awa\' a sto111•- ro<•rlar w:l~ found npsi<l~ d,n,11 (fi!,.!. :37) (1ml

Fi.;, :1?. :0-ton•-rnom; n sto1w•mortar an11 i ls gr111d1111i; • '.\IMl•' \\•''"'' fvuml n,•,, r
the hl'3rth, wlule ~ little furtlwr ~orlh f:-tll1•n j,m, l>1•g:-tn Iv il!JP~\1r.

beside it :, Jliflh..-nral grinding - stone {rig. ::lS). Un th~ 0111,0"1Lf' (South)

side or I he henrlh a kidney-shaped stone basin was ro und embedded
in the floor (rig. 39). Three more large jars w,~r~ round on the
cenlral (Xorth) p,lrl of tltr floor. Thi~ lime they hatl follcn horizootally

tl 1ul pnrallcl (fi~. 40) rut1I were had ly broken. TIie 1·ir,·111ar day lid of

f-'ig. :l9. A kidnc->'•ihaµ4:d ~ton-.- basin w35 round ell\btddl!'d in the noor
lo t1w lf'fl 0, the hl'llrlh.

011t• or them is still rf'rogni1.<1ble and all three tonL.aio n black fatty organ•
w ~11hstant·e Lo be r"<arn ine.d later by experts. Beyond them to the Eai;t.
Ille usual lonm-wcighltt lay 011 the floor and n liule further East. a large
$;l(')1w•mortar wiLh lhn•e le~s wa~ fou nd inverl<·tl ((ig. 41). \Vl11:11 we
 t \ ( \\,\JIOV, \I l l l t K\ I

t' ig. r.o. Th,-ef' lari,'C jar.s, badly brokt n but w ilh all fragrn~nt.s ' " $iW 'H' r~ found on
Ute Cloot or tho s tor.._. room 1'1h'y 1•ont f1ln n light, black ~u h:-t~1w11• nol y,•L identifl~d.

Fig. ~t. To the i-:asl or Ute broken ja"' were round t..he usual looin-weighlS and
a slone,mort.ar up!lidt down.
1-X(.,\\ \llo,, \I 1111-R\ I II

removed il, we s.aw thal und('rn£1uth ii lny il$ grinding-stone (riJ!, 42).
\Ve ertdNI our wull:- uud supplie,1 th,1 hnsNn+•ul with :1 slw(l-1.•rnelnl N)or
(rig. 1o:l) ,·apahle or prolettin~
1t against the wiul<'r. Ouly a part
or the room was ext'avat"d and
it may pn:;~ihly c•o11t,iin rurthrr
inlerestillJ[ malC'rial.
Thl' smaller \'Uses on the
floor were transported lo the
Phiro. )luscum :uul ,,ere 11w11dt•d.
They are all or lotal fo.hrit·:
three amphora• (figs 44 • 45 and
colour plale U 7 two of them), a
large Sk)·phos (rig. 45), a small
1-'ig. ~t \\ lu-n thf' n11>rl.ir \\a.it N'n,o,·t•d, its ~pou ted jar (fig. 46) with noral
gr111d111~•slonf' w3s (nund und•·rnMlh 1I. decnrolion in while and a Jar!,,!tl
betike<l jug with r>lastir knobs,
possihly rf•f)rt•Sf'ul 111•~ ,•ye~ iu n ioomoq)hil' ~('use (rig. 1-7).
R"pc-atc•d !l;l()ru•i,. told by ,\rv{rnitis and tonfirmcJ by tl1e field•<'OO·
stnble, tlinl lhr lrµs or n tloul..t~y u11t·l· dis-a111>eared into the floor or t.his

cave (rig. 48), aotf that a ca"ity appcareJ. 1•~rsuade I me Lo lr~• to dig
there. ll W3$ a dangerous undertnking, ilS A f)ebble-layer more lhnn Jin.
thick was rnenat'1n~ our heads (fi~ 1H and li8), Eventually we opened
a hole in the Uoo,. or the ca"•e and when we N:?ached a level almost e.--::actly
2 m. tleeper than the floor or the nearby store-room just desc·ribed, we
found wans rorming n corner (fig. 49 and sce~ion e-f, n~. 2S}. Furtl1er
excavations, ther()fore, arc promisin~. l,ut, a gootl <foal of trc-hnical

Fig. (, '1. Amphorae Crom th!! store-roo111,

,,.·ork will ht• net·,•1,1,snry before,.,,.\. coo tf'{h' h lhi~ 1,,.,,."1 without 1lnngf'r
both Lo ourscl,·es 3nd to t..he ••om;ist1•111·y of uur plan for lht' cxN1vf1lion.
lnJcetl, the muiu q1wstio11 ro111·erni111!: the present Tllern excavution~
is whether or uot we will l,e uble to apply 11 s~·:<,Lt•m or ;,u •l•:x ◄ ·tn•nle•I

Fig. 45. Spouttd skyph~ ~nd amphora from lhe atore,room.

Museum•. 1£ we wish lO ufie ti.is meth'l,I, wt• wall luh•r to exravnle by

t,unnqlling. In somr ~·a:;e:; I h1l\ may be later the only pos..~ihlr method;
bot her(', where erosion has thinned the 1mmice aml Lephru layers Lo a
few meters only, clearing lhc ruins rrom above is not impossible, cspe·
ciaHy as we are dealing, al some points, wilh two storeys. This involves
finAnc-ially mon• ~x propriation and more rncdrnnical devices ror removing

grral mA~N,i§ 0£ l t.lpltrn; and istieulifically il mean5 a greater number of

ord11u•olngisl~. ,m·liilt·•·ts nncl tedmitians on thr- SJ)OI.

Pig. ·, i . ..\ l,u•ge jug wilb plaslil" ,1eyes,,.

Tlii.s is why I was extremely caulions trnd did nol uu('Ov('r grealer
areus or ll1e b11ildi11~ Wt' had disto,·rrrd, Jia rtif•ularlr when Lhere were
"
indications of a second noor. For this reason I re-filled the trench, which
bad revealed the wall of Lhe upper storey discovered in trench Bronos 1.
Indeed, our general tendency during lhP 1967 exca,•ation was not Lo

Fig. 48 . .r\ne,nilis 1. Culling a hole in Lhc Ooor of Lhe ea,·e.

penetrate inside the rooms, as we wero not sutlleienlly prepared for this
work. Our so]e aim was lo gain an idea. of the nature and Lhe dimensions
or the building or buildings discovered. The store-room was partly exr••
vat.cd for the purpose of roofing as already explained.

6. THE TRENCH BRONOS la

Luckily in the cue or trench Bronos 1a we. hit. exartly as we wished
upon the North wall of the building and we were thus able Lo exeavaLe
its exterior ,ide down to the bottom. The results are as follows (see also
the plan fig. 50):
tX(,.\\ .\llo,..., \J IIIHt\ I

F'ig. t.9. l.oeal tradition w;.~ $il)und1 a wall appe,aN"d almost 2 111. dt"1·pt>r than
Uu• noor or th~ store-room, which :iw::iits excavatfon•

.•··r·-·•...
l

.t n .- .., ~ ,o,o
• ,.
Fig. So. Ph1n of Bronos Ia.
 The upper storeys were made or mud-brick as has already been
noted here. Within 3 m. rrom the surface we found lhe lowest parts o r

t-'ig. 51. Oronos t a. 1'hc .Norlh wall of the building in ashl.ir masonry Thu fraces
of the cart.hqua.k<i :lrt' visibll•.

Fig. !>2. The s-.o.mc room, the We,st wicll of "hic.h i~ in rubble masonry.

the North wnll, which were of ashlar masonry and it seems certain, thal
it collapsed owing to a violent carthc1uake (fig. 51). The Northwesl
corner of the mansion has a neat. cubical corner stone (ligs 51 and 52).
Above this stone-built portion the upper parts of the wall were of rubble
and the \\'csL wall was wholly of rubble masonry (fig. 52). The lraces
or n wooden rrarncwork in LhP building construction~ known from Cretan
and Mycenaean archit~cLure, were apJ►arent. here as well as everywhere
UuoughouL our ext'ava1,ion. It. is also clear thal rubble., ma.inly ronsistirlg

',

f'ig. s:t ScctiM of f3rono11 1a.

of volranic stones, was employed mostly for the basements, while the
u1>per storey was in ,oud -brick. This was nice]y shown by t he excavation
of a par t of the West wall to the
build ing in question. We cleared
• small part or it down of the
lava ( ?) Ooor and the results were
•• follows (see the section fig. 53
and colour plate B 5):
Oiretlly on the floor, which
Fig. S'.. Uronos la . .\ stone .,,:,lelltt. is horizontal and srnoolh, ap1>ar-
cnlly consisting of the original
la"•• were fou11d the r·ollapsed slone walls (colour p late 8 5). The
gt.ones and the inte"rstices between them were covered by a fine,
b rown carLh, which was clearly the result. or decomposed rnud brick.
4

No trace or pumice exist.sin this layer.

Above the fallen ruios Lhe layer of pumice begins, and over it Lhore
is only u lhin layer or Lephra, the rest. or which has bee.rl worn away
 t-.XC: \\ ,\ 110,, .\ t 1111- R,\ I

by erosion. (See the section rig. !;.1.) Within the pumice layer thero are
oprnings in different directions bul a lways slraijl'hl. ThMP t'an be lilllc
doubl, that they represent the position or the beams or the wall~ and
pPrhap~ or thr roor, whirh ,,•erescatlE'N'd over the- ruins (c;olourplale D 5).
The ('On!tlusinn rrom all tbrsc rocts 11eein~ obvious. One or rnore
serious earllH1uake$ 1 destroyed first the l,uildin~s and only the.u began
the rain or pumice which ntcoinptu1ied Uw en1plion. f'urlher CJhser•
,·ation will confirm or modify tliis im1lortant conclusion concerning tho
successi"e &t.ages of the activity of the Thera-,·olcano.
The finds from this trench were rather Sl"anty, consis1iug of
sherds, stone ,·ases, stones wilh pivol•holc-s for the doors and a few
household implements {fig. 54 shows a stone •palette,),

6. THE TRENCH B RONCS 2.

Fifti· meters lo the South or Bronos I w•

opened nnolber trial
lrenc-h, which proved most important. iw<l at the same lime thE" inosl
d ifficult or all. lmmcd ialcly below th• ••lual tephra surlatc or t he field
"'e found n disturbed pumlC't layer. At lit<' snme lime loose stones from
ashlar masonry appeared (and lhis was very encoura)?ing), only 0,70 m.
below the snrr1u-P. Almost i:tl OllC<" lnrge pRrb or 1►lastcred ,..,ans were
apparent (rig. 55). Large areM or
brown, pure earth, were visible within

Fig. 55. Uronos 2. Stones ft<>m the ashlar ,nai.onr_t. Uent>Mh the111 pla.slertd
walls begin to appear.

the pumice-layer. Sometimes the mud-bricks were sliU well preserved.

Cavities indicated the wooden beams (fig. 56). We felt al once, lhat
t,t \\ .\110\\ \I lll~R\ I

here we were again on the upper noor of a stately building. I put this
delicale work entirftly in ~he hands of Mrs. E. Vermeule. She worked
hard and it is my a~recable duly to express here lo Prof. Vermeule rny
warm lhcnks. The brief dcscrip1io11 wllich rollows uses for the most. par,l
exlratls Crom her own report, accompanied with provisional drawings
rnad e 011 lhe • 1•01, of which a plan (fig. 5i) and a section (lig. 58) are
publishl'd f1('r('.
The soil slopes al this poi111 al)ruptly rrom \Vest. lo East into t.he

ravine, the torrent. or which, I am afraid, has cause<l serious damage t.o
lhe building and possibly separated it from ih dependencies beyond to
the E~t. The ruins to hn <leserihed here lie at the We•tero er,d or our
tre11<"h and they belong certainly h> I he upper Ooor. The steep East.
i;ection in partif·ular produced groups or c•lay vases (fig. 59 and colour
plate B 6) and stone irnplemenls, r>arlly from the fallen upper noor
unJ partly belong-in~. it scem3, lo the basement which is still to be
t~~<·a,·ated. A lar~e sl01u) basin was round ,war u door (rig. 60) and a
g-ri11de1· lay (rig. 6 1) with lhc clay va,s~.
Tht'I arrhilrdural outline of the ruin!l is sLill confused. So far it is
t'l"rlain IJ11.1t thr-rc cxitslell mud•brit'k w;tlls, one or lhcrn running N•S
,dong the We~I edge ol lhe trench . S-Omr brkk• were foirly well preserved
so that Lhrir tlirnensions t'ou ld he ,neasured (one of them was 0,56 m.
lonJ:, 0,30 rn. wide and 0,09 m. thick). 'fhe holes for beams or thinner
interior wooden supports, as already staled, were dear. There were
traces of walls in ashlar masonry (fig. 62) and a pillar was recognizable
r
-------------------- ,, \I IIIUt\ I

10 D.;( \\ .\ I J(lV)

...0
2

"
.J
Q.

N
 :,
~
~
~

;.:
-;::
✓

BROl'OS 2 · EW SECTION TMA01,.;GH NE DOORWAY :.-

..---
MOOt•h~
tAlt114 • t~
•.u ~ l AIUM O l.1 .-.1 I
flTM•U: (· ...... . S'!ISm , .. . 10
~

..
•••
,
: tfwo:,o •,.
tll\18.lt ""' A l.I.
"'
, ...-
:·~f; "'
•• • 011

-t
••••""""""cr,•
tH•trt
' •~Vl(lf°.,. -.
-
~
-
· · - - - - - , .-.....
-- ~= i,,,(l)O , ·- - - , r - - -
t
•~i
'' 1 !' --· ~-
•
I , ' '
i:r:::=
U•CII f; AIIU, f I "<DO . .

~ . I : <Qr•
C>

~
l o •• '
'
IH,AC IC (Altfi.<
!
8l•O(
C(I LU#G.Pu.

t .. ltlM
uc•
•UMICt
\
I
.:
, u,,u cr
!
'
41.AC "' fAlt1M
t....
'

'~.. ,.
••
81.,\CI( C,.ltl c<t_,.,
,uc1,c.1t
YU.""l.fU.l.f

Fig. S8 ~eetion of 8ronos '!.

possibly in sit11 (fig. 62). The traces ol rubble walls arc more abundant
(one of Lhe hest preserved is seen in fi~. 63). For the mosL l'arl they arc
covered wilh plaster (fig. 6/e) somclimcs white crnd sometimes l~aint.ed .

fig, 59. n ruup.s or 1>ot1ery on thf' eastcn'I ~1Jl' or the lrtnch.

In some inslant.•es 1,lastPr layers are superimposed or constitute corners

not yet clear (lig. 65, photo Mrs. Vermeule). The coloured plaster is

apparently reddish or yello", raded alrearly ai, 1l. i$ e:drncted from Lho
pumice. Sl'A I ,~rNI pieces rroin here a.nd other Jlarls or the exr1:n1ation
(moslly rni11ulc fragments) show other and morr vivid <·olours. Conrern:.
ing the Bronos 2 lrcneh Mrs. Vermenlc aptly notes that: When the 11laster
is patt..erned, the designs arc ve.ry faiht. The norrnal design SCCII\S to he
speckled spongc-J)rint.s in brown on
huff ground or in black on a white
ground. Some pieces combine pink
and red wilh a green wash on top.
Some are plai11 lnu·kground pieces in
yellow or while.

was able to take only one photo or some tharadcristic.· pierPs in

~-.
.,:

j.
-
~~

.. ._ .. . .
.

. ~' ,.,;,..>'

1-'ig. 63, A wull J)reservud portion or an uppcr-st.orey waJJ.

tho Phira )lusoum (lig. 66). I have only to add, that the colours or th is
rockwork (certainly from a marine subject.) are curiously faint, as ii
 Fig, 64. ,\ waU .:o,·,._•ttd with JJ1as~r.

Fig. 65. P)ast-0r in dirtercl'lt l~y,•rs. {Photo Vermeule.t

damaged by exressivc hc..'\t or by long expo!:lurr in unhworahle coodit1ons.

I can nol say whal was the original colour. Sometime~ it ~ives the im ..
pression or an a ltered green or blue-green and il was only afler wetting
t:.XC .. \\ .\IIOV't \I tllUt.\ I

th• lragmcnls that a phot.o was possible. One or the most tantalizing ruins
in o,,r trend, was a rurious compl(\X or t.hi,, rubble walls raced on both
sid1's wilh 1>aintcd pluslcr; we did not ha,·e the technical means or keeping
1he Jllnstf'r from numbling when Lhc pumice was removed and so ·we
J,•rt. it inlact as rar as J>OSSiblc. The romplex seems to consist or three
01u)11i11),,~ tu the• left, or equul wid l h (0 176 m.) with Lbin partition walls
0,15 01. lo 0,18 m. thick; some or t.hf' plaster 011 Lhe rive places invcsti•
gated is yellow, some red•pink•g1'ecn 1 some kro,,•n•On•yellow, some pla in

r<,,I. Tlw firs1 suggestioo (t thc le~l:i or a wooden piece or furoiture,) wos
UJlhf'M lo I lu: ~nd of the dij!' by our dtief•mendcr, )Ir. A. Mavr~gonis.
Po~sihly it may he so,ne krnd of 1>olythyroo.
ill l•ast two doors were clearly recognizable. On the threshold or
one of them the-re were three crude mud~br1cks. ·rtte construction of the
fJlhf'r was or work('d stone III thr well known Minoan rnanncr. Tl,e r,hoLo
or Iii(. ti7 hy Mrs. Verroeule and that of fig. 68 by myself show its fo rm
dearly. It ,. framed by• beaten mud I hreshold and rubble walls cnrused
in tl laster on ell,her s1dc, with I he door hrngf'il on the right as you entered
from 1111-,. Eai;t, opening inward. This door opened into a flagstone floor,
whirh is still 1u..crl'cd rn situ (l,g. 69), a lthough it sinks gently towards
the in,1c•r 1mrt or lhc room. IL is interesting, however, that we hove here
tl1{• floor or uu upper slorcy still in its original position and or which we
lti

will be able, we hope, to study the terhnique and construction. All de•
tails: plastered walls, elaborat.c 01,enin~i, 1 a pillar. and ol her !!ligJ,t in-

dications Crom the pottery round ~ive us hope. I hat we att (.'onrn·mtiog

,
J.'ig. 68, 1'1iu sa.1ne door l1>ading lo a ro<>1n floored with sla.bs.

a shrine, which lends inleresl Lo the underlying bnsc,nent awaiting ex•

cavation. Among the polt.er_v round of especial interest is a precious im•
ported ~liooan, perhaps handleless bowl, of which we have for the
 17

moment something slightly over lbc hnll (figs 70-71). All the fragments

Fig. it. 'J'he inside of the samt~ bowl.

the pumice. Apparent!)' the vase imitates a prot.ot.ype or serpentine or

other •tone.
7. TRENCHES ARVANITIS 2 ANO BEYOND

ll remains t.o give a concise descriplion or our rurther (and last.)

investigation~ beyond the ravine to the £est. There is only a narrow
strip or land there, no more than 3 Lo 5 rn. broad, beLween the ravine
rood 011,I the fields l)·ini: higher to the 1,asl. A path coming from tho East

f'ig. 72:. FNgmenls of n fine Cydadic day mp.

cuts this strip or land into a North section, belonging lo Arvanitis, and
a South-Westerly section belonging lo the Nomikos ramily. This last
field, lying roughly 01)positr Bronos '2 1 ,-.,a,$ invest,igate.:l with no less
than live small trenches (Se<! the topographical plan fig. 18) and in three
or thorn we round walls ru111\ing \Vest•Easl, thus glvinga hclprul rorccast
ror future ex(•avalion. Particularly intercst,ing was t'- corner or rubble
1yiog just opposite Bronos 2. In clearing only nboul Lwo meltr~ of the
exterior wall or this <·orner we found mas.-ses of sherds, more abundant
I han in an)· other trench. All pottery is or local fabric but ex<1uh;itt•.
The~ are deep conic-al gobleti painted with hrowne\rdee1, rC'd on n whlte
or yellowi~h polished surface (& prcfious wore, fi~s 72 - 73).
Sunilar vases sho"' additional details in white (figlS 74 • 75). Other
vases are painted white on dark (fig. 76), or dark on the reddish da)'
 ~ ~

Fig. , , l-'r.1~111,·nt-i of fin,• hu hrv111t> pottery.

f'ig. ,s. Fr-Jgrnt•nt3 or a £unncl-stuir>ed rhyluo .i..nd other fine fJOllcry.

 t'XC \\'\110'.\~ ,\I 111!-llA I

~urfon--. (oprn hF11rn1 fi~. i7); pl1uto~rnphs w1•rr, laken nflrr .t tlri-1 11ru•
vi:do11al ,,·asl1111~ of thr shrrcls in thr Plum ,\lusrun\. \'nmrn,;: 1·a11srs
:rndt as tlu\ t-ru~si11j.!' of ttw two path~. or 11os~ihly 1•11l1n·aliru, or ern~ion,
nrP r,•sJtr•n~ihlt• rur I ltP pr1·~••11n• 1lll'r(•, iu llw oth,•rwi:--t• hnrnu~(.'fH'Ullll

Fig. i6. Fi1w 11oth-ry p.unlt>tl rn whit..-.

layrrit. 11f lwn t•arly Cr"t111wtri,· :1lwrils.. Carhoniz.-d mttl t.-r ,uul i111iinol
bonr>s wrrf' nh.o nhumbnl, u:1 wf"II as sou\r rrogm('nl~ or pni11Led sl\ln.'o.

The cxt1"ii;1lr cliari.l<:LC'r of lhr poller~· ind1('l\h'.$ 1lw proximity or an

iml'ortanl quarter of tl1(' ltou~c, pussihly f•o11ucc•f(•1I wit.It the Uronos 2
11trurt11res. IL is lo early to speak about. d,ronological clas~irtc&t.ions
in tho poUory round tloroughouL Lhe excavaLion. We take iL as
 roughly homogeneous. T,,·o flirt her imported L.\1 la sherds were
round in Lhis trcnrh.
Further lo lhr .~ orth, in tlw strip or lan,I b"longiug u, .\ rvanilis.
w,, r)pPned a Ion~ lren,•h (.\ n•.t<'lhis 2) m a :X •S dire,•lion. (Sr.c Lhe
plans f1~. 18 and sa.} ll rrr (llii• tlist1rl1·1• rrMn the Sltlre,room .\rvmllll.S I

Fig.78. \n•anitis :!. Wall~ ~howing lratcs of h, o p~riods or oonstructiou.

is .:1.cartcJ~, :l0 m, to thf' St,utl1) we diiwovered what11111,,· lw <lestribed

as the moi-t monumental slr11el 11rPi; or 1he season. \\'e seem here to
be concerned with two, if not wilh rnc,re pcriodis or huilding (fig. 78).
The run.in rcalur"" is a wall running from North to South. made in
careful poros ashlar masonry (rig. 79). Only a purl ol o,w ol the rooms
iL eucloses was cleared. This re vealed a floor consisting: or
minute
sea-pel,bles trampled down. llpo11 it a j.!ro11 1> or two vases was round
(Ii~. SO), an,I not rar aw,1y a lhir.1 vase appeared (colour plal o 8 S
nll three). On 11,e same floor !WO\e fra~menls or ohjerts were fouu I,
the us~ of whidi is ai:; yet unknown (fii. SJ). They were c.·y)indrical,
bul wilh :l 11arl or lhe sides flattcn"d. Shallow holes in tlouble rows
and a hole pierc·ed through the axis ma.Im the uac or thc8" impleinenls
still more problema1it'. The m11l eri1I is whitish and hrillle, alll.Hi.rrntly
m erely volcauir ;:ush.
Beyond Lhis wall, l he end or whiC'h is preserved only al lhc South
 ~.~C'\\.\110:--.S Al lllfK.\

-. ;
,;,.~~
.....
·t,; ,
'
Fig. i1. ,\rv,u11li:S :! ll1111d~1,mc mill~ 1n .i.shlar md.Sonry ~n•n frv111 lhl" "\orlh.
(total length about 14 m.) there is another wall in a West•Ea,t direction
(fig. 1\2 and plan Ii~. S.1). Its Western corner is preserved, while the

f'ig. 81. Objt>('L'- or unknown use mftdi" of volc.i.nit. ~sh,

Fig. 82. An·antlis 1 . The most monumfnt~I wall hitht'rlo di:ko,•trt•d To the left
it di.s~p11ears lk!nc-alh a field al a higher le,·el. The a~hlar ma$onry or big slonts
is l>adly damaged, possibly by excf>Uive he.at,

Eastern part disapv•ar• under t-he field above. l'(o more than 5 m. of it
 !-.'.\( \\ \J 10:-..\ \I I IIHl\ I

ll
0

I
.,
 1·ould h'" 1111toverPd. IL is the 111osl imJ)osing and ~•f'l the rnost. curious
slrueture y.--•L disl~«verPd. The large lltones are extrcmc.ly brittle, as if
an intense fire had damaged 1,1ern. The height prcsrrvcd is rilmost
exactly 2 m .• hul most. fJuizli,1~ is that I his monumcnl~,1 ::1shlar
111asonry is built upon the sort a&h, very pure and powrlcry. which is
ehArndtristic: of lhis spol. \Ve fou11d in the deep layt•rs rragmcnb or
a <-lay lomp, a pJatc and a f,!'.lass \ 'N1S!'I 11II lwlonging lo our own times
or lo thC' Parly 20lh ('Cntury. IL i~ oln·ioui; that 1hi!; purl or lhe riwinc
was deC'ply eroded from timC' lo time by torrenliul roins.
Near the rounclaliolls or thc-se lwo stately walls w(' made a deep
hole: in ~pile of r ,,n!i!idf'rflhlr Ltch11i!'nl dinlcullics 1 it. was sunk lo thr
depth or 1,70 m. \\'~ Wf'rP ablt thus to study the stralili(·alion. The two
buildings are rounded directly on the ash layer or on n harder or ~·c.llowish
pumic·e. Bui. al th• depth reached of 1,70 m. older walls appeared. They
arc in rubble\ hut lhP stones are or considerable siz".
Thus we t·orwludc th iii- brief report willt lwo signill tant sh,trmrlits:
fi rst, the upper flot)rs or the Thera Rrttlemrnt \\'f'rC llirown down by onf'
or more earthquakei- and In~· already in ruinit bcrorr the acl ual \'Olta.oit
cr111)tion or purnit·e whirh co,·ered them. App;irrntly lhr eruption \,·a,
so mild that a f)arl ol the upper ruins was not wlu,lly burieJ nnd the
de...·ornposilion or 1he mud-brick walls lcrt.brown 1)atche3 on lhc urnle.r-
lying pumicf'-~l1roud. Second, what i~ still more interes1in~. peOJ)le re-
mained or r-0t11rned to the island an<l began lo b uild ~ueh 11111,osm~
houses as inclirrtlPd by the ruins desrrihPd last or 1rr1wh ,\ rvanilis 2.
flo"·e,•f'r, th1R is only a provisional hypothesis based Oil lhf' sf'anty
result~ or our exravatio,H• Lo dat£'. \\'bat is or importanc·r is thal there is
still ab11ndo11l material h11riNI uudcr the rir;;;t and the se<·ond anil final
er111)lion lay<·~ or tephr~,. Only :,rtc-r nlOl"t' 4)Xlt"lll~i\'C• C:,'H•av:itio11 ('(HI this
be "larified. From lhe 1U67 stuJy it is certa in Lhal the• (irJt.Nate~lrophc,
accordiog t,J the t·Pra,11ic evider,c", is lo be dated rnlhcr before I f>OO
B.C. or jusl aboul this time: that lheinlrnbitanh netl suddenly. thou~h
llwy l1ad amplr tune and opport1111il y J(j takr wil It th('m 1•ver~· llun~
prcf'ious. c,·('o rnrtal vessels and tools. \ s rc~ards I h,• <1:1tP it 1i;. 111Lerestin~
to nott', lliat. lhc trunk or a .i;mall N~rhonizrcl tree still ~huiding was
discovered in thr- Phira-mincs in l!ll>7. \\'r h;:iw, seut l'-Opious samples
to Lhe l'n,vel'sity of Pennsylvania, aJequately 1>rotccLed. Miss E. Hal11h
was kind cnoup-h to send the following statement;
56 ~.XC,\ \AI l()l\S Al l 11 F.RA I

UNtVERSITV OF PENNSYLVANIA
PIIILAOELPHIA 1910'-

The College
Ot:PARTMf.NT Ot' PHY~ICS

February 1, 1968
Dear Pror. ,\larinalos :

We have, al lasl , completed the c. 14 dating or your sample

from Thera. To he very sure of the dating, we divided Lhe samp!e into
two parls ond <·ounled the Lwo halves for a lotttl or six Limes. The
average or these rounls gives dates as follows for sample number P-1401.

5568 halr • life ::.730 hall - lilc

I 4~,6 1 1,:1 13. C. 15IJfJ -i 44 B. C.

As you know, the dale talculatcd with the new hair - lire (1559
B.C.) is the preferred one. Also, on the bosis ol dating sampl~• ol known
nge in Ihis age range, even this date may bo loo late hy as mt1t h as
150 yean,. One can say safely thal the true age ol the sample lies be-
tween 1520 and 1750 A. C. However, lor ,•omparison with olber C • 14
dales, it is hest to quote the date or 1;59 ± 44 B.C. .

\Vith best regard:,,

E. K. Ralph.

!'\ow, H we wish to eorroboral{' UH• abovt- re~ull~ with archaeologi-

eul Jal in~, sugge.~tcd from the uew lD67 rnnlerhll, we sec Lhal the initia l
erurtion is lo he dcfinil-0ly doled as I origi11ally rroposed, lo about
1520 13.C.
The question now urlses whelh(lr or not lire existed upon the island
or Tbcra when, some laO to 60 years later the final eruption occurred,
tX(\\ ,\110"\ \I IIHR..\ I

or which ror the J)resent. we have material only from Crete, mainly from
Zakro. Further cxca.valion in Thcra will certainly he illuminating. Cl1n•
cerning Akroliri, changin~ Lhe bed or the rrwine-torrcnl is 1>roposed as a
nr•<"essity £or~ ,•ornplcle1y succts11;rnl mvcstigation or this extremely iin•
porta11t. site.
It r1·mains to add a rew words about imrfot·r-uive~tigations. Xear

Fig. 8:-, 'rhe one long side of the \'essel.

the ehapcl or St. Nicholas thc.r~ is a. vineyard. A stone <.·olumn-base from

there is built into a house jn At"rotiri. <:olurnn-bases indirule imporlarH
building!\ and ~ scarrh in the vineyar1: is planned. Bc-yond the villa~e
lo thr \\'est 1 ,~Her a sleep path through the hei1:h1s or L111fl&,.ades, there
1:,; a chapel or St. J ohn. A mc1~t iulereisling earn-ti stone grinder had
b~en deposited son1etimcs there. l 'nfortunately nobod~• knows when
and from where. The vessel is ov;,il in shape (r,g. Ho'i). Its form and
luxuriou~ dceoratiot, vho\,,s., that. it wa~ dest.incd ror religious pur-
poses as a holy grinder (comp. Fcflos I, p. 205 rig. 89). Along t he long
sides lhcrc is a .spiral moti ve (fif?, 8.~ • 86) which is repeatetl as .111 il\O-
lated pair or spirals on lh~ 1,aek (fi~. B7). The tronl shows A palm-like
mo11n\ llw stem or 1hr tree bein1,t carved on the foot of thr \'ase (rig.
&$). II h~ 011e or the most c·harming vases or tliis. kind. though the blnrk
i:oloor ao,1 t lu: NJ11gh i,.11rCac.·<· of the stone (traehytc) prevent adequate.
contrasts. (1'hC' vose Hi O,tiH m. long, 0.2:> m. hij?li and the grC"alcsl
ltreadlh is 0.47 m.)
About a IC"n 11111,ute walk further to the \ \"est wr reat-hed a culli•
v1;1 led phu:e tailed l{ari.wdes. Thr ash h~yer is extrc,Hely thin in this
r<1lher sleep field, fo r whirh reason the owner came upon somr jars.
The broken pie('C$ we ('Olletted show interesting painted decoration. Thf'rf'
is 110 hope of grcal discoveries there, but it is inlcr{'sling thal Lhc lilllr
rnrHI houses, whic-11 apparently slood there, contained nir.ely painte,1
~tore-j&rs.
PLATES
l'L\I ...\ 1-.X< \\ ,\1101",;S ,\I Illl-..RA I

...

i L 8
Pl,A'rE .\

t. 'fhe villoge A~rotiri rrom the Rai;L.

'2. The lillle bay Ralos io&ido lhc (:taJdent.

:1. AkN'>Liri, lhe chnp,el of SL Nicholas,

'1. Akroliri, a tnical lava • shore.

S. ,\kroliri, the m.,·ino near the sea wilh lhe typical lom;al.;. - plrrnt.ations.

6. Akrotiri, a typical pielure or er01$ion within the ra\•ine.

7. Arva.nilLS I, tho i;lore - room.

8. Arva nitis t, slore • roonl ; a jar la.lien Crom lhe storey above.
PLATED

t. Arvaniti.s 1, The store - room a.s the excavalion advanced.

2:. Slone column • bi:1ses in lhe store• room.

3. The painted jo.,s and tho 11Loom hole" in lhe alore - room.

4, A hearth in ,i,u found on the West ,ide of tho 5tore - room.

S. Bronos ta. Pumice fallen ;ifler the collapsing or lhe building.

6. Bronos :?. A group or ..-a,ses in the Ea.stern slope or the lrenc.h,

7. Two amphoras from the store• room.

fl. Arv.inili:s 2, lhreo v"5eS found on the floor or • room.

F..,XC.-\ \',\1 10.NS ,\ I lllERA I l'I.Alt: U

8
 -- ~.>
~
~
{ '-
'-
.....,
,- ...

Tho store• room during the exeava\iOR$.

f'XC\\' \IION~ ,\f IIHR,\ I

-
EXCAVATIO 15 AT T H ERA 11
1968 SEASON
 EXCAVATIONS AT TH ERA II
(1968 Season)

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

Preliminary work on the 1968 excavations began on June 21,

excavations proper started on July S. They were carried out thanks lo
the generous allowRncc or the Archaeological Society. The Greek Gov•
ernment 1 through the Minist1·y or Coordination and the (fellenie Touri11L
Org:aniiation also contributed 100,000 Ors. each lo allow us lo me.el, the
important tcchnicAl requirements.
The following should clarify the nature or these requirements:
IL became evident from last year, thal now exca"ating methods had to
be adopted, not only because or the spec ial soil conditions bul also in the
interest of Science.
Indeed, the 1967 cxra-·ations had shown that the remains or the
1520 IJ.C. dig{'slor were roulld at. a relnLi\•ely tim:ill J.cplh uodor the bed
of the torrent or Acrotiri 1 since Lhc torrent ioelr anJ e.ro:-;ion in go.ncraJ
lu-1.d worked for centuries in uur hwor. llowcver, as " 'e I.rt lo uncover
tho ruins beneath either side o f the lorrenL bed, the embankment ab•
ruplly rises to 5 meters and more.
It is, of roursc, possible with to-day's ,n(lcha.nical mcuns to remove
the fill consi~tin~ or sort. vo1canic ash in the midRt of which are huge
volcanic boulders or hard, black volcanic lava. ThC'S(' roekioi often weigh
!Several tont;. But. Lhis would be a ver~~ CO!:itly process. It would also
alter for the worse the aspect. or the landscape, dPpri\'e lhe Aerotiri
inhabitants or the use or their meagre fields and require \iery large ex•
pen<liture to cover the cost of expropriat.ions.
There is also thr interest or Seicncr. \Ve have lo lake\ as much as
possible, ad\'antugc or the fact that we ha\'e to do with a ci~y su,ldenly
abandoned. The exca\rali(ms, still at. the beginning, seern lo ~how that.
everything re10ained untouched where it. lay in the hurried flight or lhe
inliabitanls. These ma.y ha\'e taken with them lheir valuabJcs and the
things they could carry: AIJ the rest remained where i t was. and we see,
more and more frequently,. areas whcte parts or tho UJ)per Roors havo
J-ernained unhtu·mc<l.
 t. Xt..\\',.\110:'\~ \I I 111-Jl\ II

This is not a usual exei.wation. One hus the foelin~ or living among
these m en who were s u<ldeoly driven away. terrified by the fury or
Elements. The scienlil'it rnust, thcrerore, try to maintain this impression
or lire which suddenly stop 1led in the n1iddle or the seco1ul ,nille.nium
13.C. Tito mor,: so, because this was the goldtn era or the Bronze ,\ go
when Ea.st Mediterranean Civiliialion had rearhC'<l ils pc-ak.
All theic reasons lead us to lhe tleeision that rurther excavations
oogh l to b(' conducted as follows: The classica l rnrlhods or ex..:avation
(or,ening from nbo,·e) have to be followed only for lhe ruins lying under
the bed of tho torrent, where the fill is not rnol'e thun :i lo 5 meters deep.
nu t, a~ ~oon as the outline of the walls is uncovered, the ruins will be
sheltered, immediately alte1·su1irorts nro erected lo 1he required height,
The exca,·aLions lo rollow will thus be made under CQ\'Cr and .fllmost.
everylhin~ will remain in the 1>lnce where iL wo.s round. Excavations
lo the right and lert of the sheltered arei, will be made by digging tunnels,
so that lhc ruins remain underground.
This method has been subject to much rriticism b~• spcciafo•l~ and
follow archaeotogist.s. They were rearing difficulties, which, rorlunat.ely,
did not cxisL ror the greater part. The r,rst attempt was mndc in 1007,
to ascertain whether this mcth•>e.l wouhl ,vork. The regultK were, we ,nay
~ay, c1uat e .sahisfaclory. The pumire, although a sort material, ha& great'
elos1ici1y. The galkric• are easily opened without the danger or walls
iuH.I l'Oof c.-ollapsio~ or sinking. NrPdlcss Io J.:1 y Ihat, with the proxressio11
or lhr work, !1.p~inl systems or stays wilt havt' lo hf' devised. Our needs
for light ar(' met as we h1~\'C mtrnaged 10 have cleetric current on the
spot. Ventilation rloe~ nut seem lo L·oustiLul(' nny ,najor diflkully aml
I here iit oo pmhlero or underground water or hu 1oidit.y, which constituted
one or the main objections or eertt,in specialists. Tho on ly problem wh.ich
1·c111ai11s lo he soh·etl is tho cxcavatio11 of the upper fli>or:s, where lhese
still exisl, h~' the mclhocl or gaHerie.:-t.
For a.II these rco5on~, we had, as in 1!)67. to dC'\'0le rn.osl or our time
lo technical works. The exn:tvalion~ propN were rf':itriclrd lo lhr two
main iu·rrts winch lwd ;1lready hN•n investigated in 1967. Excavations
were resumed and proJ,:ressed mainly in the Northern eutl (Arvaniti I)
in order to clean the ruins or I l1c 1.~:!d~tin~ magazine tu 1, point which
would allow build a shrltrr.
\\'c did not intend lo tesume lhe exi·avatious in the Southeru
seclor, (Bronou 2), but w(> dtrl so lo J\leasr )lrs. K \ 'crmculc who hnd
rcpcatedl)1 cx1lresscd the desire lo work in this ttecto1·. An iin11ortunL
area wa~ exca\'ule<l olTering evmplcle 11itlurc or u flagslonc-pcn·ed and
lXCA\'A' I IONS Ar TIU:R.-\ II 7

well preserved upper floor with the stairs acceding to it, and there were
notable discoveries of pollery and frescoes. Our first. concern in the
next period or excavaUons will be to shelter this area before we start
its linal excavation 1 •
There. is no need, in a scientific report, as the present, t.o describe
in det(lil the technical side of the excava.Lioos. A simple mention of the
principal works will be sutncient. Our first cooeern was to change the
couni.e of the torrent. Otherwise. the first. winter tains would eqdanger
the uncovered antiquities. 1\ big l,rench was opened, for this purpose,
on lhe North-Western side or lhe actual bed ol the torrent. Pl. l,t shows
the trench at. the point.. where it. will receive the waters: of tbe t.orrent.
Pl. 1,2 shows the trench al aboul the middle ol ils 150 meter lengtb.
As the two sides or the trench would not withstand, without. lining,
lhc pressure of the water$, these and the bottom were lined with concrete
and covered with a rool. PJ.1,3 shows the work at lhe concrete po11ring
slage. To avoid evenlual accidents, the roor of Lhe tunnel so formed
will be covered with earth and topped latCr with a layer of cinder con•
crele. Near t he Southern end, at the exit. or lhe tunne.1 1 a rnender's
laboratory has been builL with room on Lhe top for tho guardian. A
cistern buill under the laboratory will collecl the rain waler lrom tbe
roors and thus pro,·ide the excavation wilh potable waler (pl. 2,1).

1. A tew diRlcu1lics arose in our rurlher collaboration with Ml'8, E. Vermeule,

lo whom t l1ad, for many years, exlended a friendly invilation to collaborate in
lhe Pylbs and llller in lhe Thero txcavations. ~ty re5pecl for Mrs. Vermeule's
keenness of mind ~nd her c1u.1lill"es as an indefatigable e.xcavitor remains undiminish•
ed. It is really unrorl,rnite that w~ did ~riouitly d isagree on lhe interpretation or
certain important p~.ssage5 or the Dible. Mr:.. Vtrrneule. has been invited lo send
11 p,e~onal report on the re.suit..; or U1e exeavalious in l11e 5-0Clor where she had
personally supervised the work. lier report wa.~ to ~ induded in the present report
as an homage to her work. Bui sht did nol wnd anything. ·rhe other collaborators
and guests lo the 1968 1'her;a exca\·ations were: Miss Alexandra Palrianakou, scien•
title ru;s~t.:rnl, Mrs. Chard •r1.a\'Cllta·~ugen with her husb:.rnd (rvr a rew days},
)Jr. John Koum111noudii-, Archilect, l'ror. George Ow, PhiladelJ»hfa Museum,
Mr. C:eorge Solomonides. U1reclor o( Hestoratio,,, )tr. ~I. Yiannouh,kis, i11 ehargo of
topography, the Arlliit•r«-lorer Mr. Ma.rgarilofl, Mr. Kanakis. Ma~ler techni<'-ian,
Mr, l"repdio lis, Chier !on,man or llccon.strucUon, and Mr. \fal)Slliatlt.-s, foreman. We
hid al.so, for a few day:s, visits of fri ends and or students or mine to •ill of whon1
I addnl$$ my wannest thanks.. I must mention, among the offitial visitor.;.,
M.B, Mr, PhiliP5 Talbot, A111bassador or the l ' nited Stales with lus.wiro and Admiral
and Mn.. Sarri. From U1e many ,•i:-il<1rs belonging to the scientifir, world, Proressor
and M~. 0,l'tlge ol Ca11\bridgc ·uuh·ol"!lily ;,rntl Mr.J .Luce-of Trinity Colletre, Uublin,
 l• XC,\\',\llO'.'-/S ,-\l 11 1..~R.\ II

The whole or the excavated magazine (,\rvanili I ) with its walls

which, in certain parts, remain intact up lo the upper floor (pl.2,2), was
immediately encircled by a wall and sheltered under •· roor or bellenit
erected according to the Doxion system (pl. 3,1), Thus the whole of lhe
magazine is now covered, with plenty of light and ventilation (pl. 3/Z),
Now, the final excavation will be conducted under shelter and in com•
fort and w-ill not. have Lo slop, evenluaJly, in winter. As we have a l•
ready said, all other 1>arti; of the open air excavalion!S will he sheltered
in this s.aro.e way.

Fig. 1. Bronou I a from Wesl. Prehisloric building lo left, upper conslruetion

lO righL

TRACES OF LATER ANTIOVITIES

In every imporlanL excavation it. is interesling nol to leave without.
men Lion lhe Lraces found in t he upper la yen, wlLich, however insig11..incant 1
may be important for the history of Lhe area. In 1!)67 a lready, traces or
the Hellenic, Hellenistic and Christian periods had been noliccd in di£•
rere1\l area& or Lhc excavations ' · l)uring lhe presc.nt year. the following
traces or la ter periods wo1-e foond in the excavation area. In the Oronou

t. Pra.klih 196,, pp. 132, 1~6 r. and ExcavaliMi aL Thor3 Fir.st Prelim•
iollt'y Reporl, 1967 So:.lSOn, (lurlhor ffhcr.i 1..) pp. Hi,, SO f.
 9

ta sector' part. or a building, noL yet dated, has been disco,·crcd near the
LOJ> of the present layer of µurn.ice. There is, luw,•evtlr, someltting J>cculiu
in the fael that, as things stand lo-day,. this part secn\s (lig. I) to rest

1-'ig. '.?. n,1ildins- or christian er.-.. ;i.L l>crgerou, wilh earlier pe<h·~t.11 r.•11..,~d

on lhc pumice. In the Urono11 2 a1·ea 1 i11 lhc lH1't'('11l h{'d, 011e 11arl of tl,e
building wus deaned down lu the hotlom. ll was rwliccd tlrnl 1••.i rl ur
the walllt are double and the i11$iJe linNI with inorlar. II mi~ht Jmve
hern P cis1ern. Last year, in the same al'ra, l)<1hherds of tf,e Ceorneh·1c
autl fote.,· periods were found 1 ~omc l,elu11gi11t,; e,·cn 111 lhr IHth. c.;cnlury
(broken glass).

J. l'raklik.i 1!167, ,,. 131 r. a.. 'l'her,1 J, pp. 36 - 1.

10

The most importto,t rum, obviously of Lhe Christian period, ,vas

found some 150 meters North-Easl of the Arvanili 1 area in a field and
vineyard belonging lo Mr. Minas An•anitis. The name of Lhis locality
sounds very Greek. It is called "Pergeros" obviously lrom hypergeros
"lhe extremely old'\ as mu~t have been it.s owner. (l, is a construction
wilh long walls but. in very poor condit.ion. The best. preserved room has
walls, ma<le of little lava boulderis, which reach to the height of 0,85
meters and show traces of mortni- lining in the interior. The inner di-
mensions of the roonl are 5,80 by 4,:n meters. On the South-EMlern side
there is an opening one meter wide. but wilhoul traces of door jambs.
In the ruom and near the Eastern well, a pcdeslal or reddish lava was
found nt the place it had been initinlly set, b ul upside-down for n newer
and dilTerenl use. (See plan I and Jig. 2.) The pedestal is 0,855 ru.
high. 1;quarc in shupe, 0 156 m. wide al. lhe presently upper side1 and
0,53 m. in the lower side which originally wag the upper one. The
pedestal was inven;ed, obviously Lo gain more room at the t.op (it.. was
perhaps used a!i a table). A pious hand, apparently in a1\ effort to
change ils pagan character, carved a c ross in tho center or the upper
turfoco ond raised t h ree pc.rpcndicolar slttb& on il$ baais, o.e ir lo eonsti•
lute isvmc sorl.. or i;eparation rro,n the 1·emaining floor.

BRONOU 2
IL was alrea1.ly apparent from the previous year that there existed
in this sector or the excavations part of an upper lloor paved with llag-
stoncs'. l)irTerent reasons a nd more e~l>ecially the necessity or gecuring
this precious part or the excavations by sheltering it-, compelled us to
ex tend the cxca ,·ations mainly in an Ea.stern direction. This was also
necessary for another i,nportanl.. reason. Lo ascertain ir the constructions
on "ither side of the lorre.nt bed bf'longed lo one or lo many different,
buildings. \Ve are rllOl'C sure now 1 thnl we are in proaencc or a big set•
llernenl.
Photo pl. 4,1 gives a general l•ictu re of the whole. One can distin·
guish, ahnosL in the ,.niddle, the nagstone-paved upper lloor and
lo its right, another or beaten earth. belorlging lo the $aine level. PL 4,2
shows the same ,,uarlers. In lhe lower righl.. are shown the construe•
lions which wore under the bed of the torrent ahd which prescnl. now
t he. above 1nentio11ed sign~ or later use. Ovt?r these i~ thP- umbrella
under which work the rnen who rescue the pieces or frescoes. More to

1. Pra.klika II.Hi?, p. t't.5 Titer.a. 11 1), 4?, Jig. 6'J.

 II

the Ea.st, 011 the lowest part.or Lhe photograph, the walls appear Lo tlirnb
under the higher layel's or the torrcnl banks.
Section JI gives tlie section of ll1e.whole. T o the left i.s the Eastern
urea where lhe wolls a1>11ear in lhe vincyar•d or Uimitrulerteri Alifranghi.
Linder the sul'face of the ,·lneyarJ. at a dept.It uf 6,70 rn. (where Mr.
Koumanoudis' plun IJcar:;; the legend ··t::arlh Fill") is Lhc dumageJ and
lightly slo)ling but still clenrl_v distiugu,sl,ahle beaten earth floor of an•
other UJ)per storey. O1,po&ite this and to the \Vest (in the middle of the
plan) is another noor of the sa111e ki,rd ('"IJu11.18is" on the [>Ian). More to
the We,t a1HI a little higher is the aforesaid llagstone floor and furlhe1·
up the still l'emainiog walls of the \JJ•per noor, which a1·c, in some places 1
more than a mclcr high. The. deepest floor that. we have reached under
the torrent bed is marked on the plan ·with a human figure. \Ve canm,t
yet say if it belongs lt) a later period. llowp\'er, it. i! in I.his place thul
the later findings alrcaJy mentioned were made.
The depth we have ,·cached is of aboul 8 1&0 m. in tile Eastern and
of 7,65 m. in the \Veslern part o f the Bro11ou 2 8etlor. The plttn of
the ruins Urns uncovered (plan Ill) shows, in its lower part, a
room or about 2,30 rn, by 4,30 m. with very thick double · walls. The
inoer part or the ,,·alls is lined with mortar. This room, a.s already men-
t ioned, may belong Lo a much later period. The Eastern well or the
room has two niches (pl. 5, 1) at about the height or a man's breast.
On one of these was round the hair of a stone hammer or adie made or
serpentine (lengt.h 0,03 m. ,width 0,035 at the point of the break). In
the de_epest layers or the same area a stone axe was luund . It is 0,t 15 rn.
long and made out or a lengthy' oval pebble or tire same material. This
be1ongs without doubt to the Ncolilhic period. llowever, both these
finds are the carJiesl di$covercd so far in Thora and among the earliest.
in all the Cyclades al'ea (fig. :J). But they have been found in disturbed
layers.
Higher UJl and Lo the right, on plan 111 is Lhe 1, lace, where many
pieces or rres<:oes were found. Excavation or this place has noL been
completed. Immediately to the WesL is a small room. IL is very small
and l,he two parallel '"''inding furrows on the floor gave first lhe int•
pression or a pollcr's kiln, Mr. K.oumanoudis' inlcrpretation is Ltrn.t.
they are Hoor beams. He may be right. The final excavation will soh•e
the problem.
The rrescoea were found more or less heaped in a. very small area.
Since the upper layer$ a~ this point, more l-0 Lhe S1.mth, and almo.1>L
everywhere in the present sector, contain small pieces or plaster, some
times coloured, it is clear that these were swept away from the Northerly
sectors. Frescoes round in Ute Arvaniti l isecWr show Lhe same subjecl.8
and are doubtless round in situ. It is not excluded that lhe upper layers
of t.hese rrescoea may have been washed down as far as Dronou 2 and
even further South.
The following, dated Augusl 7, H.168 is recorded in the excavation
diar)'; .. Dro1)011 2. Tl1e first section of a rrcsco or about 35 by 65 om.
was round in I he disturbed soil or the torrent 1,ctween tho two banks.
It re11resenl~ rercls s1lr()utin~ us ii :,;cc11,s. rrom n wide- zone ... " Aller

tho cleaning (pl. 5, ::) the wide zone disa11prnrcd. The recdij, however,
whit•11 n:miud us or the A111arna SLylc 1 arc well Jm.~served. However,
the deeper layers have i.hown more and more interesling piece3 which
give the impression Lhat they are in situ, precipitated from some place
above 01· adjacent to lhe spot where I hey were round. The final exca•
valion will solve the prohlPln. Among the several pieces round, tliere are
myrtle-like plant• (pl. 6, •·2) and the head or a blue monkey with a big
circular eye (colour pl. B I).
More Lo the \Vesl, aL about lhe mic.ldlc of plan 111 1 a c.louhle staircase
with O relatively high sleps was round. Pl. 7, 1 shows both the aisles,
and plan IV lhe dctu.ih1,, These were certainly :,;ervico stairs with no
archit,cetoral prclcntions, ll owcvc-r1 it. is through t hese staira lhat we
climb normally to the upper floor, the more important excavated part
or which is Lhe already 01e11Lioued Oagstone floor. This room, ahnost
square ($ by 5 111.) (see detailed plan V and section VI), is interesting
EXCA \'ATIO~\ .,n I 11 t it\ 11

in that., although partially sunk, it remains at its actual place. Tho

general vic,v, together with the s11rrn11 ndin~ areas and Ille st uncling wall
or the upper floor where grooves or the timber frame can be seen, is given
by pl.4 1 1 and 7/1. Tho room has, in it.& almo3t, exact center (plan V),
the st.one basis or n wooden column. The slabs of the flool' are thin and
sometimes or a fairly good size. They are broken and 1-.artly sun k
(sec section VI) but in Lime Lhey will ~e mended and put into place.
The room was found with all it:s pottery intact. The. biggest vases,
jars and strainers were round lhe colurnn, Some of the vaacs were stand•
ing, others 111>sitle-dowu (bolh these positions shou ld he con:-idered

Fig. Ii, llronou 2. Jar befor8: mending.

natural) and others had been thrown down by the earthquake. Small
pots were found together with the big ones. Some ol these seemed dur-
ing the excavation lo have kept. t.heir natura.1 shape. But they Wt•re
in fact broken in a thousand pieces (fig. t.). Pl. 8 and 9, I give only a
small idea or Lhe weaHh in poUery contained in thi, room. Pl. 9,2
shows the floor ol the room alter the complete removal ol aU the
pottery. The most important among the vases found are: The strainer
(pl. 10,1): ii has a lid and its bottom is pierced with holes like a colander.
Although it is ol the same shape as tho already well known small strainers
from Thera and Crete• it bas, nevertheless, the dimensions ol a jar.
The de;,oration (a sort ol ivy-WAZ with double leaf-stalks ending in the
shape ol a disk) is ol the stylistically most advanced but always within

t, N. Auao, Dronteze.ill. u. Frilhei$ent, Chronologie IV, 136, fig. 257-8 and

213, Ilg. 39~.
l •I F.X(:.,\VATIO'.\:S Al 1111:.Rt\ II

the framewflrk of lht:' l.~1 In pt>rind, Th~ rylinclric-ill \'ase {pl. I t , I) of

redd ish clay on<l with d<'ro,·ati<m of while cror\lses is also a strai ner hav•
ing ils hollom al I lie mid,llo or lhorylinrlcr. Th~ nippled ewer (fig. 5)
wilh l he Oyin~ swallows jjt unt of I ht:' maslt"rpirrc1. fonn1I io 1his c3mpnign.
The birds, o.lthon~h ns1noi~lti11gl)• nnlnl'nl nnd grArioui;; wcro designed
from memory, They re p 1'('ll('nl a mixc,1 type whir h tines nol exist. The
black plumogc and 1ltf" long srissore1I 1;.1ils. hel1111J! I(l t hr field swallow

Fig. 5. Nippled ewer with $Wllllowg,

(Hirundo Hustica) while the white spot of the back belongs to the town
swallow (Chelidonaria Urbica).
Many small vases had a beautiful decoration of crocuses and other
plants but we could not find enough pieces for a satisfactory restoration.
The only except.ion is a remarkable elongaled bowl (it may be called
cymha) all the pieces or which were found. On a while-yellowish ground
0
are painted dolphins in brown wit..h additional parts in white, waves" and
"olouds" are of the some colours (colour pl. C 7 and pl. 11,Z). It is worlh
JlOticing thal- the pottery or this sector belongs to the 1oea1 mat.l-paint.ed
EXC:A\'AIIO~!> 1\I IIIERA II

tcchni'IIIC. Plate 10,2 Rhow111 onr of thejari., lhc pieces of which appear in
fig. Ii. Slonr vessels were alsn round in grcal nnmhers. Part. of a shallow
rcc l.nngular basin (fnr the
mi:dn~ of rolours,or n ta.hie
of offoringR) has around
the lid n ~er·ics or shallow
caviLics rcminisce,11.. of n
kernos (fig. G). Another
pieceor slob (fig. 7) is co,·-
cred with similar rnvities.
Interesting al~o is o
stone fragment or a rim
w}tich may hclong lo a.
F'ig. 6. Hmnou '1. !-itone table or o fTf'rings or
kernns.. granary pit f a well • rim
o r a lavatory ha~in, it.s
shape heing mnre cllipt.k than round. nigger vases have been round in
plnr.e!t whirh shnw that, I hey
fell rrom I he u1•1)er floor.
•
One of these is depicted in
fig. 8 . The slightly muti-
lated ,•e~sel shown in fig. 9
WflS foun<l mnrc to I.he
North anrl on a higher
layer over the upper floor.
It WAS obviously placed on
the rohr, All,: shown by its
us•. I ndced, iL has been
recogniied, with the help
or similar vessels or today,
as: being used lo wa.t.cr
birds, especially pigeons.
The middle partition forces
the birds to step on it, pr-e• 1-~ig. ?. 8ronou 2. East sector.
venting them thus from Slab with C3\'ilies,
dirtying the water with their foot, or bathing in it.

ARVANITI I

11 was evident that this quarter had a magazine in the ground

floor, of which lbe Southernmost section (that ol the standing jars)
 1-XC.\\ \ll();'\", ,\I I IIFR.\ 11

had been excavated in 1007•. Thi~ nr<'a had ht"en provisionally roored 1
nnd was !lucces~rully protect.e<l during the wint('r. Only once on a rain)'
day the waters overflowed their
guUcr~ and a little water ran
into thl' maga1.inc. In 1968, all
necessary steps were la ken.; the
whole or t hr magaziue was exca•
vatcd, o permanent. roM wQl1i get
(pl. 2-:J) and the course or the
torrent herl was altered (rl. 1).
The secLioo VII gives a
picture or the a1•N1 before the
cxca,•ations. Tlte ancienl bed or
the torrent (in the middle ol
the plan) was tlhout 5,50 m.
higher than the. noor or the mag- f'ig. 8. Bronou 2. f;lone ves.~1.
azine. The depth reached in
our excavations was or more 1,h an 11 m. from the surface or the neigh-
---- borin~ vineyards. The fiJI in
the upper layers consi~I!( of
ash while the layers in which
t.he ruins lay were every-
where of pumice.This last
layer, however, because or
the erosionstlueto the win~
ter floods has lost much or
its ori~inal thickness which
must have been or about. 4
meters. The pumice swept.
away has been replaced
by ash and sometimes by
1-'ig. 9. Quarters bcl"''oen Bronou 1 and 2. sand. Today there i• much
Watering trough for pipona..
sand on the surface between
the villagr and the excavation area which makes the approacl, difficult
t-0 men and animnls and impossible t,o cars. \Ve have now built., on
the sandy surface, a road paved with stones and ash.

t, Praktika 1967, 136 f. = Thera I, pp. 16 f.

2. Ibid. pl. 120. g~mma -= Thera I, p. 31, tig. O.
t.XCA\'.\IIOSS .\I IIIH{.\ II 17

It has been proved that the sector Arvaniti 1 was, in fact, a tri-
partite magazine, the first part of which, to the South, had been uncov-
ered during the 1967 excavations. On pl. 12,1 which shows the whole
of the magazine seen from the North, the first part is still sheltered with
tho 1967 provisional roof. One can see, under the roor, part or the ancient
wall which separates tho first from the middle part. To the exterior,
appears the begio,iing or the second cross-wall and Ille third Northerly
room (in which a worker can be seen).
More to the North (on the lowest part or tho photograph) was found
one of the few sectors cxeavaled unlil now which was open Lo the
sky. It is some sort or courlya,·d . We look advantage or this fact and
dug deeply in order lo be able, for the first time, to study the strat-
igraphy. The wall is made or rubble stones, carefully assembled.
Visible on it is the groove lert hy the horizontal beam which was part
or the timber frame (clearly seen on the photograph). Under the pum-
ice layer was a layer 0,45 m. deep or blackish earth filled with
small pebbles and a great number of potsherds. The seetion Vlll
present$ to the right (lo the West) a double solid wall and over it a
course or worked stones (comp. pl. t3). Those r1uartcrs were called,
11
provisionally, \Vestern rooms" (see below). The section shows further
the layer of pumice, the layer or black earth with the potsherdJ; and
a Ooor which was 1timply of benlen earth. The foundalioni; of t.lle
maga1.ine's Northern wall are 0,55 m. beneath this level.
We dug there to a depth or 2,/i0 m. rrom the blackish layer. Below
the foundations or Lho wall, the stone~ and tho very few pot..slierdis dis-
appear completely, replaced by argillaceus sand. We advanced to a
depth of t,50 m. into this clean layer without rneeting any lava. It was
therefore pos•ible, in lb.is and in similar areas or the pre-explosion
Thera, to cultivate the soil and see trees grow. The clay used by the
potters of the island might, a.lso, have been taken frorn a similar layer.
The potsherds above mentioned were typical of the pottery or inhabited
areas. They belonged to big and small vases, without relation to each
other. Most of them were plain, a rew matt-painted, but all of the
Middle Cycladic period. Worth noticing are some fusiform clay objects
pierced longitudinally, similar to small cucumbers, 0, 15 m. long, perhaps
weights !or fishing nel<!. Fishermen today weight their nel<I with small
load sheet cylinders.
We filled tl,e trench art.er having 11,rown in (pl. ·12, 2) the boulders
which had been a real obslaele to lbe •~xcava.Lio,uJ. Hurled hy Lhc ex•
plosion from a distance or more than 15 km., these boulders, fragments
18

or the crater' • walls, are always or hard, black granitic lava. They
,i.·oigh somet..imes rnore than a ton. It is probable Lhat some were carried
there by the floods. However, even today, the surface ol the adjoining
fields is Full or such boulders.
The t,hree - room "magazine" has simple wells to the. Norlh1 East.
and South. Ou the Western side, things become more complicated as
the walls appear to be double in certain parts, The North~rnmosl soot ion
or this Western double wall is still crowned at the lop by a row or worked
stones (pl. 13), It was an imposing spectacle when, advancing in depth
we began to uncover tfle heaps of pottery in. room 3 or tho magaiine
and the overhanging thick double wall (pl. 13, 2). The section IX gives
an idea or the height or the three partitions or the magazine and sec-
tion X shows the still greater depth (to the right on the plan) where
another construction was found.
The provisional plan of Lhe magazine (pl. XI) drawn by Mr. Kouma-
11oudis, is still incomplete in the details, but due to the progress realiied
in clearing t.he walls, it is more explicit than tho one published in
"Ergon" 1068, p. 92.
Hoorn 11 lhe So\11.horuuu,st, will not. be deiscribed anew. A few mum
afltiquities were found, but, the description made in lhe 1967 report. may
be considered as ~umcienl. The two other partitions, magazine 2 and
magasine 3 are smaller. They contained, however, an astonishing amount
or pottery, big and small, decorat~d or not. Son,e are import~. The bi~
jal"$ as well as many small pot-3 laying on the ground were in their original
place. The others had fallen From the upper noor or from shelves.
They were lying aL different. levels, rnostly broken, and many pieces
of beautiful vases were not. round 1 having obviously reverted lo dust.
\Ve ca.nnoL give here anything but. a resume of the main condition:;
o f Jiscovery.
In general, around each jar, sometimes around a group ur smaller
pols, partition walls were observed, made or upright unbaked bricks.
Vertical holes or about 10 cm. in diameter show that small upright
slakes we1·e inserted there. The r·eason why lhe3e stakes were placed
there is 11vt yet clear, Such is also the hole which had been noticed
in 1007 near Lhe jars c;,f magaiine I • which had then heen int.erprclcd ai;
beloni;ing to a loom.
In the upper layers of each room, some s111u.ll poh:1 onJ a few 1,ol~hertl.tt
·were found . Soon lbe rims of the jars began to ap1,ear1 standing UJJright 1
EXCA\' ATION') XI ntuu II

as a rule, even though their walls were always cracked. The jars were
placed on the floor and their height was in general le•• than a meter high.
·r hey were standing in situ. Also, almQst. all the atone vases round were
in sit,u on t,he rloor. They were either st.anding upright or upside down,
having been placed in this latter position on purpose by the inhabitant...
The stone vessels were lamps, big and small spouted grinders, pressing·
bowls and tripod utensils which were a lso grinders. The stone, generally
spherical 1 wilh which the hard fruits were pressed or broken or grinded,
was always found. The ,vhole fill, from the. rim to the bottom or the jars,
was lull or smaller pots rallen from the upper floor or rrom the shelves.
Room No. 2 ol the magazine contained mainly two groups ol jars.
The one, or small vases and jars, was near t.he door or magazine i and
the other in the corresponding (Western) corner or the room'. Pl. 14, t
shows the moment or discovery or the two principal specimens and
pl. 34 tt,e same vases arter their restoration. Pl. 14, 2 shows a nearby
vase on which two small handleless cup$ have (alien. In one or these
can be seen a srnall disc - shaped weight (,ce below) with the sign l>.
carved un one side. Touching the \Veslern wall or the f)resent. room was
standing another plain jar whose stone lid ha,l sli1iped outwards. Photo-
graph pl.15,t shows the lid put inlo place.The same picture shows also
fragments or small and big vases wl,ich had probably rallen rrom above.
Pl. 15,2 gives a still better picture ol this, which is of a special im-
port.anee: as Suon as U1i:s Jayer wa:1 removed, a fine rhytion appeared,
in lhe shape o r a lion's he•<l (fig. l\l and pl. 37,•). This was also lying
on the floor.
This rac~ helps 11:s lo 11nderstanJ the following: in l,he Eastern sector
or Lhis: same roo111 we.re found, aL different, levehi, (u11 to one meter
rrom the floor) a se,·ie, or small jug,, and small vessels (pl. l6.1) the
religious meaning or which ii. well known. In the same place and on the
lloor l.( isomll handlele~ UIIJI ,,,a.is found run or charcoal. traceg or which
existed al,o in lhe 11t1111ice, which rormed the general fill.
To the We,st or magazine 2, and on a higher IC\•el, aro the floors
or 0U1er roomJt. One ,·u,,n1 1.:urreisprmds to magazine 2, which has been
listed ~ 11 \Vci;l.tirn rvvm ~,. in bhe excavation diarr. Un its noor,

L 'l'v r.wiliWW tl1c iuvenlvry ur U1e gn.•aL number of va~, \\& ha\'e divided
each or the 1oaga1.ines in lhm .!lecliom, from ~ast. lo West, numbered I (Eas.l),
'.!. {middle}. a (West}. For instance, lhe indication 2, 2 means magazine 2, middle
.section. The v:.ses in eachsecl.ion are numlHlred Crom I onwttrds.; thus big.gt1r n.uint;,.r:s
ml;'an t\5 ,.1 rule greater depth.
which lat.er has been recngnizec1 as u.11 upror f1001·, the hol tom or n tu~ jn.r
was still standing. Near i L, Logf'I her with mutilaled rem nan ls or J)ollery,
was a table of ollering• in situ (pl. 3 1,t} or which only a small part had
been Jost iii Lhe disaster. \Veek~ la.le.r, I\ beautiful nippled e wer was
found, decorated with barley stalk, (pl. 30,1 and :J6, 1).
AH these, leave no doubt I hat the upper floor or lhii, 1p1urtc.r \\'ai; or a
religious character. And it is rrom this floor that lhe ab(l\'(' described

Fig. 10. Arvanili 1. \1agai.i11c 2, 3. Hhylnn (lion's ot liont..._... l11wlJ.

ritual vessels feH int,o lhe magazine. Photograph rl.16,2. ,-hows two olhf'I'
vases, perhaps or the same no.Lure: a rhylon of the conical type and
a beautirul ewer with veuhes (colour pl. F: 3). A liUle rurthcr (we are
almost al the center or the magazine) and on the same lloor (pl. 17,t ) was
round an askos (tog. 26) and the marvellous kymbc with lhe swallow•
(pl. 1i,2 and colour pl. C 8) which, as il was rounJ intact 1 lay pr(1hal,Jy
in situ. In the same place, a small reclo.ngular f lay chesl wal\ ro1111d,
surrounded by upright unbaked bricks (pl. 18,1). Pie<es or n thin ala•
basl~r slab bad been round higher up and henealh tl,e111 a higger pie<'I'
perhaps belonging to Lhe same slab. Unro,'lunolcly, alabaster, a, it
seems, gets corroded under lhe pumice, because the remnants of an
 '.?I

alahall-ler chalice which had been lound almosL at the dividing

line between maga.iine I and 2,
were in a glate or complete e-..
rosion. The •lab belonged, per•
hap•, Lo a ve,.el (lid?). With
lhc s lab were trac,es or some.
urga11ic substance (straw? pa·
pyrus? linen? they were few
and impossible lo recognize).
As soon as Lhe chest ,vas
brttcr cleared, it apprarrd Lhat
it had t\ lid of plaster, the pieces
ur which, broken, had fallen
. -1, inlO Lhe \'CSSel. After the reslo-
ralion, it was proved that this
W(1s a 1•ie('.e or Lhick and hard

plusler which eame perhaps

J,a
~
. . ~3 rrum • lloor (fig. 11 ). 1\ wide
1.onc is pai1Hed bloe and forlll!i
a dthlo if the 1•ie('e belonged Lo
--~-<7).;t ;" :. wall, 01· a border ir it came
frum a lloor. It ends in a wavy
l"iJ,C. 11. Arvan1li I. M:1i;,u.,nc -.!. l><.-.:Or.tlcll fuu• rnrn1 which t,i~ spiral$ artJ
pl,tSkr. ~11ir.tl.j s11routi11g tr:0111 a dado. s11rrn1hog, On I !ti:; li<l \\'US still
lyin~ iu ~ilu a one li..1111.lled hrow11
uo,,lhri- with a "(loul hr-au1 ih1lly
 t:.XCJ-\\ A IIO~ S ,.\I llllRA II

decorated with vel.Ches (pl. 18,2 and 35,1) v.hile lo tho right of the lamax,
on the floor, was a small two handled jar. Pl. 18, 2 shows the whole find
af~r its restoration. The small chest, pain~d inside and out in brown,
has two horizontal handles on each of its long sides and one on each of
the lateral. It is evident that it was used for the storage of precious
substances such as aromatic plants, incense and the like. For brevity's
sake we have given t.Q this vase the name or "livanotria." (censer) bor-
rowed from classical antiquity (fig. 12). Its dimensions are: 40 cm.
long, 26,5 cm. broad and 21 cm. high.
Near the "livanotrisn and inside <lf l,he already mentioned en-
closure of unbaked bricks, a slah, 0,68 m. long and 0,:12 wide, was found
in situ on the 0oor. Two disc-shaped lead weights were placed on it,
one on top of the other, with such symmetry (pl. 19,t) that it is obvious
that thoy were in situ. One of the weights has a diameter of 0,088 m.
and the other 0,055. This induced us immediately to believe that this
was the place or a scale. The black spot on the leftcorncr or the slab,
clearli• visible on the photograph, should be attributed lo ii. This,
naturally, is a mere a supposition, Furthermore, on the slab there was
a1a.o a big spherical pebble which had be.on given it8 shape by flaking
(weight 1,028 gr.) and a small black smooth pebble (both clearly visible
in the photograph). In the same area, but nol on the slab, we found
a similar black pebble and another while one with beautiful red veino.
Behind th..e objects, not far from the lion's head rhyton, but on
a higher level, were the bottoms and part of the side• of two plain vases
containing snails (below, fig. 41).
The Eastern wall or magazine 2 has two openings. The destination
ol the firsl(lo the South) has not yet been clarified. On the other, 1,20 m.
wide, (see plan XI), a row of seven vases was placed along the sill
(pl. 19,2). The first two (!rom the left) a.re two beautiful globular im-
ported ewers (pl. 20,, and colour pl. E Ii and D 5).The five other vases
are smaller and plainer: one chous (pitcher) and beneath ii a globular
wide-rimmed vase, two nippled ewers and lastly a.n9ther chous (pitcher).
When the vases were removed and the pumica scraped off, one
could see, as in pholograpl, pl. 20,2, the cavitiu left by two wooden
dowels al the sides and by one in the middle. The window, possibly,
hnd two shuttert1. Furthermore, on either tide of the wa11, the traces
of small upright square beams could be seen, between which pebbles
and clay formed the jambs in the walls £or the conotruction of the frames
of the window. Arter further removal of the pumiee, the clay ,ill of the
window appeared, as ohown in rig. 13, Again, the places lor two hori•
zontal beams are clear.
t-.X(;,.\ \'.\110~~ .\I I IIFR,\ II

Still more. dramati<' was I he excavation or the adjoinin~ magaiine 3

to the North, where big jars, median size vases, little pots and st..one

fig. t3. Window or magar.ioe 2 with ,•as.es removed.

vases and implement.s were literally heaped together. The most beau-
tiful ,,ots, both local and imported, were round in Lhia room.
Herc, jars and slone
vessels lay, mostly in situ.
A certain number or minor
1u..1ts, stacked in ditsorder
against. the Eastern waJI
or the magazine, were $0
high in the mt that they
were the first to he round.
It was clear lhal they had
rallen lrom the upper !Joor.
They were, lor the same
reason, cornp)etel)· broken. Fig Iii. Arvaniti I {3. 1 «window•).
On a kind or rece$S or the Clay.pot (xtit'pl'I) found on window•sill(?).
wall (nol yet clarified) at the same height, a clay cooking pot with
missing rcet was lying upside down. It. has a spout, so the lcrm or xtJTea
can be l iterally applied lo it (rig. It.).
 tXC.\\ .\110'' \I llli-.R.\ II

With the progress or the excavation, vases began to appear on tho

\Yester1\ @ide or the room, which was full of exquisit jars still standing
upright. The July 26, 1968 entry in the diary states: lmpressi"e was the
appearance or the rim or a jar and near it another still covered with a
thin stone slab as a lid. Round about. are a 11 fruit stand/' two handJclcss
miniature cups, and fragments of a vase or vases. Photograph pl. 21,1
has been taken shortly after this moment.
Those same two jars appear in pl. 21,2 in a further st<ige ol the

Fig, lS. Vas<I! from mag-a.zine 3. Colours on v!WIS are, as a rule,

exceUenUy preser,·ed.

excavation. It is worth noticing that lho first jnr, although its lid wa•
slightly displaced (because or the earthquake?) was fdled with pumice
up to 20 cm. under the lid. A few days later it was evident that all lhe
\\'cstcm 1nlrt or tho magazine was ru11 of jars and olher vases in gl'eal.
disorder. 'l'his fa.cl, helter than any dcsc1·iption 1 shows lhe force or lho
disaster. Plate 22 gives an idea or lhis racl. Heinarkably decorated vases,
cspeeiall)r globular ewel'iS and some i1npo1·ts were round among the
pottery. Such is the ewer wbich appears 1\ear the lop, in the midd le of
lhe photograph (colour pl. D 6). One more photograph (fig. 15) shows
other choice vases of the same group.
FXC..\\' \1 IO~S ~\I rt Jt Ki\ JI

In Lhe middle of Lhe mag•

azin e (3, 2) were found jars
as well as other vases. Fig.
16 shows a fragment of a
jar whioh 1 instead or a lid,
has a slender vase (fig. 17)
with st.ro1lg vertical ribs.
AL two points 1 heaps or
s mall handleless cups were
round. Pl. 2J 1 l shows one
or lhc hcnps with a neal'by
ewer.
The most, dramatic phase
ur the e xcavation perhaps
llJOk place at the Eastern
end ur the 11\agazine (3 1 1)
when we 1,egan to remove
the masses of pumiee. The

t'ig. 16. An·anili J, 3, 2. Jar wilh vbloog

libatiou VL"Mul in 1>laoo or lid,

mo~t h(lonulirul jars so rar excnvut ed

begal1 to appear, one urter lhe othe,·, a11
standing. Pl. 2:{;.? shows in I he IHu.· k-
gronnd a jar full or dch1·is with a Sf>011L-
ed pitcher on them. Surh vasf's {we h<t.ve
already seen two which we re rou ml on
lhc s ill or t lte winduw or magazine 2, I)
were sometimes a lso found inside some
j ars.Their shape is ex ! 1·cmcly u111u·o11riuh•
for their use as di JIJH'rs a rHI ii is \"ery 111·oh
able that lhcy a lso strved a~ measut'<'S fot·
Ji<1uids (one wuuld say, thcrefo1<e, t ltucs).
In the foreground 1 ur lhc phulu•
graph, a marvellous jar tan be seen,
(iL appears still heller in pl. 2~,2), as Vi_;.1' •.\r,·:rniti 1. )la~.,,iuc :l,?.
i~ was rouml brn•jcd in· pumice. On u Ribbe,1 va:,o,
 t\.C\\.\110'\ ,\I 1111-R.\ II

dark brow,, ground ii hears scaLte•ed admirable whit.c lilies (pl. 25. I)
already known lo us from Lhe frieze or Phylacopi and the inlaid dagger
from Mycenae. \Ve named it " thi; sacred jar or th.e goddess" as soon
as it was round. Because iL had been broken, il was decided Lo remove
it and bring it to the ihera museum t.o be mended. \\' hen most. of
the fragment~ or its belly were removed, the bottom remained. The
white pumice stone which had filled lhc jar began to darken. 5-0on, the
existence or some organic matter, probably flour eontai1\ed in the jnr
cou ld hr detected . In this substance, and almost o.t the boLtorn or the
jar a small figurine of Lhc goddess lay prone which arousf• the su11e.rs1i~
tious respect or ihc workers. Pl. 24,1 shows the figurine together
with the remnants or the blackish substance, samples or which were
kept !or analysis.
The small figurine was or a very poor make. lt was made or unhakt'd
clay and our master mender ho.d greo.t di01culty in putting the '"head''
and t.he "l1ands 11 into place. It was impOS$ible, later, lo find the small
f'igurinf' in the mus.cum whence it IHld diisappeared mystcl'iously. Per-
har,s, while being subjected to rurther cleaning, it was immersed by
inadvertenee in water, where unbakc<l objects dh;inlegrate immedia,lcly
into mud.
All we can clo is lo publish here a second bigger photograph (pl.
24,2), and refer LO the descriplion in our diary (lllonday, August 12,
!Of.SJ:" ... The jar or the lilies ... showed in the hotto,n a thin layer or
organic $ubslanC'e and laying prone on it a small figurine or the Goddess,
made or unbaked clay and of NeoliLhit style. (t. ha.s a neck and lwo
protuberances in the 1>hwe or hands, Lhc rest is Dal as a board. Length
0,14 m., width 0,05 nl.".
Standing near lhe "Jar or the lilies" and still in silu is another jar
decorated wilh red s111rals (fig. 18). i\earby, upside down, lay a hi~
slrainer or the size or a sinall ja,· (rig. IS and below colour pl. E fl).
One can clearl)1 see, on the photograph, the ,>ierced bottom.
On the noor or this section or the magazine, roan)· dilTcrcnl small
clay vases were found and an unusual nurnber of stone vessels. Pl. 26,1
shows a stone tripod mortar with the pebble used as a J)estle near it.
Lower to the right appears a small clay jar, imitating a large one wilh
the rope decoration or MC tradition. Pl. 26,2 shows a stone lamp lying
upside down, and c lay sherds. Pl. 28,1 shows the biggest stone lamp
cvei- round until today. IL is worth notir.ing that not on ly the small
hasis is convex but that als<> the bottom zone around iL is roughly cul
wiLh a poinl ed c hisel.
 27

It i• arrarcnt that this lnmr was placed on n sr ccinl •tnn,I, the

lampstand which is ealled by ll omer a "lamptcr." There is a further
example or a lamp or similar class in clay.
THE SOUTH CORRIDOR QUARTER

..
To build a shelter over lhe slore rol'Hn <IC'if'rihc,J aho\'C it was nee-
... . ·-
·::::--~,·
;-~ .··
.\ I'
. - • .,_;

.-4,
. f
. ~ ,
Fig. 18. An-anili 1. Magaiin& 3, L Jar a.nd strainer.

essary to dig around it so that we could lay foundations for the walls.
The antiquities described below were fou nd in the cou rse of this work,
which is not to be thought or as a systematic excavation .
Outside the South wall or the store room a narrow passage runninJ:
from East to West was disc~vered (plan XI). At its West end were found
numerous thin slabs (pl: 27,1) some of them or a beautiful black stone.
 1-~( \\ ,\110'\"i Al llltJ(\ It

From our experience in lhe Rronou 2 Quarter we realized thot the1Se had
fallen from llw u1,1•er floor which no longer exisls today because the
torrcnL al this point (and, we fear, farther !:iouth) has carried away the
ancient remains to a considerable depth.
As soon as wr ha<l rcmo\·ed the slabs, the oullines of a ~mall paved
room aJlpearr<l which we muncd for COn\'enience the "Porter's Jodge"
(pl. 281:t). A few intcrcsling vtUieS lny on the noor and along the North
wall of tlic 1•oonL The most irnportnnt lhing howrver, was Urnl on this
wall (wltieh forms a 1•;1rty w1tll wit It tlte Soul h Corridor) and sometirnes
among the ~tabs from the u r•per floClr were round a considerable nurnher
or fragments of cxtrerncly interesting wall paintings (see belo,,·). IL is
quite certain thot. they come from lhe upper noor and H, is to be feared
that, n large part or the1n ltns been carried away by the torrent. Here
arc the rrincipr-tl enlriei; in the excaYation nole book concerning Lhe
discovery of Ll1e!Sc wait paintings:
Scplcn\ber 19Lh, 19tlS. " lnlensive work on lhe sheller. Al the West
end of the Soulh Corrido1·, after remo"ing obout hair a meter or fill in
which there were while plaster rragrnenls, the flrsl, frescoes appeared.
Tiu., ~ul,jN•l i~ unicprn (u1J lirtrd Lo und~1'8lan<l. Jt. i8: not. a plnnl mQLir,
und perlu1.1>8 we hn.,·c n group of birds similar to tho flying fo,h frc!!C(l
u( Phylakopi. One rrugrncnl shows u wing, lhc body or lhc i;,,ppose<l
bird ii; blue, and t.h1•cc Lend object~ •H·c perhaps the bird's claws, probably
an eagle's. Another fragrnent shows a Lail opened out. \\'o wHl continue
tomorrow with Lhe re,no\'al or fragments which lie towards the South
and partly on Lile South wall of the Soulh Corridor. The surface or the
adjacent court which is paved (note: the reference is t.o the "Porter's
lotl~e'') is about GO - 70 crn. lower. Therefore there is hope of finding
more frescoes. n
September 20th, 1008. "The most important development or the
day was that there exist more rrescoes al the \Veslern pal'L of the South
wall or the South Corridor and especially on the South side of thewall ...
There ,..,•ere round, in addition to s liver:s, two large fragments each about.
~O cm. long ... The more im porlanl or these has a male head Lo the leh,
with black hair adorned with a wind blown ribbon and a red lace •. .
In front or the head is a palm Lree, but it is bent to the right. Perhaps it
tr
iiS u group of three palm Lrccs. I begin to wonder it is "Orpheus" or
"'Thamyris" with a l~·rc having in front. or him all the birds of the forest. ...
The head is 10 cm. long ... A small plaster polisher of stone was found."
September 21st, tn68. "The frescoes, one or two or which were
on the wall lLSeH, conlinuc now more Jcnsc.ly towards the interio1· or
tXC.-\\', 110,~ xr 1111-R,,, 11 29

the room at. a dist.nncc of 30 • 50 cm. above the supposed Ooor. Most.
or them are ou slabs that belong to the upper storey a.n d !ell first. ..
Two fragments ... are large ... The larger o r these show• clearly papyrus
like and lily like Oowers with red stamens and red side leaves, the rest
of t.he nowcr befog blue. Above this 1rnir of flowers arc horizontal lines
as or an altar ... ;" (it turned out. later that. we had Lo do with at least
two columns with ca,)itals in the form or flowers, and that we did in
ract have an altar with horns or consecration; see below).
September 22nd. 1968. "Secondary fragments or frescoes were re•
covered, and also two slabs or the u1>per noor which still retained trace•
or the wall plaster that rested o n them. Consequeni.ly the.~e ,labs be•
longed to that part or the 11 1ipe,· noo,· that was beside the wall, and !he
lowest part or lhe wall plA$ltH· was coloured red.,,
It was necessary Lo inserl the.re this arrount of Lhc ri1·rumslaoeel\
of finding hecauso we worked futtlwr in lhe same area hut freseoel\
ceased to appear. It. would he snd it it should I urn out that the r<'maining
traces are lost for good because: we: are dealing with an importanl com•
position.
Beyond the South Corridor and only al it• Eastern end (which is
beside the rave that exists there) we made n small cxra,·ation in n South-
erly directio11 for technical reasons. [l appcarcll that here t.oo wr have
closely packed buildings. The remains, iL seems, belonged to the ground
floo1·1 and we named them for CQnveniente "kitchen." r\s soon as it
appeared that they continued also toward8 the Ea.st (here 11ew oxpr◄lpri­
aLions are required) we covered them over again because we ha,•e to do
witf1 a delicate piece of work (doors, windows, or walls with OJ>enings).
We wished lo avoid even the smallest damage. Therefore no plan was
made. Only photographs were taken ol which the most characleri,tic
are published here.
At the East end or the South wall or Lite corridor which is solid and
thick but very badly damaged, there appeared another wall running oil
to the South, that is in the direction of the <1uarter called "Arva-
nili 2,"• containing the monumental structure with dri:ssed stonework.
Thin slabs, partly or fine black stone, were round sporadically here too
so that the existence or a:o upper storey at this point too is certain.
The excavation soon showed thal on the Ooor (which however we did
not reach) there lay a large clay basin or kados (pl. 27,2). Beside it was
found a cooking pnt with three legs. Al this point the East wall has an

L Praklilrn. 1967, 1~8. fig. I -= The-ra J. p. 0 r.

JO D,:C.,\ \ ' \ l 10~..; ,\I 1111-. R. \ II

opening for a wrndow. Oulside this window were round t,wo thin upright
clay slabs, perhaps in situ. 'fhis is not sure, however. They were left
a& they ,.,,ere found pending further sludy, but. shortly they dissolved
and colla1>sed. IL was this chiefly that compelled us to break orr the
excavation at. Lhis point.
AL Lhe same tlme anolher window or opening or smaller dimensions
had appeared in the South part (pl. :J0,1), lo the right or the basin.
It is nol.. yet clear whetht:r we have to do with a party wall, nor is the
nature of lhe opening clearly enough determined. This Loo had an up·
right slab of unbaked brick and a fragment of another partly blocking
it. We cleared the area a lillle ("room 2") we strenglhened the lintel
of the opening with a small beam and we re-covered the oxeavalion.
Moveable fmds: Fragments or a ewer and traces of straw wb.ich
howe,·er lay in the layer of the volcanic ash and hence they had been
brought from elsewhere. An egg - shaped stone with the start or holes lor
piercing al either end (length 0.14 cm.) and a !rag,nent or a stone or
triangular ohaJ>e (lengU, O.t5 cm. width 0.10). '!"his is so smoolhed on its
absolutely fl'1l •urrace that it clearly wns used Lo S1nooU1 the plasler
un lhc walk to receive J>alntings.

THE WESTERN QUARTER

Above the storo room Arv. I to Ll10 Wost there rise apartments a, yel
incomplolely explored. IL •eems as if the store room had been built
against them (or vice versa) because, as already ~tat.ed, lhe waH that
separates the ~wo i& double. The side or these AJ,artme.nts towards the
i;tore room (i.e. t.hc Easl side) was invest igatcd in connection with the
excavation of the store room. \Viishing to examine lhe situation on the
West side, beyond L110 limits or the old torrent hed where the overlying
deposits are considerably thicker, we 1·esolved Lo lest the f)OSsibility of
tunnelling. The experimenl a1>pear:; to have been sucee~srul. Details
of this excavation are as follows.
13eginniug QL the Soulh we have, right opposlte apa1'lment I or
t,be store room, a denlalion in the wall (plan XI) where there was
lound in situ a terracotla bath tub (pl. 29,1), on the bottom of which
could be S-cen another small vase. The roorn or the \Vestern apartment-&
which correspon<ls to npartmen~ I of tho store room we have called
Room I. lo i~ was found an intuct, mill. This is composed or a rec,-
Langular lower grind slono fixed in place and of several ,mailer upper
mill-stones (pl. 20,i!).
 The room immediately to the North, Room 2, corresponds well
with the second room or the store ,·oorn oppo,ite. As already staled,
it served religious purposes. Al the l_evel or the upper noor and about
i1t the middle of the room there was round, broken but. in sit.u, a circular
table or oflerings wilh painted decoration on its surraee {pl. 31,1). Later
and on t.he inner (WesWrn) part of tho noor (where it may be noted,
a section ol the beaten earlh floor is preserved and not collapsed) a very
beautiful "masloprochous" (libation nippled ewer) {pl. 30,2 and below
pl. 36,1) was round. With this, apparently, libations were poured on
the table ol ollerings lo assure a good crop ol barley. The goddess must
have been Demeter Oeo {Zeio). At lhal period obviously, j ust as
now, tho soil or Thera was too poor lo produce wheat, and it. is a
question whether Demeter Eirw {SI · TO ol the Mycenaean tablets)
was known on the island.
Further South and East, where the floor or lhe uppe1· storey was not
p,·eservcd, there was round at a deej,cr level, but not on the floor ol the
basement, an intact handleless kyathiskos and a small beoutilul
ewer jn many fragment.s . There is no doubt. that both were part. or
the rurnishings or the sacred room above. The ewer {pl. 31,2), which
is an imported 1linoan product (the previous item is a local malt-painted
piece), has a continuous spiral and branches on the shoulder. The
handle has at its top a vertical hole pierced before firing {!or better
firing, fastening a lid, or for fastening some sacred symbol?).
The third and Northernmost room (corresponding to store room 3)
produced at Lhe level or the upper noor an overturned pithamphora with
spirals and thin walls which seems probably lo have been imported
{pl. 30,3 and below rig. 22). The position in which it was round lying
on ibs mouth witb all il$ Crugmcnt& in place shows at. once that it. was
found in situ. Therefore the roreman was given orders Lo look cat'e£ully
£or the flOOI' or the upper st.orcy. No such floor was found. gvcrywhe.rc
there was undisturbed pure pumice stone. How the noor disappeared
ond its place was taken by pumice stone is not clear. Perhaps such
details may prove useful later to others. F'or this reason we record them
here.

THE TUNNEL

In the area .or the Quarter in question ii was necessary to build

a road for our own use and for the use or the inhabitants or Akrotiri
whose communication with the ilelds and the sea had been cul by the
 l· ~C.\\' \IIO:,,., .\I IIHRA II

excavation. This road was built throe Limes over each time a little rarthcr
lo the Wcsl because antiquities were encountered. Tho first road had
already weakenod tho layer or volcanic ash. In addition 10 this, since
this layer or ash has been laid down by Ooods it is soller and lacks the
compactness of the ash laid down directly by tho volcano. In spite or,
all this I decided to open a tunnel under tl,is road . Aller taking some
safety measuros, we began tunnelling and the results were extremely

-- ◄ ..
,., ..
• •• f

-·

Fig. t9. ArvaniU 1. Wesl quarters, tunnel. Window and door.

encouraging. We followed the course ol a wall with a linLcl which was

already known to belong to the Wcslcm apartments.
In a short lime ii appeared that in lacl we had beloro us tho West
side or Lbe Wesl apartments. On lhe floor appeared stones which lormed
a rough pavement. It is still uncertain whether this pavement belongs
to a street or to a court. Shortly a window appeared and alter it another
opening which proved to be a door (see plan XI and rig. 19). AL the level
of lhc liitlcl of the window it wo.s elear Lhnt. we hn.d tho floor or the
upper slorey. A lerraeolla waler spout, was still preserved in position
with ohly its mouLb missing. This was discovered about a met.ir deeper
down in tho tunnel that was being dug, on I-he outside of the wall. Even
aL thi• depth (at this point al loasl, but not rarther in the tunnel) lhe
1-:XC,i\\ ';\ I IONS ,\ I 111 1- 1{:\ 11 :13

ruins were tovered with 11urc volcanic ast1. T hey had therefore been
subjected 10 1he act inn of the flood and t-0 disintegration.
The interior or the room:1 1 howeve_r1 (fig.l9) wai; full or pumice stone.
Jloom I already described (with the mill•atonc) corres1>cHld!. to the win-
dflw, room 11 (the "sanctuary1 1 ) lo lhe door. As we continued to h11rnrl
inwnrds we <:!cared only slightly the fill in the rooms. This however
revealed fully the window and the door (pl. '.J2). They have jambs
and lintels or dressed stone. The window is 0.00 m. wide, and about
L07 11L higlt,T hr door measures are 1,97 m. high and 1.17 m. wide. Note,
how,•vcr, that. we must subtract foom lhcse figures the thickness nr tht-
wooden frames. The threshold or the door was pcrrc-ctly preserved at
the moment or discovery; it. had a length or 1. 15 m. The door opened
lmvards the interior (to Lhc right. of a person entering). On Lite l'ight side
of the threshold the l'ivot hole was preserved. In the middle of the
thrc.1:;hold I here was a hole evidently intended for a bolt and beside this
another irregu lar hole. Unfurlunately, arte1· only a rcw hours had
pa$Sed the stone l>egan Lo show cracks and signs of lleeling. Thir;
phenomenon occurs on corner stones and other blocks and is a maL•
t.er or great concern to us.
11 little farther in the tunnel, at n distance or two meters beyond the
door, a CMnet of the huilding uppea1·ed fOl'ming an obtuse angl<'. The
stones at. the corner were well preserved o.s were the now empty spaces
where the wooden lie beams had once been (pl. ~3,2), From this point
the wall was followed for rour more meters, interrupted ball way along
by a window (pl. 33,3). At this point we stopped digging our tunnel
a
as precaution. The wall seerns clearly to be turning towards the
North•e.asl at this point, and on ils ooter side arc many fallen hloeks
at dilTercot, levels in the fill. At Lhc mome,,L lhcse lines are being written,
the winter and j)8rl of the summer or WG9 have pas.s.ed. T he tunnel
remains intact,, anJ e\·C'rylhin~ is 111·escrvc<l in excellent ~hnpe. It, is
important lhat, no Ira('~ of moislure lrns appeared.
OTHER INVESTIGATIONS

The nrsL road ancl the drainage ditch for tho torrent revealed traces
nf wulls ancl ~tones Iring in disorder, some or whirh still had plaiter al•
tarhcd. These w,11 e\·enlut\lly be furlhcr ex 1)osed l1y dig}!ill$:" lunncls.
We shifted the road "little lo the \Ve,t. When it was nea,·ly ready the
wlteel or a troek t>nc day sank in ,lce1)1y. A hole uboull.50 m. in diameter
and the same in 11cplh was formed. The small excavation that fo11owe.d
showed that the sinking 'ol the "•spa" (this is the name gh·en by the local
JI ~-XC.\\'\110\:S \I lflf'l:l.\ II

inhabitants lo the fine while volcanic ash) was due lo a hollow in a wall
in lhc South, '"''hich had unclear remains or other walls round aboul,
We called il "chimney." Near it lay a piece about 1.75 m., or hard
beaten earth (pl. 33,•). We identified lhis as the roor or the building
(its thickness is 0.15 m.) and we kept the largest piece ol it.
This cxcavalion naturally was just a hole which was filled up im•
mediately as soon as the earth changed and darker material apr>eared
under the pure while ,•olcanie
a11h. Even 80 lherc \\'C.re round
in iL many shertls of mull-paint-
ed or eotu·se hom,ehold pols,
many stone tools 1 c hiefl)· whet.-
stone~. a fragment or a. stone
vessel wit.h handle, and a ,mall
fragment or ivory lriungular in
section (perhaps a piece or in•
h1.y). Only one smal.l vase was
round eom1>fele, a nippled ewer
with cyts: (rig. 20). It is vtwy
well l)rel;crvrd nnd the cluy unJ
colours a re literally into.et. The
vase i$ prickly to Lhe touch rur
it has not been smoothed at all
br the use. ll is just as it came
oul of the kiln. and it is not im•
Fig, 20. '\;ippled ewer wilh eye..~ h'Om possible lhat such a kiln aetu•
"chimney houso" ally e:<ist..s in the area.
Following on this the road was shilled !or • third time Lo higher
ground towards the \Yest. It is evident. lhnl the entire area or Arv. 1
is occupied by build ings. When we completed the Arv. I shelter wc
made provision for collecting the precious rain water from the roor.
this being the only kind or waler available on the entire island. Thi,
was also neceMary \o avoid damage lrom water flowing oil the roof.
Three times we dug a pit for our re.se.rvoir and th.rec times we failed lo
Hnd a suitable place. This raHure was pleasant, however, because
e,•cr:,1where we round remains or houses. \Ve gh•e only one photograph
here (£ig. 21). It shows remains: of walls and a sor~ or hench found at a
depth of 3.4 meters below the bed ol the torrent.
Other remains or i1\lere.st in the area are the following: Above tho
1'XC\\',\I IOV-. \l I Ill-RA I I

chapel ol SI. Nioholas • the bare surraee ol the lava is exposed as ii is

in other part-s around mount Loumarades. ft remains for the geo]ogists
and voleaoologists to explain this lac.t , whether they lhillk the volcanic
ash and p:Jmice were swept away from here by some Jocal storm

Fig, 21. WaJI in rt'$erYOir trench , lo North or shed in torren~ bed.

like a Biblical calaclysm such as sometimes occurs in connection with

a volcanic eruption, or whether there is some other cause ror the phe•
nomenon. Here and there in thi3 district. prehistoric l'emains appear.
At Kokkino Vouno, abo,·c I he chapel, extensive walls appeared, but
they were poorly preserved. These remains, however, show the Jlros 4

I. PrakUka 1967, pl: 106, b - 'fhor• I, colour pl. A 3.

pcrity and wealth or the inhabitants. Fragments ol bcautilul pottery
are not. Jacking, as w·ell as traces or metal and fragments of painted pl8$·
ter. Espooially interesting is a fragment rrom the mouth or lip ol a large
vase made lrom a tbio slab ol veined marble.

MOVABLE FINDS

Pottuy, The finds so far nrnrle in lhc. rxcavaliong iit Thora are
almost entirely pottery or st.one vases. There is increasi1tg support for
the theory that the inhabitants had plenty or time when they
abandoned the island and therefore wore able · to take away with them
their rnore yo.Juable possessions. The pottery, however, is very rich,
painted in the pure Middle Cycladic maU.,paintcd tradition. Imported
pieces are relatively rare. These. arc usually Minoan. However, we
may look ro1·wa1·d confiden\ly lo finding ~lycenacan imports. Cycladic,
and specifically Theran pottery has already been found in tho royal
shalb graves ol Mycenae.
Chronologically the picture remains unchanged: the imported pol•
lery, which is t1t1scept.iblo or closer dating Lhiu\ th,.. locol mat.t-1rninted
ware, belongs to the ripe phase L)I la (= Mye. l). No vase has yet
been found Lhat. can be doted nClcr 1500 n.C. \Vl} will de!Jcribc here a
selection or t.be moro charact.eristic ,,a.ses. Unless otherwise staled all
are mall-painted.
01 the pithoi (or jan) we illustrele here the Lwo found side by
side (above pl. 14,1) in •tore room 2. Both have spirals as their basic dec-
oration with ivy an<I crocus-like flower. on the shoulder (pl. 34). In
the second of these pithoi were lound the fragments or Lhe beautilul
polychrome ewer (colour plate A) with swallows. Perhaps it was a liba-
tion vase used at. the corning or s1J1·ing '. It belonged apparently 11"1 the
West room 2 where tM offering table was found.
The pithos-amphora fig. 22 is ol entirely dillcrrnl fabric. IL is ,nnrc
slender, its walls are thin, and the JHlinting ht 1usttous. It,. is imported,
and Lhc motif or ivy with double stalks wltich is sometimes already
characterfacd as uogival canopy" (Furumark) reealls very strongly tho
~tycenaea..n s1,irit. bot. is also ft<(m.t.lly well Minoan.
In the same ealegory be.longs the large aLro111er or rl. W 1 1, stylis.1 ·
ically one of the most. ad,•anced vases found in Lhe excavation thou~h

I. See my brier monograph on \'MeS with sw.-illows in AAA II, i 1969,

pp. 65 fl.
lXC..:..\\',\ IJO , :-. \I lltl-.R.\ II

it sUII falls within the period LM la. It is ol local fabric. These vases,
furnished with bell-shaped bases and having pierced boll.oms, vary in
size lrom small pithoi (as here) to small vases about 20 cm. high. Their
purely Cycladic origin is indisputable and lrom here they were imported
ini.o Eastern Crete (sec above, p. 13).

Fig. 22, Jar from West quarler5 upper jtorey (room 3),

A similar piece was round in the store room Arv. I (colour pl. E SJ
with an endless spiral as its only decoration (see abo,·e p. 26). This also
has a cover. IL has not. yet. been mended as we still hope to f1nd some
missing fragments. The elegant cylindrical vase, pl. Jl,1 above (reddish
clay, white decoration of crocuses and ivy) is likewise a slrainer. lt.s
boltorn is at the middle or the vase.
The king or the large ,·ase.s rrom I he excavation of l968 is however
the pi l hos with the ''Easter Lilies" which is probably truly a sacred
 t-X<..\\ .\110~'> \I l ll t, K.\ JI

pit hos. 1t belongs to n JHlrC

Middle Minoan traditon, but
it. labric is local (pl. 2~, 1
and colour pl. F, 7).
As a sample ol l he am•
phoras that were round we
illustrate one here (fig. 23)
withaconventionalized palm
on the shoulder. The clay
or all these Y&.ses is impure
and the surface rough as ir
they all were I he product
or a ,inglc shop.
A considerable number
or long narrow ha3ins were
found, similar to modern
fish pots. We gave them
the name kymbai. We can
present only two complete
Fig. 23. Arnniti 1. Amphora. examples here. One mend•
ed from many lragmenh,
shows dolphins leaplng over the waveti.
It. was found on the floor of the upper
r;torcy, Br. 2. The olhe1\ quite com•
plcte, was round near the center of the
middle store room (2, 2) in the ~uar•
ter Arv. I. Here the arrival of the
swallows is depicted, Oying over the
waves and beneath the clouds. Possibly
this is some sort of sacred vessel
(oolour pl. C 7•8).
The ewers were the sperially fa.
voured type ol vase from the 1968 ex•
cavations. Dozens of them were round.
Some (M in the c.aise with vases
ol other shapes) are painted only
wjth white on a dark background
(fig. 24). Especially popular is the F'ig. '24. Arvanili I. P.wer
•pherical ewer with Jong spout. Some decorated in white.
or lhesc have polychrome decoration (colour pl. D 1). The sense of poly-
chromy is hdwever deceptive l-O lhis extent. in that the painting is done in
whit,e on a brown surrace which sometimes t.url\S reddish on being fired.
Dotted spirals are a favourite decoration on the shoulder$ or vases
as arc tangent circles, t he aim probably being lo imilale pudding stone.
(colour pl. D 2 and C 6). One ewer i• entirely covered with horizontal
myrtle branches and isolated ivy leaves on the shoulder (colour pl. 0 4),
which arc very characteristic or the LM l a period. The vose in ques-
tion, howcvcr 1 i$ a local imitation or moderate quality.
There is a better imitation on another round bodied ewer this
time with a narrow neck and plastic eyes. On the whiteish clay the
0owers (vetches) are drawn with a lively and graceful touch (colour
pl. r. 3). The same is true or 1he next ewer (colour pl. D 5) where the
clay is of exceptional quality and the colour of the spirals and bands is
or such good quality that one is inclined to consider the vase as imported.
Certainly imporlcd is the next ewer (colour pl. E 4). It stood
first. on the sill of the window of store room Arv. 2, while the vase pre-
viously described stood socond (pl. 20,t above). ll ere the decoration
hangs from the lop down. The plant d ecoration is or hybrid nature,
as usual, but I am inclined to recognize the caper which even today
grows in abundance and has an exceptional reputation ex&clly here in
lhe Akroliri dislricl. It is an astonishing planl. It likes to grow in com•
pletoly dry places and hangs down from rocks and rubble walls. It begins
10 flower in May and continues until October. In the morning one secs
")any fu10 lour-pelalled whitcish flowers with unusually long stamens
purple in colour, hut within a few hours only three petals remain.This
is the usual impression or the ordinary observer, the fourth petal fall-
ing away or overlapping its neighbour. By evening the Dowers have
already wilted and overnighL other succeed them. This bright green
plant is our pleasant companion 1hrough all the busy period or our
excavaUon. Figure 25 shows two piclures or banging capers and Iha small
inset shows two separate branches because this is perhaps the protolype
for a decoration of branches in Cretan-Mycenaean arl.
Another ewer, likewise imported and beaut.ilully preserved was
found in the big pile in store room 3,3 (it is visible in pl. 22 above).
Here on the shoulder is portrayed a combination or spirals with broad
leaves and flowers which is probably likewise a variant. or t-he caper,
though it is usually called a crocus ' (colour pl. 0 6).

1. $oo Cot 0.1.a.rnplt FUMl •.U&, MP 2G1. oo. 10,1.

IO

Still another pcar•shopcd Minoitn rwer frQm thC' store roorn is

illuslraLed here (colo~r pl. E 5). The re•d -likc plants that cover the hody
are still sparse) whereas a liUIP lat.-r thry thic:ken into a real thicket.
Other \'&.ses also have recd dccorution or llw !\nme sorl, a1H.I or these

colour f)I. D 7 sho\,'S iu tlte center a kyalhm; or loeal rab1 ic.-.Tlte must 1111-
porla ol of I hc$t small ,·ases,howe,•C'r. i:s u series ,,r 111)11orl t""cl rup:i. 11f wl1ith
the same photo shows Lwo of the lJMl examplrt-. \hunt u do1.(-lu of these
were £oun<l in the ~l-ore room, but unfortunalrly ;.1II wr, r lm•kt.~tt. Tl1ry
are always of the arthaic LM la or )lye. I shapr. Thrs{' r11ps lrn.,·e botl•
its which widen only slig:hLI)" towards tl1c lop and sMnc•t11Hc-s thc.•y arc
prnetically C'ylindrical. They have ai,;1 1·1111~ 1rlior lrn.mlin~ .11 lh" rniddh•
or lhc body, and thf' handlf' is ahvay~ al tit(• up11c1· lllt1l. s1u·mJ?in~
rrom Lhe lip, nc\·ci· at the middle. l.ikf'wisc lfll'y an· ne\·e1· vc1 y dce11
nor du they lmvP a uwrke<l <.·unin,1 :-;!tap". IL is ,·le.u· tl1al ll1ry .11c ilc-
ri\·ed froll'I uwtol 1n·o tol)'pc-s. The "c•yNl" spirals or the dcC'orotion arc
of various kinds. Ohen they ltl'I' dott4'cl and someti11\e~ they ha\'O ad·
Jitionol Jeeurat.i1111 in white. They arc the most charaet.el'istic vases for
 II

the dating of the de$truct ion because not a single one or Lhern shows
the features or the ~lye. 11 perio,l.
Another interesting problem is. that or their place of origin. Gen·
erally these cups arc thought to be Mycenaean. In Crete they are rare,
hul noL complelely unknown. Almost the only existing example~,
about, half a dozen, were found in the rncgaron or Sklavokarnpos and
1he.<,e ha,·c not yet been mended. The Tl1eran cups show a much greater
re.i;eroblan~c to ahouL a douu such tups found in t he CXf<tvalions at.
Pylos especially at Tn1ganu (Vorou li~). At about the irnme time similar
fUptt hod l,"'cn round ;it, Lipari in the excn,•ationis of Prof. Bernabo
Brea. Clcal'ly these uups wer1: much in demand anJ were widely export..
ed, hut Lheir tenter ur 1wod1H'lio11 still remain~ unknown.
The rhyton or colcu11· 1•1. E ti witlt 1·ippling nnd horizontal branches
Jone in while is or lo('al rnanufoclure. Tw,J or lhrer olhcr simpler rhyta
wer•e also fottnd and one i~ trn unusual example: nnd ii, pl'obably a lunn('I.
.\mon~ lhc unusual :,h~tJJe.i;, colour pl. D 8 1 shows n skyphos-likc
,·ase and two llowrr ,,ots in 1n;;itl-p;1iutcd techni,p1i'. :\n uskos-liko
vatSc (rig. 21)) is imported; ii wa~ found in store room 2,2 near the kyrnbc
wi1l1 the ~wallows (it mar h1• seen in pl. 17,1 aho,·e).
The r,relly srna.11 .,::lobular jug with Uon1l ,leeoratiuu shown in JJI.
3f,,I was round with Lho cen~Pr or store room 2,2 (see pl. 18,2 abovf').
Th(' !'lcypli,,i,I vnsc or pl. jr;,'ii! ii. 41ne or mr111 y tii 11ular \'P.S.Sf'1.!t with
snmewhal ,•:1rying i1;hapP1<. The lwo small f)il hoi of pl. 35,3-fo, only a
fow <·t'lulimrtrrs in hoi~ht, wtrf' found (obviouily in ~itu) on th~ floor
o( store roo111 :l. \Vith their thick walls and their decoration which is
typical or large pilhoi 1l1ey give Lhe impression or ehih.l r·c n dressed a,i,
grown ups. Perhaps they were toys.
Pots s imilar to Lhe wide moulhed vase with ~,wul (lig. 27), as
already staled, wel'e found in cloise a~,ciation wil h l l1e 1•ill1oi. H is
quite probable that they were used as a 1oeas11 r e for liquids. The four
or five examples LhaL have been found are or the ~me dimensions, and
perhaps this vase should be called a rhuus.
I lndoubltdly used for lihatic111 i~ a l a l):C' J,?1·011 11 of ju~s whoso
vharacterisl ics arc a narrow neck a11d a hlng hrak,Ji ke ~pout. I fs ua.lly
lhey have a pair or breasts, mul thus rcrtilitr is e ulpliasizNI. 1\ lmosl
alway~ other features Lakell rrom the animal world sliow. lhcil' influC'nte1
namely 1,ainLCd or plaidic eyes an<l n mouth in llie form of a b('ak, T fte
exa1nple illustrated in pl. 36,:? is unique in this r·~pcct, namely that.
llH• day is dean glossy anti whiteish, .anti l wo 111·otuher:uu.·e$ at l he hasc
or lha beak (hum~? eatS?) cm11hasizc still mul'C t he rcli)!io11:; nalm·e ur t he
12 l-:XC:.-\\•.-\ 1 IO~S r\l I llt'..llt\ 11

va.~e which ha~ perhaps been importt>rl from nnt1thcr ateR. PL :l-6 1:l
~1it1wi:; I wo 1\ipplcrl ewer!(
nnd A mmn1 ewer. one of
many similar. Pl. 36,1
~hows l ho bC'autiful "bar,.
1ey ,·asc,,• a nippled ewer
whic-h was round in nn un•
dru1ht(ldly reli.s::iou~ con-
text. The dnnhlc rin~~
•r)erhop!i! sland for cnr-
rin~s.
The king of I he ew-
ers ii:; surely the Swn11ow
vasr (ahove 0~. ,,). Only
n small par~ of I h~ spout
(beak) is missing anti I his
hns been restored aller
an example from ~lyce-
na.e which is n product.
Fig. :?6. Arvaoili t. Magazine 2, 2. Askos next or 1he same workshop.
to kymbe or swallows. Three swallows or the

varicly H irundo rm;lica

(hyh, i~li1."a with the while
spot 011 the. back, which
hclongs lo the Chelido-
uaria urh1rA) are :5hown
flyi1\g on the hody of the
vtHse. It is nol known if
the~· were once lloly-
chrome, hul ii is probuh1r
that they wer(".
r\part from its artisti<.•
value, this vase is also or
interest because iL links
m:1 directly with Lhe royal
~rave circle B or "i\lrCeoac.
The cxca,·ation~ ,1r Papa-
dimitriou and Mylooas t-'ig. ~J. 1\r\•3niti t {window '..l 1 I }. Chous
brought w Ught ill Lumb 1.e. measure for liquids.
L'\C:A\'ArlOl\S Al TIIUt,\ II

B II I (= 1,omh Gamma) Lhc ewer illnsl.rat.ed here (Iii:. 28) hy kind

permission or Prorcssor Mylcmas. There ran he lilllo doubt thnl hMh
vases nre products M the
isame worki,ho1>, \Ve thus
have confirmation that the
entire. area or the.- Greek
Aegean (Cyclarles, r.rctc,
Peloponnesus) was in frc-
qucnl unhrokf'n rommnni-
calion.
Or larger dimrn1tit1n!4
and more clon_s:atc<l rorm
is the polychrome ewer
which h as iswallhw:; int the
shoulder. The r<tl<u1r pl. A
shows that pnr1,ion or it.
which has been Jlior.cd Io-
gelher. Herc we gfre a pho ..
tograph of the firsL rrag•
menl~ Lo be found (fig. 29)
f'ig. 28. Mycenae. ewer rrom shafL grave U lit. aL the moment or
their

di!lcovery when their

preservation (as is of-
ten the case in The·
rii) was much better.
The most beauLirnl
p1aslic work or Lhe
period was the lion
head 1 exq11isitely morl-
cllcd in black rather
sandy c lay (pl, 37,1).
IL is a rhyton, The
expression is realistic
yeL at Lhe same Lime
hAa some elements or
sLylization. I t is clearly
an imitation or a met•
al proLotype such as ,,r
Fig. 29. Arvaniti. Magai.int: :l. :Sherdi poly•
the gold lion heaa chrome $Wallow,ewer found in jar.
 l·XC.\\AIIO'.\'\ \I llltlt\ ll

rhylon from Tomb A IV at Mycenae. (Notice especially the check

formation.)
In figure 30 arc illustrated matt-painled $herds wit.11 represenla•
lions of bird~ and twice wilh 11111nau Hguri•!I., specilicaH~· warriors. The

fra~me11t wilh the lterul of u swnllow (l,rtlwn, r4•dd1~h. whitr) eomC's from
a pulychronle 6Wflt' of lar~er size than that );fiow11 iu tho colour 1>1. A.
The other birds are well known from ) lelian va11t's.
Un ,, 1. :is,1 arc illuslraLrd Lwo nl U10 Lhrcr sherds which have
incised Liucal' A symlmls. The righl hand shcrd is tiuile flat and 1Jrrhaps
eum()r-1 from <• lid. Ttl lhr i::orresponding symhuls of Line<1r B (I anti NO .)
lhere have been odded one stroke or jog lo the first and one or two
lo Lhe seconJ.
MISCEL LANEOUS FINDS, ORGANIC MATERIALS
The smaller clay nod stone objects are very numerous, and gtone
vrsscls nnd tools (mill-stones of all siies, grinders, whctslone.s, hammers
etr.) come second i11 numbers only arter 1he clay objecUi-, l>ut only a
few characteristic ~amples orthem cao be mentioned here.
The clay utensil, pl., 38,2 (llronou 2), is ol a kind not unknown
from ol hcr excavations. AL the lert i~ is furnished with a handle. It. i:s
supposed that., it war. used lo hold sma11 spit s, and ih Greek name is
xpt,1.-TCl)n)c 1. To the right. a portion is missing.
I am unable Lo ofTer a so.Lisfactory explanation ror the small spherical
objects of varying ~izt, ma.de of t;LOne or clay, a rcw or whicl1 arc illus•
lrated in rig. 31. Originally lhey wero thought to h~ sling l111llets, hut
the "arying siz.e makes this explanation dubious, and I am rat.her inclined
to think that they are "jack stones" and children played with them as
they do now. This suggestion is supporled by the reprc-senlation or
lhis game on wall painlings or the 1\liddle Kingdom (rig. 32) ' . When·
e\fer the jack stones are or stone they arc either natural pebbles (in
wl,ich case their shape is slightly irregular) or have been artificially
rounded oil. They were thrown up high and caught in the air with the
hands. As happens today, the less skillful players, boys and girls, were
fitnalized b)· having to carry their "ictorious 01>poncnt on their backs
for a short dislance. This last net was called "ephedrismos" in Greek,
a word which t.X()la,ins with per£ecl clarity the Egyptian wall painting,
especially in regard lo the position in which the win11ers o.re sitting,
side saddl e as it were and not astride. And we may raise another <(uCs·
tion: perhaps these little spheres (which might sometimes be or more
precious material) mighl.. be used as weighU; in the braids or knots or
the hair?
The conical clay objects (in fig. ~I the first two frorn the left i11
the bottom row) are not pierce<l. They are therefore not., loo1n-weights 1
and in any case they are too small ~nd light ro,· this purpose. Again
on the basis or Egyptian monuments we can itlentiry the!lie object~ a~
chess upawns11 which are also known in the Crf'lan - ~fyccnaean ci\filiza-
tion.
The third object in I his row is n piece of dried fruil (• fig or rather
a wild pear). (L wns round in the layer or \fOlcanic ash, however. and so
cannot be dated. A itmall. li<1nare i;lone object has not been ex-
plained, but fig. 33 rno,y gi\fc an idea of its purposr. It is a sral of ~oh
whiteish stone in I he shape or a small rectangular plaque holh $icle$ of

l. Similar objects h:we l>etn found rer-ently in the pN!hi:dMic le\·els 3l Aphro-
dis.ias. Tho example itlu~lratNl is about the s;h.e nf nurS; (rr:axmtntary), :\:1 x 13 r m ,
fl lac.ks a handle, hul hM lw(1 hcM~. ''8tuh:e hit 1'°N1erro<:l" U\tt8AflA K..\n1SII
Ir\ AJA i:l. 1969. rl. -.:,. lig. 32. and p. GI.
2. f:R 1uN 1-V, su:, Acgyptcn, 19t3, 279, fig. l 19. l>l'f!Ju:..lom: .\phr<,disia.o; h~i.
likewise produced numerous ua.mvles. AJA ,3, 1969, pl. :.!l,6, ncsrrilied on
p. SS it..i "nalur31 shaped forrn5 c1f a hafld whitt substance turned up in abundatu.:e
in this complex".
,r, t-..XCA\'AJ ION~ .\I I lllK,\ II

wl1idt li:i,·r h€'rn 11~r>1I. 0 111• ~id t• :th1m·s a ,·rm·U8•liko p)nlll, ,•ilh<'I' \'-.·ith
it~ hulh 0 1 1,Z"rowi11).: out of a 1·11("k, Tit.- uthr>r 1-iil•• 1-ih1mi. a.11 is,1l;tled lily-
p;;111yru:-. ll11wr1· crnd a ,lam.:,g,•tl uhjN~I, (thP im1ur~:-inrl wl1t1•h ii t:i\'(•1- today,

•
• • • •
•

Fig. :12. n,uuc .,r "jack sL,,ne:i''. F..~ypfon1 Milldlo l\ing,fom

rros1.u rnm1 lloni I la-,.i ,111.

that uf a srp1al1inJ.t fernaJr, liJ,:lU'f\ is misleading hecausc lL enJ:-. a~ain at

1hr lop in a lily-likf\ plant). The material is so soft lhnL what we ho,·c
musL J,c u trial 1•iece the carving of which woulJ be copied in harc.lcr
tXCA\'.t\110~~ .\I llllKA I I

material. Similar objecLS (somewhat lalcr in date) are k1lown rrom

tncomi • 1-\ lusija in Kypros.
Discoid Joorn-,..,..,ights ar~ nurnhcred by the dozen and arc usually
made or clay. A \'ery rew exarnples art'.' or natural stone, and ono or marble
was found in lhc ''Porter·$ lodge." They differ from one another in de·

fJ
~
~
:..-i
: :
f1
k·1
1-·,g .. u. At\ ,rniti 1.
Ed
Sen.I (photograph or origiflal intaglio).

tails: Lhe JlOSilion of Lhc hole (rarely a pair or holCl<) and tho slight trim-
ming or the Uf>pcr IHll'L or the cireumrerence. The stone examples, as
is lo be expected, arc or soml'what.. irregular shapes de1Hmding on the
natural stone ,,scd to start with. Pl. 39,2 sho"'S the various shtq>es,
and pl. 39,• somo of tho examples that have been round'.
Among the lamps Lhero uro ,hree ouLSt.auding exarnples. One or them
we hiJ.\'e already seen in place at the time or 1t.s d,seovcry (above
pl. 2S,1). ll is made olspotted stealile. The same appears in pl. 40.1.
Pl.lo0,2showsanolherstone lamp. The su,face or bolh is full or cracks
in the slone sl 1·uct11re. The Lhird example is or clay imilal ing purple.
stone. Pl. 37,2 shows a ~mall schiste•slono tablet with 15i1nilo.r c1·acks
which a re probably Ute rosull or exer:Uiive heal. IL shows still clearly
a lightly incised lily rlowor and somo olhor letler.. like intisio,u;. \Vas
i~ the designing device or an a,·tist or the slate of a school-boy.
--- ---
Orii.rinally lhc.,'t(l objects wen:: left, wlu.m fH.lS.,,.ible, io U,e 1.iosltiun in which
1,
ll1oy were round in tl1c cuver.::d are11 or stvre room 1. Ilvwe\·er, i,ttempts lt> stt!al
them \\'C..-C made by some t.ourisl • tramps wlm, in $r1itc or the prohibililins m.tde
themselves great nuisances by lheir in.wlenl·O and boldne:,... In one in~tancc the lhier
m:maged to make on with a. looin ...,q;-ight. 'l'he theft wa'J appruhonded in time., but
il was not thought ad,·isable to upset a doten visitors by searching lhem peMnally
tor the s..,kc or a single: loom ..we.ight. \\'c mcNly tr;:inste.rred the 100111-w~ights l-Om•
J>ora.rUy to the museum, In any casu it is certain that in the final clearing mnny
more ox..ampl.o:s will 00. found in pl<tce,
IX t- X( \\ \ 110:"\") \I 1 IIUt.\ 11

Or the stnnc \'MC• Lhrcc a,·c illustrale<I •• ••mrlcs (ri~. 34,36).

The l'irsl 1,1.·n (nnc witlwul hnn-
dles and the other with three 11n-
1•icrt'cd l11~!t) lrnvt' a !tpn11l whirh
~hnw:4 thnl li<p1itl was prohalJly
prcssc,t 0111 in them {~Nl(H!S 1
fruil or I he likr). The, I l11rd
(fi~. :u;) i~ n I d1101I mf!rh1r flf
11rdi11111·y t1111H'l'U"H1lf°C mfulc or
trarhylr. E~pe"ially henuliful is
the ~rin<{(lr lltnl hC'IOO~s wilh
Fig. !l\ . •\n•i111ili 1. ~lorl:u·, lhis ulcn~il.
Pl. 'i 1,t i:;howi;i <1h~i1linn nnd
Uiol (1nMl1y fmn1 Brflnou 2).
Ohiidinn hlndci- nrr frmntl, but
O)(W(' rr('1p1c,11 :ire uhNiclian flakes

(whic.-lt arr nflf'1\ i,;11itahlr as

t'Hlling im~lcmcnl-!t). Only one
111·rt•W hC'Ufl W(li:t ro111111 (11r11rr
l"iJ:hl) in Ilic Bronou t"'Xf{Wntion
and il hchu,~s LH lhc lyp(I or
a.l'row wilh lwo harhJ->. Thry are
sinnlt and their sidcR arc with-
Fif{. :ir•• ~\n;miti 1, \lorlar. uul curvnlure. T ltis is lhe oldel'
type or the Middle Uron1.e Age.
The ohi;iitlio.n of Thero is jct blark nnd hos unusual brilliance which 1he
ohsidian or Melos lacks. Al the
lower left nr the illustration i:<
n I oothcd 1,ie"e of Uiitl. S11tl1
pic<'cs wc1·c- sel in ,1.•i1tHl or bone
f.ir kles.
\Veights were round in great
numbers, more perhapit than in
all previou~ ~xcavati1111s lligrlh<'I",
They come exclusi"cly rrom tht!'
SI ore Ho()fu and princip~11ly Crom
rooms 2 and :t The ('ireums.tanC'i'S
of finding f.how tht\L they come
from both the upper ,,nd the Fig. :iti, Ar\':u11l1 I, :J, I, ~tono rnortar.
Jower floors. Ir we oxelude a single sure except.ion, all arc of lead. Tho
i'.X( :..\\' \110:-,..~ \I lllllv\ II

except.ion itt n stone weight, pl. 41,'2 right,. It, was round in a small
handleles• cup (pl. 14,2 above), perhaps !alien from the upper floor,
and is a small disc or grey stone on one or whose surraccs is incised
the sign tJ.. It weighs 20.2 grams. In the neighbourhood were found
two small shiny black natural pebbles (weight 39 and 35 grams) and
one polychrome pebble with beautiful red and white veins (pl A l,i le!L).
It weighs 66.5 grams, but it remains uncertain whether these stone• are
weights or not.
As stated abo,·e, two of the lead weights were found in position one
on lO(l or the other in a ,vay that, e8.nnot be duet~ chance, re.sting on a
slab beside the censer in tho store
room Arv. 2,2 (pl.19,t). On the same
slab, however, was found one or the
two black pebbles and a spherical
piece of common stone (pl. 41,3). I.I
weighs 1028 grams, but it is not
certainly a weight. The total number
of lead weights (whfoh is constantly
increasing as new exam1>lcs are
round) is now nearly two ~oze.n.
They are damaged by oxydation so
that their exact original weight can•
- not be determined. The best pre-
\..~)r.c. served of them are illustrated in
'---- figure 37. The largest weighs 737
grams and the smallest 15 grams.
- It would be easy to demonstrate'by
Fig, 37. Arvaniti 1. Lead weights. adding a fow grams or rractions of
a gram that. we have before us the
Babylonian system or weights based on the shekel and the mina. Bui
t he oxydation factor unfortunately cannot be measured •.
Metal objects in Thera are rare. However, the area or the store
room in the Arv. I <111art,ir produced a few bronzes. In figure 38

1. There is no room for rurtber discussion in the present report. l..(il mo simply
make Lhe followiog ~ints: All the weights were weighed on tho accurate S<:31es or
the Thera post omoe. there being no other possibility. We- weighed only those sut•
ficientJy well prcse.r,•ed to have l'(llaioed almost their original shape. There were
13 or these and their weights from smallest to la-"8'5l wero a.\ follows: I) 15 gr.
2) 29 g,., 31 43 g,., t. ) 49.S gr., S) 63 11'·, 6) 88 g,., ?) <2G g,., 8-9) t /8 and 180 g,.
(these are twins of the same site), 10) 310 gr., t 1) 347 gr., 12) 480 gr., 13) ?31 gr.
 t~X<:r\\';\IION~ A l IIIERJ\ II

are illui,lraled ~ingln ~lged knirr witli lhrrc nnil:t, n hnnk•likc ohjr<'I,
a small rragmenL or n, shccl or met.al pcrhtlps from n :-pno'11 1 :rnd n
small piece nr Lwisled wire. Frorn the arett. llf I hr 11 Porler's lndJ.::r" we
have lhrrr iticklr-it :,nd a !i.O'lall thi!-f'I (ri>!, :l't). Tlw r,xump1<' in th<'
m iddle \WIS r(t11111I :,1 a rairly lii,-:h lf\vrl, lhf' othrr !Wu l\f':tl' llw llo,w.

Nole lhal when lhrre Wrut n rr.1.rt..nnnl ,l,fTnenrn nr I~ Umn hnl( 4 gr:111\ lhn, lc rk
r.pparenlly rounded on lhc numoo~.
The Babyloni:rn .o;yslein of w'-'iih•~ 1li1Tcn1 SI) lll11<-h fr<,m pln;'ft In pl;,, n lh:il
exarl coinp.arl~oru,. nre ,lifli.;cull fur ll1i, m1LVHl 11,1,, r.f'nt>rally, •m the prinriplr lh;1I
:\ll ordinary pe~nu will ui:ri :,, ,v:iglll~ ~•l.s nr ulhcr lhingi,; lhal lie Im,;; tf•~i1y 1..
hand, Lhe Hllhyloni:111.s nll"ll as 11,,•1r 11nil 11f m(l:.L<;nN' the gr-,,iu of whe:;it, ;-;1~11, wo1i;h -
ing 463/(i milligr.11n<1.., ' l'lirt J.lii•k••I {;-i11111orian lilN, \kk:ulian SIC l ,11 wh<'n•"C Uw
Oreek siklo:s~ weil(ll'I ~.', tr,111.-.. ( IMO gr,1ioi-}. 'rl1e M,\ ~ \ M1\:0:IJ minn is 1,0
s.iktoi, or o,:i kil1'}.rr:un,- 11 ..~ (:l !\.HII.Ttt l.1lf'J1I 1.-. fi.O nuna.-. ur :U►.!i kdo1,rrin11~.
1'hiJ: system as ;,- well kn<wm, w.u. imru)'(lfi Qn da.~ir:al U ~. )h!1s,s1t11, llr.1,. 11.
AS$yr. J, 357.
As one can !\Ct, Mly :'I Jillfo cfo-;lic-ity i~ ncedcd in the g:r-.11ns in or,ter lo nn,I
i11 the numbers given ali-o,·{! r,,r the. '1'1,na weig:111$ rnulliplos or tho ~iklos. 8uL how
uncerh1in 11ll ll1i~ i!l ,,..;u I~ ,-ltuwn by 1110 f,11luwi11~ in.il..rnro : !¾!vcn similar Je;i,I
weights in the lt'lrst()r weighl r:rn~•, :\tO l.1v1"'" rrom lhe Vnpliill tomb (thoro are ntl1.-r
iM11atcd cxiunJ>ICR rmm Q)l-(!\\htr-0). IO\\~ the warm~l thank~ lb the epimofotria t1(
tho National Mu~um, Mrs. (!:ti ' l'♦111 lou 1H\ who in,·csligl\t.ed the malter and Mint mt'
a reporL According to this rt'pnrl Lho weight of the Vaphio weights todt1y ill M nlC•
whal dillerenl from lhc wcighL gi,·nn by 't!(nunla.1 io hi.; public.,Lion (Al-! 1890,1!>7t.
/'restm ll'rigJit

I, lJ/ef,,330 gr. 99; gr.

2. 970 •
3. 98f,.880 , 9!16 •
4. '87.80 t.89 ,
5. 23G.30 2110 •
G. 133.285 • US •
1. 5~.4 • 56 •
The uniform decrease in Lho weight is perh:tps du& to some cleaning tht\l to~k
place after U1e weighing by 'l':sountas, bul Lhis is not quite ferla.i n.
As tor lho slono. weight rro1n Thora, it can hardly have lost wcighl and per•
haps corresponds Mughly to 2.5 sikJoi {tho exnol correspondence of weights in ancient
melrology is ilnpossihleJ. 1'1te mark to be seen on il is round 11130 in the in.scrlplion
on the i.lirTup v/\.<e rn,11, Orchomenos where il i$ followed by four do'-6 (they are read
as 4,0 and IC."1 corrcclly as 30. Tho moaning of the~ ond ils phonelio valu<: are nol
know1l, In Linear H il is nQl fouud, Mt in l,incar A, but ildoM n1)11ear on Uto handle
or a .. Melian" ,·a.so ;;a$ a pollor·a rnark. 'l'hU v&'II"! ,no..y lie rrom Thrr,L It ii,: in the
slraUgraphiCl)I museum al Kno~~o:i. (J-'•·\lur., n,.,,."-., I,-\~ vl\.~I).,. .\ in<t(' rirti1♦n.i
peints de Uge My«:nien, Inrunr,buln. OraO<:J, XIX, ll)ljA, I'· 11~1).
1-: X(~\\',\Tl()\;S \T T II ER:\ II

The first of these is almost worn out through use. The last had been
broklm in Lwo before the eruption and the two parl.s used ror a long tlme

Fig, 38. Oronxe object.~.

SCf)arately l\$ is shown by the wenr al thp poi11t or breakage. T h o

sickles are of a size suitable for the barley they reaped which even

Fig. 39. Arvanili 1, "Porter·s lodge". Siekl~ M\I chisel,

today barely reaches a heigltL or 15-20 centimeters.'l'he middle piece is

0,t5m. long, the upper (which has a hole for a handle) 0.20 m. and the
lower 0.2:i m.
.,,
••
Of organic matter we round chielJ)t small piccrs or rluu·coul. Ile--
mains or slraw 1 of which i,1 two ca&es we werr able to eolle-ct samples
((ig. '-0), were found in the layer or volcanic osh and may h" lal{'1". In
the \Ve~tern part or the middlrst.or" room (2, 3) we found in Lwo places

Pig. t,0. Hmnou 1 anrl Ar\'itmtl I. ~lr;aw,

remaio!l. or s 11ails. In the ~econd place lht'1u• i-.llails w<'r-<' in lhc

bottom or a broken ,•af:P (fig. Ii I). It is a larg(' vari(•ly of ~n;iil which

Fag. 'd . .\r,·.-imt1 I (mt1.g,uine: :! , 31, Fig. ', !, ~tai:u.1no t:t, :~). ti rains ur
:,;.n:uls in vase. bJ.rlcy in ,·taS<l.

docis not exist.. toda~' in Thera hul i$ well kilo" 11 in Crete. P\111,:obly these
snails wore imported rrom Crete.
The \Vcstornmost. part. of the fast :3lorl" nwm l.o lftc North
(3, 3) had its lloor at a lower level thw1 lhe rest ul the store
t,XC,\\',\110'.\:-t Ar llffR.\ I I

room for reasons which we have J\Ol yel been :tble to ex plain.
There we found a small broken pithos in th<' hottom uf \\'hich
thero was a hlaek ~ubstanc:e which we arbitrarily called flot1r. \Vhcn
lhc vase was found this subsrance in lho bottom, about 5-8 cm.
thic.•k 1 was found in a shrun ke,n ~late, and the sid<• walls of the \'aSe
1lid 1101 loud1 il. Pnde1· the influence of heat, drynesst or h olh, al had
11,st JHlrl of its original mass. Examination unllcr a stror~g lcn~ s i10\\'Ccl
that I he ttub~Lnncc was in fac:l bo.l'lcy Uour which hml L>een very
imperfectly gl'o1111d, Thu fori rw had dis.appearcJ hut the hark pol'I
of the barley gl'ains could ~till be seen in the rurm 1>f 11,in ncedle!<I
01· small straws. Some gruin1.S or l,arley that hatl :dipped tha·ou~h I hr
111ill-slones \\'trc found in tac.:l (ti.i,:. 42). It was c,·i1lcntly llOl pC'rre1.:I
rlour, hul 1·oarsc an<l ~omclhing li ke l ite lunnc1•i4; t,-'.tiQzij7~t emplt•)'Cll
in the sacrifices.
WALL PAINTINGS

The mosL encouraging thing in the whole exca,·ution is lhc iii:,•

t"ovcry or wall paintings which hold out 1,:real promise. Fu1· lhe liine
being the frai;menls arc rcw, bul a rcw g:cntral conclusions seem certain:
 tXC, \\' AI J()~S Al I llt:lv\ II

\Ve htwe landseapos with plants and 1Hdm trees enlivened by !Scenes with
monkeys {colour pl. 8 I) and also with religious scenes.
)IC1nkcys ttr,pear in bolh gro,q,s or wall paintings, Bronou 2 (an
eolirr. head is prl'$f'.'t\1f'd) and Arvanili l , wherC' only parts of hodirs and
I ails and perlHq,s a nose can ht retot11izrd. In this last grOllfl we dc-
1inilely huvc ao allul' with horns of con~rc,·alion in pede(':Lly Minoan

~Lyle, but supported by columns or somcwhnl EJ,:"ypticniiin~ form

(fi~. lo'.!) from ,, rough skctd, hy tho painter 1fr. Elinkis).
T he ltN1d which is 1weserved in front. or the pain\ tree (colour pl.13 3·'-)
lends lo similar reflections, for it has anLhropoligkal charaeleri1>tics thal
are fo1-cit,t11 to the Cretan - ~lycenael1n race (thick lip~. a pug- noM. bris~
tling eyebrow~, a large enr•ring and a ribbon in t.he hair).
The fragrnen1s that have been found have noL yeL been fully studied.
Some piece~ ~eem Lo ha\·e (ll'<"Orative patterns (~a1·menl-!,?) as in figure 44.
A similar rrag,nent ha:; a small wornan·s head as par! or the dee•
oralion bul Lhc composition is not yet clear. Happily we have suri:i
indieut.ioust that. fre~coes a,·c ~till hidden ill several places of the ex•
ca vated area.
PLATES
t.XC:.A\'A..
I JONS
• ,.-d I I
Al . 1-1J""RA l'l.i-\ It... A
J. Bronou 2, FN.-Sco with a. blue
monkey's head.

2. Arv. t, Fresco with 1,a.rl ur a bird

(ogle?} as il was found.

3. An. t , Fn.'SCO w1lh an African t?t

and a palm • lttt.

4. Face or the same man e.nla.rged.

~ ·

• ~ K,, • •

-~-.,
. , #, I..,.
,.
;.I
.

3
I. B"ronou 2. The flO<lr or 0-n upper s.twey

2. The same noor aft.er n:1110\ ing the potter)'.

1

3. Arv. 1. Store .. roorn 3.

4. Arv. 1. Store - room 2.

!i. Arv. 1, A cornet of stor.:i. room 3.

6. Arv. 1, t<;aslern part of i,lore- room :t,

1. llronou 2, KymLe with dolphins,,

8. An•, 1, Kymbe \\;th Oying swallows.

 1'..XC.A\'ATIONS AT ·n 1F.RA II f'l.J\TF. <.:

C,

------------~ ; L-----------------' "

1, Arv. I, Spou ted e\\'er.

:. Arv. l , Spouted ~wcr,

3. Arv. 1. Spout.ed ewer.

4. Arv. I, Spouted ewer,

5. Arv. I, Spou tt:d C\\~t.

&. Arv. l, lmport.ed ewer.

Arv. 1. Imported gobfot.s,

'·
8. Arv. t , Matl • painted vases.
 t .x~:,\\'AIIONS AT ·11u~ Pl.i\1 1-.. 0

________________.,
t. Arv. I, $L(l~ • ret0m 2. Cla,y chrul and VU'!$ os fo und.

2. 8ronoa 2, A big 11ralner.

3. Ar v. I, Store - room 2. A matt - painttd ewer.

r.. Ar\'. 1, Store - room 3, LmporLtrt ewer.

S. At\'. I, !;lorn - rvom 3. hnpurted ewer.

G. At\', 1. Ma ll - ptuntcd rhyton.

7, Arv. l , $I.ore - rOOlO 3, A jar painted with while lilif':i;.

8. Arv. I, Slort room 3 A big stratnt.'r.

EXCAVATIONS AT rll ER,\ I I n .ATE_~

r,
 PL-\1 t I

I. ..\ n •.uuli 1, Beginning 1,r ,lrnin rrt,rn s ,1ulh,

hr:1111 fr11n1 ;o;uulh. 3. D r .1111 ( lhth:d with 11,11, rch.•.

PL,\U: :!

1. Exc:avalio11 laboratory and gua.Nl•house.

2. Shed of magaiine Ar-v~nili under- construction.

 1. Northwestern shed with HelJenil roof.

2. Jnterior or shed from south. West seelion..s or magnine Arvaniti 1

shown to le.rt.
 t.M \\ ,\110'\"i ,\I llltlt\ II

1. Bronuu '!!. p.:11uira111if" viow from 1,:,1,.,t. l'M1n l•>J) to li 11tum r\r r••llrt
,·1ll;1g1•, i::uard hnu~•. 1r,•nd1 +tf n~w lurf\'lll Ii,• t ,rn+I ,..,"' ;"•,,hon ,n .,..,, ti"n
l~r,,no11

z. Bronou 2. Former tonenl lred, Area or rruscoes around umbrella.

FXLA\'J\1101\1-1 Al IIIHt.\ II

:?, Bru11ou :!, f ~o (right part t leaned, le(l pd.fl a5 found).

PI... \Jt_ h

~. Uruuuu '.!, r'n.~tu, (il"('(!1t•bh10 myrllt.-s 011 \\ hilc Kruuml.

t:.X(:.,\\'AIIO:',;~ Al TIIDl.\ I I l'L\I f. 7

I . lhvnnu ·• Slaire:tso f mrn NurU1.

:!. Br1m11u :! !nun '\ •:-lln\'l'•a, l',1\'tld n our ,,r uppur ._t,,rl'Y ,,11 ,t w.11!
•lhlJ\'\'! it.
1'1.,-\ 11' 8 t.xc:,\\'.-\ 11< ):\."
• \I 1·1 1[Jt.-\ II

I «•
i{ I
' . -y1,i,

,i( 7~·,
I

'
t.Xt..,\\.. \I 10'.\\ ,\I l "Jlfk..\ I I PL.YU !l

:!. Jlronou :?. P;n•cd lluor fr11m \\'~l.

PL\ l t 1H t.,._C,\\All9N\ \l l ll l lt\ II

, .
..:
t-XC,\\' AIIO;'\'i .\I ltltlli\ II l'L.\'11:. l l

I. Broriou ~. CIJindrical strainer.

~. Uronvu :!. Ky111hu ,,1lh tlul1>l1111s,

l'L\J t 12 J,X( \\ ;-\JIO:-.:~ .\I 1111- k..\ II

\n,11ul1 \l,1~,1.u11,• fr1,i11 ,,,rth, (.in),1\'(• c,( h,1rixonl .1I li.•;1111 nC \\OtJ•h•n
\\,1ll-fr,u1w .,ht,\\ll • h•,1rly 11n oulttr \\all

;! .•\ n,mit1 I. ,urll1 1U\ig,:u.1nu wurly.1.nl frvtu \\,•~l.. UoulJcr:s bcnti;

tr.i.n:sporled illld buried.
tXC:..\\' \110)1.!) \I I tit: K.\ II 1'1..,\lt- U
 I-\( \\ ,\I 10,~ \ I J 11lK.\ 11

:!. ,-\n,rnitJ I . .Magai.ioe 2. Weigl1l in cup.

t-XC;-\\.1\IIO~:-. \I 1111-R..\ ll Pl,.\Tf I!,

:,t Arvanili 1. Mtt.g.tiioe '2. 3. Group of ,·e~li above lion·s head r l1yton.
 1-M~\\'.\ I 10\.._ ,\ I 111Hv\ II

....-~-
:'-"',

;.
.

2. Ananiti 1. )tagaiine 'l , 2. Vases oear floor.

f.Xt.1\ \ Al 10:--:!t Al ffltK.\ II l'l...\11:. Ii

. :,.
,
,. "' -~
~.;:6;_-_.~~ •.. '..
.

>

·"(,. '~ ' ·~· L.i.. ~

. ---·- . ~; •.t -: ~

- .
.L+.~ -
,r,..l
. ..,. ...,:
' ..
/<' r.
· ""--, ·
t. Arvt\niti I, ~fagtu:ine 2. Krmbe with swallows., as rounrl.

~t. Swallow • kymbe.

l'I.AI l-. l~ l-XL\\'.\IION', Al IIIUl,\ II

1, Arvanili t. Maeazine 2. "Ltvanotri•i'' (tens.er) and va,5e5.

l·.X(~\\'A IIONS A l IIIF. R.\ II 1'1...\1 t, 1~,

1, Magadnu 2, 2. $1::ab will\ wcighlb.

l'I ..\ It. 20
f.).( ,..\ \'\1 10>-.:~ ,\I 1111:Jl.\ I I l'l .1\ I E 11

I. \n..,.uul1 I. .\l.1g.11.i111-:: ;,, J (i.••. 1b We.~ternmos~ r,MtJ durmg initial

~la~it.• tJC c xt·av.ilion,

2. Arvanili I. :\l~,u:i110 3, 3. Pair or jars a5 C;(CavaUon ad\·u.nced.

l'L\11-. !!:! t.X( II 1110:S\ .\I llltK\ II
 l'L\ I I•. 2'.l

I, Arvaniti l, magaiine 3, 2. lle~p oC h.andloles..-. ,·ascs and ewer.

2, Magaz.ine 3, 1. Jan.
PL\l•.21 t,.XC..\\' \110'!\ \I lllUlA ll

I. .\r,·anih I. f,'i)(mi111 • in jar \\1tl1

lilil'•s ft, 11

2. .Arvanili 1. Tho saiue ligurino rrom l>ouoin or jar wilh lilies (3 1 l}.
 ~ XC,\ \ ',\ 110;\!, ,\ I 111 t, K.\ II

I, J,1r \\ itl1 \\ Ml••

h11j•,,

2. Magaunc 3, I, Jar
,nth hlie .. 3.. fvund.
1'1~\I t-. :!h
L'i.( . \\' \lt(),-, \I IIIHU JI

. . '- .
. i
•
!,
:, I
••
1J
I
n.... r
 Pl.Alt, 29

.
.. .
~- ""'\ ' ~,
-".-'•- <~ff..· ' -- - "\ -.
.;tr·~
,, -~. ,.
,
t\ . , J ,· ·
. .
•.
~. Ar\'.:,U11l1 I. \\ ,•~I flll:tr!t•r:-• rv1om I. \ hll-sl u111ss.
i,1_., n :m

1.. WC)l l!Uartef'l.l, room ::. 1'1ppltd 3. West quarte~. room :t J11r, rui round,
jug with barlay decor-1Uon. on same level u noor or upper storey.
t-'. X(' \\ ,\110:\'> Al lllt-R\ II 1-'l ...\l l :i i

2. \\'est quarters, room 2. Jug with perrorated handle.

1'1.i\"I f. '.t! ~ X(.,\\'.\ 110'.\S Al I fl t: It\ 11
 1'1...-\ rt.. :,3

• •

l. Fart of root. Wesl street. house.

2. 'l'mrncl. \\'(-sl llotr,;e cotne.r sh,)win[; 3, 'runnel. lnnermosl 1•~rl ,;l1owing

groovus lefl by wooc.cn wall fr-0.mc. woode,i wall frame and window
cloarly oo lhe wall.
l'LAI t. J,1 ~.XC:t\ \' \ UO'\~ r\ I 111 lRA II
 mm ,
I. An•aniti I. Magaune 2, 2. :?. Ar\'anili 1. Skyphoid Vasl'.
Small globular jug.

:H. Ar\•auili I. )lagaiis\c 3. Small jars fou.nd u1l 11vur.

t. An·;rnili I. Wc.'tl roo111 :!, '2, Arva.nlh :!, t twmoov. ),
Barley ev.or. ~iJll)ICd (!Wtlt.

rt
3, Arvaniti t. Eyod ewer i.nd nippled twe.r.
F.XC,\V;\IJO:,.,~ 1\l IJIUl\ II

1. Arvanili 1. Mogatioe t, 3. Rhyto11.

J-f'l.....--w

2. Arvanili I. A slate tablet.

 1. .\ r\'.111tli 1. Linear A !i-il(it.,.

-J. Urunuu
EXC:A\'XrlOi\:"> XI 1111-.R.,\ II

I. Arniniti I , l..oom - ~ eighlo:.

____ _
_.....,..,.

:!. Ar\'Miti I. Loom-weights.

 FXCA \'ATIONS A I rt I ER:\ 11

1. Arvaoili t , 31 l. Stealite lamp.

2. Ananiti t. lA.mp.
EXCA\'.r\l IONS AT rt l f:!-k,-\_ 1
_1__ ---'-
P=LA It: 11

t. Obsidi;in ~nd Oinl.

3. Ar,•aniti magazine 2, 2. Weight or pe.sllt•

~XCAVATIONS AT TlfERt\ II

.;
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StC: 110'> II ~ X( \\',\T IOV, .\I 111 llv\ 11

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F.XC.\Vt\l'IO:'\:) 1\1 I llt:RA 11 Pl.A:'\ Ill

----·

0f.rn1!ral plan of e•ca, ;:.r,ted a.rt>a in Oronou 2.

Pl.AN I V t:xc:..w,_A flONS {\T TH f.RA II

...
, U • CtO

.~,~ ' ..,;

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't·:···: J .
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EXC.A\'ATIONS AT T llf.R.t\ II PLJ\N V

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SECTION \ 'I f)\C,\ \ ' \TIO~S A I I I I1-.it-\ 11

[_::
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1\ 0

.,"£

(-
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 SF.C I 10/. \' II

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SH:"I IOX \ ' Ill FXC;,,\\'1\ l 10~!) Ar T II FR:\ JI

,. • . • • .. • • 1 .,,,.,,.. •• ·-'-i ·;-·,

i 1
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Dclai.ll-1.1 section or An·. I, Wcst.trn iu1rl,

 l_
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F,XC.·\ \ 'A I IO~S AT 11 t t-.RA 11
 "" ,,

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PIPl-e,••-,all p&aa ot uc:a•UN ~_,Art:. t .

EXCAVATIONS AT THERA III
1969 SEASON
 EXCAVATIONS AT T HERA Ill
(1969 Season)

I. TECHNICAL WORK S. GENERAL PROBLEMS

Excavations started orricially on June 20, but well in advance a

team or technical experts worked on preliminary arrangements on the
site. A group or the ..-ienlirie starr under the Epimelete Dr. Chr. Dou-
mas listed in catalogues and transported lo their places of origin the
object$ destined lo remain on the spot throughout the excavated area.
We have acquired a bulldozer of our own. Electricity and a telephone
line were supplied for the safety of the excavation. We stored lhe rain
water collected from our extended sheds in cisterns and concrete reser-
voirs. A most interesting fact, however 1 W85 the discovery •or abundant
subterranean water about 100 m. South of the excavation area. Our
well was opened in a location, where three ravines meel: One from the
site of lhe excavation, another from Akroliri and a thir-d from Kamaraki -
Polamos. The waler is slightly brackish, but still drinkable, and has
been a precioos ractor for the whole development or the exc3vation.
Hitherto water wag ()r<tcored partly from Poros (oppO&ite Aegina) and
i~ was expensive 1•
Bearing always in mind the fact that the cxC'avation would be or
long duration and that it should nol he extemled before ensuring the
existence or laboratories and all kinds or equipment on the spot,we start•
ed this work with a definite progromme. We built magazines for the
large quantitie• or wood, building material, and implements required;
we constructed garages and rooms for the guardian• and technical per-
sonnel. and we erected a spacious laboratory for the menders. It. is
5X25 m. in size, as the quantity of potU>ry coming lo lighl is enormous
(pl. l.t, right upper side).

1. The ,..:ienlific ittarr of the excavation consi&l.ed rn11inly o r the iMist.a.nt Or. Chr.
Ooumas, )liss A, Patrianakou, ~Ii:$.$ 'l'z. Papadopoulou and ~Ii$$ n. Tslfaki, philolo•
 The gt<lat<lsl t«:hnical work wo, lhe conslruclion ol shed No 2
(Dexion system) which covered the whole area ol quorlers Band r (hilh-

gisLs. Mr. A. Andreou spent M>me days ..,.,lh us and made 5ome detadf'd plans and sec•
lions, There came a lot of volunteers. ;:tmong whom Mrs. Char., Eugen.We exr~" tu
them aU our warm apprN:iation Prec,ou., ~cr \'i(·(-S
\VCn.• orrered by Prort>S.w~ I.. )loui:,.ouh>i. and 0 .
Pipll& of the Natior1aJ Polyh-t:hnic(,11 l'nh•ersily.
llead of I.he laboratory for ln•almK tlw tN.'81.:0cS.
was )Ir. A. \larg.rntof with .\l rs. \larg11r1lof ,md
his assistant, Mr. S. Perraki:i. llead or the lahorator.\'
for meodrng and prcst•rvmg the 1>ollt-ry wa~ ,\lr. Z .
t<anakis with \Ir. K. ~ ikakis. The School of Hesto-
ration or AU1cns sent its 1,upils, forty persons in
all, who worked allt•roat1vt.•I)· tO both laborator1e.s.
Our architect Cor this y~ar 3lso was Dr. John
1(01,11nanoudis of the Polylt.-chnkal l' nivcrtuty. 1'11('
topographer ~Ir. M. Oiannoulakis ond lhl' 1,hotogra•
pht!r ~Ir. Sp. 'f3ardaroglou oHt'n.--d abo !il'r, •ices.
W~ had two fort>men. ~tr. 0. Vassiliadi& took µ3rt
again in lht' t·~nwa11on crnd n a. \"$pt'ci"II'• re-
Sp011$1blt• for the, hmntlhng• •\I~« 1',fV tO 3iµa<,
&¼ ..,xx11.-i);: agile, aJways good humourtcl and t<>urngeous, he transmitted his own
mood to the rest or lhe workmen. &arnt&l and taciturn, ,•xprtitni:td :tnd energetic
the other foreman, Mr. J. Kar:unitros, directed l'qually w,•11 th(' f'XC':;t\•ation ;ind thP

restoration or the ruins. Thit excavation i$ gratetul to both o( them. ThPy t1r.quired
a Juslirl~d reputation under the nicknarne-s ttBig Boss•• 3nd " ·'Tin, Boss,, Th1• i nsets
show them and lhe equaUy pre(ious ,•eteran Mr. Kanakis among hi,s pupilc;. of th1•
School of Restorators. Our most sincere thank.s are ex p ~ to lht Ps)'cha Pounda•
lion ror the generous help accorded to the exi:avallon and to the organhation or
the School or ResLOrators.
 i

ert,o Bronou 2), i.e. roughly an area of 750 square meters (pl. 1-3).
The most difficull work was the sinking of the wells, in which the
pillars of the shed were embedded in concrete (see pl.2.2). Sometime. we
had to deepen the holes down to approximately 6 m. (pl. 3.1) in order t,o
reach the solid lava floor. The work wag delicate because of the possi-
bility or encountering anliquities, and we were obliged t.o re.locate the
wells in some instance&1 as we came across important. parts of ihe hidden
ruins. In any case the excavated area wag wholly roofed. Plate 3,2,
presenting the southernmost part of Sector r, shows the shed before
the fitting or the side walls.
Owing to these works, excavation acti\'itie.s were again limited, as
it had also happened before. In the North Sector A (hitherto Arvaniti I)
we have almost completed the excavation or the tripartite store-room
(pl. lo • 9); we have completely excavated only the little room called
«Mill-llouse,, (pl. 10- 12); and, finally, we extended considerably the
nearb)· tunnels (pl. 13 • 15). In the Southern sector we have excavated
completely only the little cc Room of the Monkeys» (8 6, pl. 30);
throughout the rest of the area we excavated mainly only the places,
where the wells of the pillars have been subsequently opened.
Howe,·er 1 the results or the excavations in this sector are inter-
esting: There is now ample evidence t.hat after the seismic catastrophe,
which was most serious, the inhabitant.a did not disappear completely.
Some of them remoined or came back again and inhabited the ruins,
though not for long. They removed the debris in some places and open-
ed without difficulty paths and entrances into the ruins. Where the
roofs were still preserved or where they could form a shelter.
inhabitants settled and worked for a short time. They blocked doors,
windows, steireases and corridors or streets with barricades in order
Lo be protected from ruins in imminen1 danger of collapse (fig. 27 and
pl . lo1-42). For the same reason they also erected provisional dividing
walls in some part~ (pl. 32,1 and fig. 26). Often they entered these
rooms crawling through narrow windows (pl. 26.2 and fig. 27 ). We have
therefore named them "Squatters». a name used by Sir A. Evans t,o
designate the last inhabitants among the ruins or Knossos.
These facts are or paramount importance in the succession of the
volcanic phenomena of the "Minoan» eruption, ca. 1520 to 1500 8. C.
So far, the excavations do not justify the opinion (which was my own)
that a long time elapsed (say 20 to 25 years) between the seismic catas-
trophe of 1520/1500 and the fina/ phase or the eruption, which formed
the caldera and provoked lhe tidal waves. The squatters do not seem to
 EXCA\'AI lONS 1\T THf.RA Ill

have sojourned ror a long time among lhe ruins. They did not leave
traces of a date noticeably later lhan thaL of the seismic catastrophe.
They did not repair any of the building,;. Their only activity, the effeci.s
of which are perceptible even aL pres•nt., was the collection of the con-
tents of the destroyed buildings and possibly Lheir dead.Wherever they
had suceeded to pe1,etrate 1 our excavation came too late. Nothing came
to light and even pottery was absent M scanty. On the other hand the
pumice pervaded everywhere, even beneath fallen walls and roofs. The
•tanding ja.rs of Store Room A I - 3 have been found full of pumice.
This means that. gaps and fissures or the buildings were still OJ>en,
when lhe \'olcano, possibly awakened by the quakes, began its first CiC•
lion and ejected the rirst pumice. In <ruartcr A pumice is round every ..
where down Lo Lhe floors; in quarters B and r
it is only partly
found. In some parts the pumice slops to lhe height of Lhe upper floors,
while the basements are full of stones and decayed crude bricks. The
fact that every open space, like lhe North and South Court or partly
the Telehincs Road (see below), was covered by pure pumice down to the
rloors 1 is instructive.
Thu3 1 ti,I, lea.st. accordini> Lo lhe hitherto attained result& or the excn-
vatiom11 not. much time elap,i.ed bct..v.•ccn tho quake &nd Lhe awakening
of the volcano. Possibly two to three yeans, po!Ssihly ono year or some
months only. If several winters had pa••Cl<l over the ruins, a crulL would
have been formed upon Lhem, which would not have permitt-ed the
pumice to reach the floors and fill the jars. f'urLber excavations, how-
ever. will throw more light on this question.
A furlher result of the 1969 excavations was the partial study of
the prehistory of the sett lement. In one place we did find traces of
Middle Cycladic period. Whrre we had been able to reach Lhe original
surface of the pre-explo,ion -island, traces or EC and even of Chalcolithic
period came lo lighl. We shall deal briefly with all these q uesLions in
lhe following chapters.

2, THE NORTH QUARTER

The general topographical plan (plan I) shows that lho excavated

bujJdings have the characterisUc NS and E\.V orientation we.U known
from Minoan Crete. The exca,•ated buildings extend along the bed of
the torrent from North to South, where, the actual shoreline lies al a
d istance of about 300 m. I believe, that the ancient shoreline was at
least one mile further down to the South, so that tho settlement was not
t.XC.AVATIONS Al I IIF.Rt\ Ill 9

so near the sea as it is to~day. This conclusion of mine is based on the

fact, that a part ol the Southern shore ol the island sank lightly either
during the last pnase or the eruption or late,. Thus in the Southern
shore or Akrotiri the pumice penetrates under the aetuaJ sea level, while
at the same time the waters are rather shallow,
At the beginning of the excavation we gave to the different quar•
ters the names or the rield-owners. \Ve are at present. designating every
quarter with letters of thr. Greek alphabet. The Northernmost quart~r
(hitherto Arvaniti 1) is now Sector A. The Southern part is named Sec-
tor (or Quarter) B in its Eastern section (hitherto Bronou 1 and 2) and
Sector r in its Western section t the two sections are separated by the
Telchines Road. The rooms, corridors etc. will be characterized by the
Arabic numerals.
In Sector A the well known tripartite store-room (plan IJ) was exca-
vated delinitively and comfortably, because it was sheltered under
its shed and neither rains nor winds were reared anymore. The main re•
suits are the following:
The floor or the first compartment ( A I J with the upright standing
jars has been cleaned throughout. As reported in pre,•ious reports 1 ,
three jars had been found fallen, horiiontally lying on the floor and bro-
ken Lo little pieces. They contained a brown -black organic material,
the nature or which remained at the time a matter or hypotheses. Now
the same material was round to have a grey coJour.'\Vitb a strong mag•
nilying-glass traces of strow and a-wns become visible. The jars therefore
cont•ined b~rley nour.Jndeed,tbe mill-room lies right nexl(see l-elow).
The great window ol this room, which opens on it.s Eastern wan,
is unique so rar. On its North window jamb the trace of the wooden
lintel was well preserved; we have supplied a new lintel or concrete
in the place or the wooden one. The windo,_: is more broad lhan high,
its width being 2.20 m., while the height is only 1.15 m. The wall at
this point is 0,70 m. thick. The median stone-rib ol the sill is 0,40 m.
thick and the two wooden beams to the inner and outer part or the
rib are 0;15 m. thick each.
The photo ol pl. 4,1 presents the window from within, that is from
the West. Under the sill one can see loom-weight• (this compartment
contained many dozens or them) ' and fragments ol pottery. The

I. Thtra I (19~7 Season), p. 23 / ., r;gu,... 37, 40 and ,1.

2. Thera II, pl. 39, 1.1.
Ill t~< l\°.\110'<> .ll lllfR.1111

left hair of the window i, stil l full of volcanic ashes. To the left, one
sees the window-jamb, there was once wood, or course, where it.s
print is now. Further u, the right one can see the print of another
round post. It i• fai rly sure, that on the right half of the window
there existed another similar wooden support of the lintel. Unfortu-
nately, the first trench of the excavation was opened at this point and
the print of the wood was apparently destroyed 1• Plate 4.2 shows the
window art..er its complet~ excavelion. Its tripartite division through
the two upright supports of the lintel provides at. the same time
the explanation of its form. On both window jambs we see the usual
construction or a kernel of little ,tones and clay between two wooden
beam,, which stead upright as corners of the jamb. The t.hickness of
the (square) beams was about 0,15 m., just as it was on the sill of the
window.
The median stene rib of this sill was covered by thin slabs. On the
right (Southern) window jamb there exist~ a thicker semi-<:ircnlar slab,
surely the basis of a hair-column, which constituted the frame of the
window (pl. 5.1). On the other jamb we have round no such stone basis
(pl. 5.2). In its plaee there is n i.hnllow hole, where the w()ocion frame or
the window was apparently fitLed. \.\'c note thot th~ 11ame trace. of wood
construction, though alway$ with slight ,·nriations, appf8r on every
door or window. Here we have an abundant materiel for architects.
Ort.en, bul not ahvaya1 the wood employed presents a square section.
In some instances we ha,•e to do with n Lree--trunk $,awn along iti
length, so that the section is semi-circular. 1'he ronvox part is put
on the inner side or the jamb or 1hesill. Beams or uniform thickness are
rarely round. In some instunces the exlremity or the beam was lelt bi -
lurcated, ju~t as it was on the trunk or branch or the tree. Usually the
trees were short and the stems not very straight.The scarcity of wood is
evident. According to the prints or the barks, olive-wood was en1ployed
in most cases (possibly oleaster).
On the sill ol the window already described were found in situ a
little handlelcss cup placed upside-down and a littlr whet>tone or sand-
stone (pl. 5,2). As in 1968 a small stone t.ablel or 11<>hist with gralfiti
was found in the same area', it is probable that the whetstone was used
to smoothen the surface or the t.ablet !or re-use.

I. See the photo The•• I (19671, p. 20 lig. 21 and 11, 19 lig. 20.
2. Thera II, pl. 37,, and p. 47.
1-. XCA\',\ I I(),'', ,\ I 111 1'.R.\ Ill II

Near this window and just by the door leading to store-room 2

a group or vases was round (pl. 6.1); some or them had still their lids
(consisting or a circular stone slab), although these had fallen on the
rloor. One or the vases showed painted dolphins. One may see on the
photograph the rlecoration or white reeds on a standing jar.
Store room Z iFl well known for lhe exquisite vases it has yielded.
\Ve lu,ve given the c:< 1>la1H1tion that the adjoining ,,\Ye&tern Room 2)},
rrom whic)l some or the vases had fallen, was of religious nature•. Plate
6.2 shows the ccotr~I purt of the room, where the ulivanot.ris1, and a
scale have been recognized 1 . Beyond it to lhe West. the excavation re•
vealed a little jar still standing in situ (pl. 7.1). In the same area a stone
vase (pl. 57,3) and rragmenu or another were round; lurther finds
were a bronze drill with its wooden handle (0,13 m. long), a jug, a cym-
be lying upside-down (pl. 7,2) and a strainer, both painted with white
lilies (see pl. 48,2 and colour plate A 1.3). A little askos was found along
wit.I, them (below rig. 37).PlatcS,t shows the sill or Ute Ea.tern window or
this room. On this sill beautiful vases were found during the excavations
or the previous year'· One may clearly see the print (square in section) of
the wooden beam, which rormed the inner part or the sill. In the mid-
dle appears the print of a transverse piece or wood, which joined the
inner to the outer wooden beam of the sill. A cutting in the stones is
visible lo the left on the central stone rib of the sill. Tho wooden
Jell part or the window frame was embedded there. A similar culling
existed on the upper side of the window (well discernible in the win-
dow or pl. 4.~). Between the&e two horizontal frames were fixed the
perpendicuiar ones lo the right and left. They were therefore slighlly
shorter in length. \.Ve aha.JI sec below the sa_me system in the windows
of Lhe Tclchines Road.
The adjoining « \.Vester,, lloomn· yielded more evidence of its re•
ligious nature. We succeeded to consolidate in it~ place the part or the
floor or beaten earth, which was preserved in situ. It is 15. 20 cm, thick
and on it was found a table or orrerings in it.s original place•. Consc•
quently, it has become possible Lo e,cavate a part or the underlying
basemenl. As anticipated, the floor was covered by a series of intcre&ling

I. Tht:ra II, p, 19 f, at1d 3L

2. Thera II, p. 21 -2. fig. 12.
3, Thera JI, p. 22 I . ~nd pl. 19 - 20.
4. Thera ll. pl. 31 , , . ·
12 FXC.-\ \'ArJO~S 1\I TIIER.A Ill

vases, to be removed later. In the filling, however, at a depth of 0,65 m.

rrom the above.mentioned rloor, an inleresling objccl or religious
eignjljcan~ was found.It is a rhyton in the form of a bull. About 0,30 m.
above it, the layer or plaster belonging to the walls was well distinguish-
able (fig. I). The rhyton (pl. 8,2, 54.1-2 and colou r plate A,2) measures
0,25m. in length and is practi•
cally entirely pr.escrved. ll was
painted, but the sulphur of the
pumice h&s aHeeled the colours
(see below).
The last ~eetion or the slore
roorn (A3) had the floor on
its \Vestern side about one me•
tre lower than the rest. This
sinking was literally full or pot-
tery, especially jars and mid•
die size vases; but minor and
sometimes exquisite f>Oltery
was also present.The lower part
or a jar containing barley-flour
was round there last year '.
On 1,I. 9., ap1>ear lhe two big
upright jars, already known
rrom last year, and near them
the numerow:t fN1g11,enl..$ of
rurther jars within the sunken
part or the floor. Fifteen large
Fig. t. Westtrn Room 2. A clay bull•rhyton
and middle site jars, including
a.nd over it the plaster of lh't raUen wall. the flour-jar, ha,·e been enu-
merated in all. However, it is
impossible to accommodate even hall or lhem within thi• narrow
apace. (For an example or a jar rrom this area see below, pl. 49.t). One
would suppose that the vases were put partly broken there and, in
some instances, it is certain that. they were ph\Ced t.he one inside the
other. Plate 9.2 shows some or the vases or this group after mending,
before being transported to their original places. Other finds were only

t. Thcra U, p. 52 • 3.
1-.Xt;..\\·A I IONS 1\T T H F.R,\ Ill 13

a bronze little knife with lour rivets, two discs of a little see.le (diam.
0,06 m.) end a bone tube 0,08 m. long.

S. THE MILL• HOVSE

Sector AI whfoh constitutes so rar the NortbernmosL quarter or

our excavations, contains e i,eries or rooms to the West or the described
Store Room. These were el leMI two-storied. They seem to correspond
to lhe three compartments or the Store Room· and we have called them
pro,•isiona11y lcTheWeslern Rooms11. The first of these room& from the
South , t·orresponding t..o the Store Room A 1, cont.a.ins a rnill~$lone in
,itu and ha, been called «The Mill- House.,. It has a window (visible at
the beginning of the tunnel, see below). It has its ra~ade on tJ,e street
end just to lhe North of ii there is a door opening t,owards the same
slreet. The door is in perfect slate of preservation and serves a little
anteroom 10 the Mill-House, which has a bench opposite the door. Its
floor is covered with schist slabs. (Thera 11, pl. 32 and see plans II and
Ill here.)
The Mill is the only completely excavated room of this sect,or,
because a well for the Sou thern pillar of the shed had t,o be sunk there; as
the room is very small, we excavated it completely in order to avoid any
damage. It is irregular in plan, the dimensions of Lhe two ,ides being
3,50 m. each. The weU WWI opened in the North-Eastern comer. In 2 m.
depth we reached the natural lava surface of the pre-explosion island.
It is dark in colour and ratJ,er soil. On the rock we found lwo cavities
of semi-spherical form. The greater one measure, 0,65 m. in diameter.
A Lhird cavity (just on the margin or the well) seemed irregular in
•hape and had traces of a slab covering. It is distinguishable, together
with the one of t.be mortar-shaped cavities, in pl. 10.1. The filling of
the well above the rock was ,and and blackiah earth, therefore of the
pre-explosion period. The cuttings in the rock may be Early Cycladic.
The Mill-Room (plan III ) contained t.be following objects: Near lbe
Eastern wall, by the modern pillar, there i, a mill-stone. or trachyLe,
fastened on a stone basis, which shows a hollow space underneath
(pl. 10,2). Before it., to the right, there is a slab, apparently intended to
receive lhe flour. In the lilling of Lhe room and its neighbourhood many
other minor and little trachyLe mills have been found. We have put
one of lhem on the solid mill-stone, as seen in the photograph. II was
not found in siLu. Several such small or larger circular mill-stones with
one surface plane and lhP other convex hu\'e been found throughout..
II t. XC.\\ ,\110:'\'.'I ,\I lfltJ{,\ Ill

the excavation. They are similar in shape to a patella (or knee cup),
which in ancient Greek medical terminology is called 11•X~. that is band
mill. This means that mill-stones similar to ours were still employed in
classical Greece '.
Beyond the mill-stone, to lhe South, the wall shows a dentation.
On the inner side there is a $emi•-circular cavity cove~d by little st.ones
and next to it a little spae<i similarly covered by slabstones (plM Ill).
It reaches the corner ol the joining East and South walls ol the room.
The latter shows near it an intact large clay bathtub in a good state of
preservation (plan Ill and pl. 11,1). The inner surlace is covered by
painted white reeds. It was lull ol pumie<i and no organic rests were
observed at it& bottom. The entire Western floor ol the Mill- House is
covered by slab-like stones not very orderly placed. A lew plain vases
were found on this lloor. The largest of them is shown in pl. I 1.2.
The most curious !ind was discovered at the North -Western corner
ol the !loor, just under the window. There, the colour of the white vol-
canic powder was brown along a regular, almost elliptical line. I thought
at one<i ol a piece or basketry. I covered this point again. Several months
later, when wQ had acquired eJecLrfo power (the place, lying at the
entrance t,o the t.unnel, is dark) I trusted t.o Karamitros the cleaniog of
the object. Indeed, there was a basket or =pt~, probably ol lygos
(withe). It& section is elliptic, just a& the x6,p.vo, (basket&) still made in
Crete. The wood had been transformed into a thin, sort dust, disinte-
grating even by a light blast.. We owe its extraction lo our artistic col-
laborator Mr. T. Margarito!, who hardened the dual into solid matter
with appropriate solutions (see pl. 12,1).

1. According to some tmc:ienl sourees i''M1J was called lhe lower miU-stone;
but it is: fairly sure that Lhe word was u~ed indiscriminately. The upper mm.stone
W$.$ caJJed sometime$ t"°' tdonkey). This name is equally explained by some rather
voluminous mill-stones, the lop or wh.ich is doubJe.s.loped a.s a roof. This rtooinds
indeed of the back of a meagre donkey. It explains al the same time the sarcanic
verse or AacH1LOCeos for the mountainous Tha$05 {,;6c cS' fZm' Ol'Otl edx,; . . .. ete.,
fragment 17 - tS, Bergk - Hille.r). lt seems, that the heivier t-to:1 were first used for
bruising barley or hard beans, then the finer grinding was continued with the light-
er ~>.1). The stone is always the same, h3rd and porous; we don't know whether
it comes frQm ~telos or from e1S4:!:where. A special examination or the n1ateriiJ,
which i:S abund3nt, seems very promi:5ing. This µvJ.la,; )18« (in Snuo's expr-%SiOll)
came p0!5,Sibly from Nisyros. at least tor the danr;clrOM?, (neighbours), acoording
to Snuo (X '8-8}. Ue knows, mort.,-O\'f:t, tha.t pt1¼C Mf>o( is made or lhe tooling
lava or Aitna in Sicily (YI 269). The la\·a ot Thera, howt\'tr, ls "ery crystalline- and
the Iota.I origin or the mlU ◄ tones is eicluded.
t:X(. \\ ,\l 10~~ ,\ I I ltl•R,\ Ill

The baskeL WM found bottomless. Fallen stones had destroyed the

0

bottom and their extraction gave u• much trouble. Beneath the basket
appeared little clay implemenl8 and grinding pebbles (pl. 12.2). Among
them we round traces or the basket bottom. Along with them we have
collected some spines or sea-urchins. Probably the basket contained sea•
urchins, that. sea-deJicacy, which was apparently as appreciated then
as il is to-day. \Ve have eoUected aimilar spinca or aea-urcbins in several
parts or the excavation.
Arter the complete excavation or the Mill-compartment I came upon
the idea that it was entirely or religious destination. As already noted,
the door al the side or this room gives access to a small, but luxurious
ant.eroom wiLh a rine slab-floor and a stone bench opposite t.he door,
not unlike the benches or .\1inoan shrines. The whole installation or
the Mill-room presents a close analogy to one or the rooms or the MM
domestic sanctuary in the Western courL of the palace or Phaistos. There
exists again a device or a mill £or the preparation or flour or oU).ozU'fcn 1
necessary to every sacrifice. Jn both places there is another room with
a bench next to the mill. The high priest and, in the case or palaces,
surely the king, personally prepared the holy flour lor the religious
ceremonies. Possibly this is the deeper meaning or a popular song pr,i-
served by ancient writers, which aL rirst sight may be interpreted as
a proor of a tyrant's assiduity :
,..AAtl, V,VM, &Mt
x«l y«p n<n«x~ &,u
µ.ey<iMc~ Mm,Mi•~ 11,<a<MOO>•.

•• TH E TUNNE L

The Society lor Electric Power (6EH) ha• helped considerably

our work on Tbera. In a short time electricity reached our excavations;
the •ame Society supplied us with special beams or support and a spe-
cialized workman, who supervised Lhe tunnelling.
Archaeologically speaking the following dilliculties arose : First,
the general scantness or room, which inlluenees rree archaeological
observations. Second and more serious, an insurrieient freedom or move•
ment, which amply exists when excavating according to the clMsical
methods lrom above. For instance, one can rree the exterior walls or
a building by tunnelling, but one cannot enter it unless the door is
round; r.nd, in the basements, there are orten no doors. In case or many
inner rooms, their excavation Only from the door becomes dirricult and
 f.XC.;.\\'\11()~~ Al rJU-.R.\ Ill

expensive. ~1oreover, we have found hilherto no solution in case there

is an upper floor, the choice being to excavat.e either this or the basement
alone. Finally, a new difficulty arose, that or dilapidated and therefore
menacing buildings. 1.n our preaeot effort we have already encoun-
tered a building in so ruined a condition, that it will !all on our heads
if we continue its excavation.
Meanwhile we have revealed walls ol at leas\ three different build-
ings by tunnelling. At lhe same time we have ucertained the existence
or post,.seismic provisional wallg, erected by the usquatterim (see be•
low). Up to lhis moment we found no door, but only windows in the
basements. The only door is that ol the Mill-House already mention-
ed, which lies by the entrance ol the tunnel. A general picture or the
tunnels opened is given by pl. 13.1. or course, ii tunnelling will be ap-
plied systematically, the supporting will be or permanent character wilh
special supporting devices.
At. a certain point. or our tunnels the superposed layer of volcanic
powder sank and a hole was formed. We knew about this danger, as the
cart-road we bad opened on the surface, had made the layer at this
pojnt very t.hin. The only result was a shower or very thin suhe.s upon
the heod or the oMini Bo3s,1; he neeept.ed the event with his cheerful
stoicism. We interrupted the tunnelling, however, and began an
excavation from above. The workmen gave lhis building the name
or «The Sunk House». As the excavation showed, we had to do
with the upper storey or a house, the South.East. corner or which was
uncovered. The Soulb wall ishows a greal opening, presumttbly a v-indow ;
it is 1,50 m. broad and is prese1 ved almost to the same height. The
traces or the wooden parts of the sill and lhc jambs are preserved as usu-
ally. On the opening of the window two sundried bricks,or rather slabs,
st00d still erect (0,62x0,46 m. apparently two to one and a holr reel
each, pl. 13.2). On the same sill a cymbe was found upside down (~I. 13.2
and 55.2). On il there were fragments ol a clay goblet and the dust be-
nealh il contained a bone or a little kid or analogous animal. Unfortu-
nately the wall shows such a deviation from the perpendicular that
it wiJI certainly collapse ir we continue the excavation. We have there-
fore covered the house with a provisional roof and discontinued the
excavation as well as the tunnelling.
A liUle to Lhe South we opened a new tunnel (plan II and pl. 14.1).
We met a floor pa,·ed with irregular stones, which exists everywhere
within the tunnels. As this pavement (surely a road) is steep, we gave
it the name or «The Steep lane». On the floor lies a small hathtub
F.XC.\\lt\TIO;\$ ,.\I IJIE.R,\ Ill Ii

(which could be equally well a cradle, pl. 14,2) and many vases, as
a rule broken or damaged. Plate 1~., shows some or the vases that
had apparent.Jy fallen from abo,•e.
To the Jell (Southern) side of the lane, still stands erect the wall of
a house, from which projects the uwater spout11 or pl. 15.2. The latter is
an oblong, amphora-like vase, the bottom of which has been broken
off. Probably it had ac tually served as a water spout; this will be seen
onJy ir we succeed lO excavate the interior or the house, which is again
very ruinous,

5, THE "BRIDGE..

There is an unexcavated area between quarters A (North) and

r
ll - (South), running along the bed of the torrent. JL seems that the
most important buildings of the whole area remain still hidden there.
It is io this place that we opened the first trench of our excavation in
1967 (llronou I , la and 2). Beyond the bed of the torrent to the East
there lies another equally important building in ashlar masonry (Arva-
niti 2); a similar wall in ashlar masonry and with dentaled facade extends
from South lo North alongside the torrent ('"'• plan I). We have called
this area, destined to unile the Norlh to the South ql1arte.1'$ 1 the
«Bridge». A preliminary investigation has shown the following results:
The first building: (Arvaniti ta) ' , hither-to believed to be a ba&ement,
..ems Lo be, at least parlly,on upper floor, some parts or its walls reaching
alrnosl the surface of the soil. 1\ wall, des,:ribed last year as probably
later in date, is c,Minoan•> 2, In its exterior filling or pumice one Sf!(!S
holes, cylindrical in shape and 4 • f> cm. in diameter. They are three in
number, running parallel to each other. They are visible in pl. 16.t in
the centre of the photograph. Such holes also appeared in other parts
of the excavation (1'4b, ..e below). They are print$ or long sticks or reeds,
but we know no more about them for the moment. Plate 16,2 shows
the great doorway of Lhe buildfog. The pivot of the door turned inside
a cavity of the doorway, still filled with lead. We found two more stones
which reC<1ived the turning pivot of great doors. The doorway gives
access to a small vestibule the floor or which is covered with large slabs
(plate 17,1). On it (to the right) the uf:wer or the Grapes» is visible
(see below pl. 56,1).

t, Thera I, p, 35 r., figu.re:s so: Sc. and colour plate BS.

2. The.ra tl, p. 9 an1 tig 1.
 Beyond this facade of ashlar mMonry, towards the South, extends
a labyrinth of interior r-0oms or corridors or staircases. The ratast.rophc
here is great, almost. all the walls are no longer 1wrpenrlicu1ar and Lhere
is deformation or the doors. E"en before the excavations it was evident
t,o us that the Southern parl or Thora in the district or Akrotiri had
surrered a s inking dul'in~ the last phase or lhe huge eruption or even
later. A part of the lantl is now !\ubrnc'l{ed and the pumire layer ii,
partly und,.r the !\('a•lrvel on the shorP, The pxc&vation now shows
clearly. how the b1111dingK hod $.uUcrrd a s1nkin.~ 1n their Southern
parts, while another de\'iation runs \\'est-E-0.!51 (51e,P pl. 17;! a11d t8.1).
Excavation in this area, therefort, will be l(tborious and C'xpenY>i,•e. The
t.lentated fa\·a.clP mentioned nho\·e, runnin~ frorn Norlh to South, lies
just on the lert (Eastern) bank or the torNmt 1• \Ve htwt• slated 1his
year, that this must htwe been :111 np1lct storey. ·r1u~ underlyinJ.;
basement showed two square windowtt opening to the East. The ex-
cav8Lion or such windows is very instruttive in the rourse or wC\rk,
because the traces, eonsisting or ri11e ~ill or sand, <p1iekly disintegrate 1
under the influence or the win1I.
The better presen'ec.J or Lhese window:s (pl. lft.:t) in 0/15x0,4:', m.
in site (it. is important that the dimensiou-. were clearly derivatives
of a fool abou1 0,30 m. long, as Prof. J. W. Graham had already 1·on-
e luded in several papers). Tho hnlel and the sill (of wood, of e<>11rse) hud
twice the above dilllensions in length, so that Lhey were well set
on 1he walls. The th1tkness of the beams <lit! not cxreed 15 or t6 cm.
The wood or the sill was 1.tn uo~rnootheil nod h<'ol trunk or braurh
or n tree 011d 11s right c:<Lrcmity was h1Curc,1lcd. All th,..;c left their
prints clearly. or tJ1C' wood itself. we have n()t yrt round ('\'CO the least
trace. It has literally evaporated.
Every window (sec below) show~ oblon~ perpendicular hollow spae..
to the right and !ell. This means that al the moment of being bur•
ied under the pumice the two wooden side .. frames of the wio<low were in
plaoo. Later they disappeorerl and thus the hollow spaoo was lorroed. But
in the middle, wherr 1he opening of the winJow bore from two to lour
horizontal wooden rods like • lallice or balustrade, the ashes and silts
penetrated everywhe...-. Thus we have to.. day & kind or mould or the
windows with the pri1tls or the horiz.ontal rods. Plate 19,t shows this
window, which bore three horizontal rods or thin tree-branches s&wn
in two. The convex part or the stem was placed towards the interior,

t. Thera I, p. 52, rig. 79 - 80.

t.XL\\....\110'.\:-, .\I llli:R.\ Ill

so that the ra~adc or the window showed the plane side or it. As one
can see on the photograph, the middle stem was thicker than the other
two. It is clear, that light and air entered the rooms through the slits,
a• in the case or Egypt-ian windows. A little further to the North or the
same wall there i$ an exactly similar window, but. not. $0 finely pre-
served.
At right angles to this building there is another, which is the most
monumental structure hitherto discovered 1• lnvestigat.ion showed,
that the visible part or it belongs again to the upper lloor (two discs or
a scale were founrl in the upper layers). The basement, t.wo windows
or which have appeared, lies beneath it (pl. 19.2). The original trench
or 1967 happened to alighl on these windows, which wero full or vol-
c-anic ashes; hence we $poke about a mysterious building1 built on the
ashes or the volcano. and staled that [or this reason it should be
dated aft.er the explosion 1 , ll is now clear thal this structure is homo-
genous and contemporary with the rest or the ruins.
O. THE '"SACRIFICIAi. FIRE••
To the North or the rayade or the building in ashlar masonry (call-
ed provisionally Bronou 1a) there lies ,.,•hat. ma~• hav,"' been an open
court. In the Eastern part or this
court we uncovered a hitherto hard -
ly explained complex; we called it
u'H nup.:in, uThe F'ireo. lls first
mention in the excavation diary of
Wednesday,..Ocl. 15.1969, runs thus:
fcln 8ronou t a a deeper cutting in
the bed ol the torrent revealed Mid-
d le Cycladic pottery (possibly a
grave?) and pieces or a great slone
vase ... ». On the next day (Oct. 16th)
it is noted: «it seems to be a shaft
grave. The Northern part, discover-
ed today, is covered by Jillie schist
slabs. It is touched by the circular
cavit.y, in which there are rragment.s Fig. 2. A jar fr<>m the Fire.
or the big stone vase (andesitic
lava)». Plate 20.t explains well the words or the diary. To the left
I, Thera r. p. 52, fig. 79 (upper Jen side) and 53, rig. 82.
'.! Ther-a I, p. 5$, fig. 82 :]Rd plan fig. 83.
20

one sees a little digging, opened by us in order to study the layers

underneath. The cavity in which the stone-pithos stood, was higher
and therefore nol visible on the photograph. II should be added, that
not all the fragments or the stone
pit hos have been round; in later
limes the inhabitant..$ or Akrotiri
discovered them during some of
the repairs or the supporting
walls along the torrent. They
used them in these walls and
we collecled lhern during our
excavation. A few fragments
saem to have been Josi defi-
nit.iveJy.
Under the schist slabs we
found a layer 20-25 cm. thick,
which was intensively burnt.;
Fig. 3. A printtd iign upon the jar of the earth was black and eon-
fig. 2. toinerl minut~ rragment.s of cher-
coaJ from twigs and shrubs. The layer was £oil of broken vase~
blackened by the lire (pl. 20,2), stone implement• and organic mate-
rial. A middle size va,c (appar-
ently a small jar), which was
overthrown on the fire, show-
ed under its bottom (which was
found upside down) abundant
traces ol ~fl• seeds (vetch)
(pl. 21,t), Even to-day Thera is .._
famous for the quality of its ,p-
fl•, tl1ough Ibis apparently l,a-
tin - Italian word ha, nothing
to do wit.ti its original meaning
(broad - bean). Further finds
were a kernel and seve,al blades
of obsidian. One of them (the Fig. , . A vase from the Fi,e.
longest found so far) is 10 cm.
long. A slab showed dearly that it. was used for rubbing some material
and iwo pebbles found togeLher served as pounders. A heavy and com•
pact object, like an ancient aJabastron, is or unknown use. It seems,
that ii was covered by a laienee-layer. II is 0,14 m. long and bears a
bole in the upper part. Two clay rigure• or oxen were apparently
&ubstitutes for real animaJs, which were too expensive for the
islanders• means ; but minor animals wou!d have been sacririced 1
as we have round a rair number or bones and rragmenl$ or two horns
of he or ,he goat. The idols
have unost1ally long snouts;
the nostrils and the rnoulbs
are rendered ca refully (length
16 and 14 cm. respectively,
pl. 21,i).
One of the reconstructed
vases from c,The fire»,n broad•
mouthed small jar, shows
F'ig. $. Two bowls from the Fire. ( Diam.
a prinled symbol (fig. 2 and 0,'.?25 and 0 ,15 m . respecth•ely.)
3). A spherical ,·ase (fig. lo)
bears mat-painted decoralion on the shoulder (rig. 4 ). Two Jiule
bowls and lhree lillle skyphoi are shown in figures 5 and 6. These
mini&ture \'ases arc well known as serving for religious purposes.
All this pottery belongs to the
earlier MC period and lhey
are older than the whole com-
plex of Lhe buildings hitherto
excavated.
The whole structure, which
was characteri2.ed as a cct,ombn
in the diary is enclosed by
Fig. 6. Three little tkyphoi from lhe Fire. wslls, the plan of which is
(lleighl or the gre11ite5t 0,09 m,) not yet clear, It was further
slated, that under the burnt
layer there was a thin layer or earth, beneath which a beautiful
solid rloor was revealed. It consisted of beaten little pieces of red
lava, possibly held in place with some glueing agent. This kind of
floor, perfectly plane and polished, wa, also found in olher parts of
the excavation (see below). In pl. 22.1 the floor is clearly distinguishable
Lo Lhe right part of the photograph. One may still see the depth of
the removed burnt layer over the rloor; to the left appear the stones,
which were thought to be the side-walls of a tomb; finally, in the
centre appears an oblong shaft-like cavity and a slab. We round, that
the pit was filled with earth and stones down to the boLLom ( I m.
depth).
 ~\( ..\\' \110\", \I lll~Jt\ Ill

Figure 7 presents the same area 1 according to the perpendicular

axig of the camera, so thal in the lower part. one may still see lhe pit,
but in the upper part the remains of Lhe stone jar ore now clear. The
bottom of the vase was removed for better cleaning, but its cavity i,
clearly distinguishable. As soon as the heavy bottom was remo\'ed,

Fi~. i. Thi• room or Lhe Fire wil h lhl.' storu•J''"

:,bove il.

we round that. around iL stood still er~t in situ six miniature pear•
shaped vase, and a stone object, which can be hardly anything but a
bench (pl. 22.2 ). The little vase• are plain and poor in quality. Three
of them are shown in fig. S. They have lugs, perpendicularly or
horizontally pierced, and their c haracter is clearly religious (height
f> • 6 cm.). The stone jar must he over I m. high and it is a remarkable
piece or workmanship. \\'e had no adequate glue for the porous andesite.
We have therefore joined the pieces provisionally, as shown in fig. 9.
ft is not exactly known, whcthor the voluminous object of fig. 10
was round in the Fire, or rather near the stone jar. !t. was remo\'ed
together with other slones. ll was only later that we saw, from a Httle
fragment chipped orr, that it is a big nucleus of obsidian. 1 have

ncv,r s,,en such a large p,eee of obsidian (length 0,50 m.). All pebbles of
Meloi- which I hapJ)(lll to know are or murh lesser dimensions.
,.,.,"

Fig, 9, A pro\'is1onal rfeonstl'l.ltllon of lhc slon1• Jnr.

Thus the nature of Lhe coinplex described above remains problem•

21 t~X( .,\\',\J 10;'\~ .\I I IIHl,\ Ill

atic. A plausible explanation is that of an open place for religious

ceremonies. The search, however. remained incomplete and iL is hoped,

Fig. 10 An exceptionally large obsidinn-nucl<.'us. (Length 0,50 m.>

I
thaL rurther evidence will be (orlhcoming by the next exc3vation
periods.

7. THE SOUTHERN OUARTER. PILLAR • WELLS

Southwards of the area described above extend• the quarter

hitherto called llronou 2. It has been excavated enough to present
an understandable architectural form (General plan No. I). As it is
divided in two sections by a road running North-South, we have listed
the Eastern one 8 and the Western one r (see the Western wall of this
last sector in fig. 11 ). The road open• to the North to what may have
been an open court; to the South we have not excavated, but here
too, an open space seems probable.
The excavation of this quarter was imposed by the ract that the
slab-covered floor of an upper storey (plan JV, 82) had Lo be roofed
before it-s eompleLe excavat.ion. Through preliminary excavation o f
this sector it has been possil,,le to find out the places, where pillars
could be sunk without damaging the ruins. The pillars of the huge
ahed bad to be embedded down to the virgin rock. We have opened the
► ~CA\',.\110:'\"i ,\I 1 11 ►. K.\ Il l

wells accordingly, originally twelve, to which one more (4a) was added.
This work was conducted by us and was carried out. as a regular ex•
cavation. Then we handed over the rest of tbc shed's work to tbe
experts or the Oexion Company. ll crc is a concise report or our obser•
vations, before we describe the re~t or the excavation.

. ..
.•
, .. '

Fig. 1t. The Westem wa.11 of Quarter r from

the South. To lhe right the thick wall with
lhe projectil'lg an\•il. To the left one sees Lhf
pumice-layer; upper part: bloc.king-up by the
•Squatters•.

Well No I was opened beyond the excavation area and started

from the actual surrace of the earth; therefore, it is the deepest or all
(see pl . 3,1). For about rive metres it wu 6tink into pure pumice and
deepened further, till solid rQl>k was found. Its final depth had not
been· measured; owing to the rapid pace or work at this point it had
been ha.If rilled with concrete before we measured it. In the mass or
pumice we observed dark points (rrom crude bricks or decayed organic
 tX< \\ \IIOV\ \I llltR.\ Ill

matter) and, especially, some cav1t1e5. \\'e know now, Lhal minor or
major cavities within the masses of pumice arc a usual phenomenon.
Wells 2 and 3 presented dirricullies owing lo the existence or an-
cient walls nearby. A wall near well 2 pres~nled the first perpendicular
clay pipes we have lound (see below), \\"ell~ for the seuin~ or a Oexion

pillar (aho\•(' pl. 2,:!) pre~1ited simih11· ,1,fficultics. loside tlw well wa:i;
found a rnrious i;lOnt' in sttdd!P rorm (nt-ihlr III lhe 1otcnor of the well
on fig. 11); lhrre arr rt:'asons to brlirve thol this wiu; an an\·il. In lhE•
upper part of lhc photogra1>h one <on clearly srr a cross-wall rnade ol
(fiHerent collected stones. IL was rnatle by lhl' t.Hp1aHcrs.
The wPII or pillar Ii (pl. 3;1. lower part) lirq, in the· South-\\'tsl rornrr
of the excavntion. ll ~ave opportunity ror more ob11c-rva1ion1- and ex-
c.twat ion al this point was extended act.~ordingly . . \- n int.-resting build-
ing is hidden there, bul il hclongs lo the <1uartrr beyond th• road.
\\'ell 48 showeil in thC' bot1orn grey grNts~• lava, rerhap8 lhe uw-
terial employed as l)otler~s cluy. Beneath it we round Early Cycladic
traces as in the Well ol the ~lill-llouse. A black-burnished shcrd shows
incised zig-zag lines.
Still more important were the traces found m the bottOn'I or well
 :!'l

7 (Eagtern part or the exra"ation). Investigation was exreptionally di£..

ricult, 8!\ we en<'0untered u vaulted s tructure cut. in Lhc rock, possibly,
but not s urely, a loll)b or Middle Cycladic period: lts diameter was
aJmosl 1 m., while on the South•East side an opening was apparent
witli stones on it, 1•0~<:1bly a rlo(lr. The hei~ht or th.- cutting, which

1-·1~. 1:1. Clay :sl:-bs (tilt-&-'). 1JinwM,,,n1o

',; X '.Vi X ", C'lll !"'3C:h.

seemed to be e1n.'tilor. w11s I It> 1.:m in. On the N'or1h.\Vest side big
sherds or great ,·w:.es were acc.·umuluted. The noor showed some stones.
Fi_gure 12 (rlash) ~i\'cs some itlP.t nr th~ C8\'lty.The sherds have not yet
heen cleane,I.
On the surfarc or llic soil, not r.ir rrom the well, Lwo slabs or clay
were round near a wall disappearing under the Eastern vineyards ad-
joining the excavation. The s labs are r~ctangular and have a slightly
concave form (lig. 13). .-It firsl sight they seem to be tiles, but it is still
too early to speak with e•rtainiy.
 EXCA\'AIIOXS \I 1111-'RA Ill

Well 6 provided further interesting rind&. A hollow space appear-

ed again inside the pumice (it is the fourth case wjthin this sect-or).
Under ~he pumice the pre-explosion surface of the i,land came in sight.
II is again similar w grey clay, as ii it were a compact mass of wood-
ashes. Inside it there was onothcr c~vity (a tomb?). The sherds collect-
ed are burnished, reddish and of the Early Cycladic period. A frag-
ment or a marble idol was alc;o found. In the same neighbourhood we
eame across a double n0-0r. The upper one was or beaten earth on a
substructure of littJe pieces of red lava, 5 t11). in thickness. Nexl comes
the lower floor of very line construction and polishing. Only a portion
20 w 25 cm. wide was uncovered (pl. 23,1),
Well 9 was opened in the ,lensely built area we call «The Bridge».
Two metres below the actual surface we met a fallen and broken jar;
over it rested a noor or roor or beaten earth. ·After removing the jar
we found anoth•r vase, the first triton shell or the excavation (0,29 m.
long) and a big boar's tu,k 0,17 m. long. A Jillie pyxis lid or alabaster
with a hole in the middle was also lound.
Finally, well 10 showed the lollowing stratigrophy: The lowest
pre-explosion layer, cuL to a depth or 0,60 m. for selling the pillar,
is or yellowish clay here; over it there is a layer or stones 1,10 m. thick,
typical in artiricial fillings. Evon in Pylos we met. such a layer in sev-
eral inst~nces. Over \t we found a be,aten-earth floor 0, 10 m. thick.
pos$ibly belonging to a court, and obovc il wa~ the catastrophe-layer.
It still remains to be added, tluit in well 12 we fountl the marble idol
or pl. 57,2. Presumably it is Middle Cycladic. The whole hitherto ex-
cavated area ol the South QuarLer (plans I ond IV) is divided into an
Eastern and Western section by the Telcl,mes Road. Beyond both
sections the layer or pul'l}ice extends Eastwards and \>Vestwards, at
this point apparenlly after having crossed a •econd road para.lie! t.o the
Telchines Road (lig. 11). The whole area was excavated to the extent
that all underlying build ings were clear enough to permit us to choose
the places for the pillar-wells. An extended ruin was uncovered thus,
with the stone covered rloor ol an upper storey in the middle (yl. 23,2).
The «North Court», in which t.he 1'elchines Road ends, presents
a special geological interest: When the pumice began to !all from abo,,e,
it penetrated here deep, that is on the surface ol the S-Oil (pl. 24.t-2,
upper lert side). In the remaining part of the area pumice stands
much higher, because it was stopped by the ruins (see, for instance,
pl. 25,2). In pl. 24,t (the photograph was taken from the We,t) one
EXCA\'ATIO\i'\ Ar I lll-.R,\ Ill

distinguishes the Court Lo the left, while Lo the rigM appears the
heap or the ruins before the Tclchines !load was clearly uncovered.
Plale 24,2 (photograph taken from the South-West), shows in the
Dackgrot1nd the pumice still covering Urn North side or the Coorl;
the workmen are cleaning t he ~:astern (lo the right) and Western

Fig, H, . 1'he ••Telchines ~oad,1 rrom the Soulh.

parts or the Court respectively. Out. berore reac!ting Lhis depth, we had
passed through a very illuminative layer. It is shown in pl. 25,t (pho-
tograph taken from the Easl).1'o the right ext1•nds the white shroud or
the pumice, aln1ost. three. meLres high on the CourL, before our exca•
vations removed a part or it. A cavit y is appa rent in it(we have already
mentioned this phenomenon). ,To such cavities we are ascribing now
the s111.lden sinking of the nN1111I surface or lhe soil around Akrotiri.
 ~XCA\'.\110:,..') \I 111~.lt\ Ill

In the lower part or our piN ure li•s I he deporl men I 05 (plan I\' and
sect ion V) while thf." Court i~iwen h,,yond ii. .-\rt\'r tlw quake ttr,1uakes
and be rorc lhe pumice ihowerl\ or the eruption he~•rn. the !!:q11allerl\
had remo\'ed lhe £alle11 dehrhi from 1l1c Cuurl. T o 1111' \\'t'~t tlwy heop-

Fig. Ir,. 1'h1• T1•l1 h1t11", lfo3d frl\11 1 th.. :-ii,uth

;1fkr it-: , 11•:U\11)).C

ed the ~tonrs (upprr part t,f our picture). '1"(1 lht• Ea~, (lower part or
the pictu re. wheN." 1111• woo,h•n bridges lir) they heaped mainly eorlh
and suuburnl bricks. Bttween the two hc,ap$ tl1ey optn('d a llalh.
Our conelusion is. thot (1 hrisk lrttffir w:is l'OlllJ? on hl'tween Xorth and
South among the rnul!-<. Thr tarth on this path was extremely hurtl
owing to ~he foolslep,. Plale 25.2 shows. alter 1hr partial removing or
the stone:heop. how t.he pumice fell on its ~urrit('e. The he,1p w{,s rle,nrly
F!\CA\' \tlO'.\~ XI TIIFR.,\ Ill 31

the work or man's h~nd. \\'p tw,·e purposely lert the Anelosure or
sto1lC!:i, made lo support thr- material or the heap.Therefore, it is math-
ematically eertain that the stones had been aceurnolated by man's
hand after the s.('iJotmic ea1 11strc;,phe and thiit a certain time elapsed
between lhe 11uuke and tlw be~11111i11~ of the eruption.

F,g. 16 ~Plif" ,;arnt.> ro~d trom the N()rth.

Plate 26,1 shows lhe South side of the Court together wilh charac-
teristic ruins of the earthquake and (to the right) the starting point
of the Telchines Hoad. It is rull or seisn1ic debris, upon which t.tie pumice
or the volcano (visible lo the riJ?:hl upper side) was stratified later. Fig.
14 shows I.lie same distric t from I he South with thcTelchines Road part-
ly excavated~ but the seismiedebris and, above them, the pumice are
clearly vi~ible. The photograph shows at the sam~ Lime a window or
Room 82 (lower righl side) and the door lead ing to Roorn r& (left s ide
above the ruins or th<' road). Thi~ door appears better on rig. 25 1 as the
photo~rapli was token aherl Ire eorn11lete excavation of Lhe road. Fig. 16
shows lhe road from thl" North, thal is from the Court, after its
cleaning. To lhe Jert appear now both windows nr 132. They belong to
the basement, over which the stone-slab lloor or Lhe upper storey is
&till preserved. The wall of 1'5 is seen to the right, but the door is not
visible here. On the pavement or the Tclchioes Road the stones of
granitic lava are still as glossy &l:l a mirror, $moothened by thoustlnds
of footsteps during the lire perio,1 or the unhappy town.

t,·,g. 1;. 'l'h•• tl,,.,r ,1r t :orndt.r 1'!1 1,1\,,ird..

the 'l'dcl11111~ l'toad bl•(or'\• 1l w0-. d1•a1\t•d.

Further to the South there is another window. not visible in the

picture. n is shown in pl. 26.2 and above it is still preserved a kind or
yltco'II or thin schist slabs. Through this win<low th(• squatters entered
crawling into the rooms of r4. Their traces were a1>parent. both from
the hardened soil and rrom the removing or the stones. It is possible
that. part or this window was rebuilt by them, as the walls in this area
are very badly damaged.
 The door towards Corridor l'5 (from the Telchines Road) was
round in the conrlition shown in rig. 17. Ono. is not sure whether
Lhe stones blocking this rather monumental door are raHen ruins or
rather a provisional blocking or Lhe troglodytes. Mtcr the excavation,
both door jambs showed the usuaJ st.one-made rib, while at the corners
once stood upright wooden beams. Two cuttings on the doorway show
the place of the wooden frame or the door. It was with one shutter
and opened towards the interior (pl. 27.1).
Plate 27,2 shows the road from the West and from above in order
to make clear the 1>osiLion or the windows under the stone rfoor or 82,
\Ve have already more than t..er, examples or windows throughout the
excavations and we hope to study lhcir construction in great detail.
The following facts are certain for the time being: The better-made
windows arc supplied with frnrnes of worked slone projecLlng 3. ~ cm .
from the walls. \Vithin the stone frame exfaled another one of wood
and the window had 11sually three horiiont.a.l wooden rods as balus-
trade.The windows, therefore, had no shutters ; they were mere open-
ings with slits between the woods of lhe baluslrade 1 so that no an-
imals or birds could enter. The light in the geo~raphical latitude of
Thera is intensive, almost as in Egypt. where analogous slits protect-
ed from intensive light, which was undesirable.
After the ratastrophc, sa1ld , fine pumice onJ mod penetrated
through the windows. so lhl)I lhe prints of thP wooden balustrades arc
sometimes very clear. The North window or ll2 (pl. 28.1) had not pre-
served well th• materials filling it. flut I he South win,low (pl. 28,2) has
we.II J>reserved the tracf's or its balustrade as f>rints in the silt. One hor-
izontal rod is clearly shown. There existed 8l least two or three of
them. In all windows there arc two hollow perpendicular spaces to the
right and leh. \Ve have given above an explanation or this raet.; but
the details leave many dork points, possibly to be cleared later. The
design of plan VI. by Or. John Koumanoudis, gives an impreS$iOn
ol the Telchines 11oad.

Q. THE QUARTER 8

It is now fairly i,ure tbaL Quarter B is orgamcally connected to

the sect-Or North of it, were the buildings Bronou la, wilh their North
fe~ade in ashlar masonry are or r,articular interest.The obridgen we see
in some buildings appeaN?cl during the opening or wells~ an<l 10. We
rep-eal agaii\ Chol no buiMing .Im~ heen hitherto c-om1,Jetcly exc-..avat.ed.
 ~.XC.\\'\tto,~ Al llltR:\ Ill

A brier pre.liinioary descrlption or t•,·ery room i~ J,!.i"·c•u here. \\'e began

the numb('riog or rooms in qu.-rler 8 frorn thP :•f orth Court.
Room RI i~ ,•cry complitnll•tl.u~ w~ k110" from 1hr HM.l/digging,
and has not been touched. 11 is still full nr debris rallen rrorn above
together with ahundant pumice. Its corner raring thr Court (th,~ is
its North • \Veslf'rn corner. rerPr C'Ol\~hu1tly to phm I\ ') is ~hC1wn 10
pl. 26. ,.
Hoom B2, adjoining to the Strnlh, is wt.'11 known from 1h~• pr<'\'i-
ous period 1 , 1t hatl already brrn rtC'Oj?nizc•1I that l11e rloc1r, slightly
sunk, hul l'till in position, with a s-tonf' 1·olumn h::ise in thP mifldlr, 1H•·
lon~rd to ao upper ~L<,rcy. The
prt•Joll'IH t'xca,·alion 1rnr-0verrd the
win,IO,'-':,: brlon~ill$!: lo tlw baie•
mi>nt nr 1111~ room. \\'c· luw1• alrrady
d.-M·r1hecl 1lu•m (•1hfl,·e, pl. 27,2- 2~}.
Mille :W.1 ~ho,,•~ this room, w1ll1 one
or ils wirulow.s \'isihJt>, Thl' ,,tiolO•
,;:to 1,h was I a kien from lhr heights
" C (Juart rr r{ se,· hl'!t.m ).
FurtlH~r 111 lilt.' So11 1h, Lhe rooms
B:~ nncl Ble wrre Jl{ll ext·avatf'II
c,nough. \\\• kno,, only :-houl I he
llrarnotu• t'n lac;itroplw "hid, brrell
l-'1g. 18 Oronit'.' tcnn M Con:itl,1,ntiu, II tlwrn: 1lu..' \\'n1t('ru wall oft he Tclc·l1i-
(3houl 325 A.O ., fuutul ,n ,1u~r1t•r n,, 11cs Hoad "'Qi'> prf'cipttat.,,1 to the
East tHhl c•u,·ercd lhern. It is 1:>rob•
able, however, thal the torrent Ii~~ clt$:lroyrd the cleeprr layers at
this point.
Further 10 Lhe NortJ1 we have more oreas, ~till unexr.ttvaLed, hut
surely destroyed or damaged by the lorrenl. Conditions become better
only arter reaching room BG, the (t Room or ~tonkeys:u. Bul even here
the wateN< or the lorrenl left clearly their ,lestructive results.The inun-
dations occurred in unknown time...,. and pOl$Sibl~• lhcy were many. \Ve
can date one or them Lo the early rourth cenh1ry A.D. On lhe thick
Eastern wall of these compartments wo found o well preserved hronze
coin or Conslantius 2 • The coin ( rig. 18) was fouorl auachc•I to oue or

1. Thera II. pt. 8 - 9.

2. ,\{rs. M. Oikouornides or the Nu,ni~matil' \lu,c;,~um n>por~ thil tl1f' coin i..s
or Constantius II as Caesar (32t,. 33i A.0.t, befun• ht got lht> tillf' or Auguilus.
t.XC...-\ \'t\l IONS Al 1111-RA Ill

the stones of the w:.df 1which is hardly preserved above Lwo or three rows
or stones. Th~ conclusion is therefore cert.a.in : this district. was
de.stroyed by inundations and erosion 1 as iL was already concluded in the
rirst year or our excavations 1 • •

At the Soulh - West corner of R6 the erosion has lerL clear traces
and the stratigraphy is very characteristic (pl. 29.2). The uppermost
layer cons1sts or beaten earth with many holesi they arc the traces
or the beams or the floor or the upper storey. The print of a horizontal
beam i• also visible. The thickness of this layer is 20 to 25 cm. There
follows a layer or fine sand, 50 - i0 cm. I.hick, and beneath it another
layer of very fine mud, 40 lo 45 cm. thick. The hair or a jar-lip is
embcddecJ between the two layers. Finally, the JowermosL layer, the
only one belonging to the original catastrophe, consists of rine pumfoe
and is from 12 to 20 cm. m thickness.
Happily, the North section or 86 (pl. 30. t) remained untouched
by the inundations. There, along the Norlh wall of the room, abundant
frescoes had been precipit.ated from above. The greatest of Lhern, 90 cm.
in length, shows two monkeys painted with a blue colour, unfortunately
not very persistent; during extraetion, a part of it. has remained on the
earth. Many other fragmen ts show parts ol tbe same animals and lhere
are abundant pieces rro,n the edges or the fresco, bearing bands of red,
black or white colour alternatively anti a frieze of elaborate spirals.
The parntc<l stucco lragrnents appeared together with fallen s labs or
the upper rloor, (fig. 19). Similar slabs were uncovered together wilh
th~ fre$cO of the ,cAfrican11 last year. Along with the frescoes a fragment,
or probably Parian marble was found (lig. 20).
Many vases were found in lhe rtoor or the room, which was of
50ft earlh. Some of them arc exquisite in decoration and Corm, while
others were clearly or religious use. A jar contained perhaps the sacral
oil (below, and pl.57,1). Other painted vases were imported.One of them is
of purely .IIM Ill tradition. On Sept. 1st five liUle beaked jugs, a sky-
phoprocbous, a little J)ear-shapcd vas.e with painted circles, a tine
imported jug bearing a painted c.<ivy» decoration, a lot of miniature
dedicat.ory bowls and other fragmentary vase~ were found. Oo Friday,
Oct. 3rd new groups of similar vases a1>peared 1 among them a series of
little nippled jugs. Unfortunately, as it often happens, the best and
finest pottery is represented only by sherds.

I. Thtra I, p, f,i,) anti .S5.

 1-X< \\ ,\110~'-t .\I llltR.\ Ill

Near the Western wall of the room a semi-spherical ~avity of

the floor in form of a hoLhros came lo light. Within it ,omc pebbles
were found and a fragment of a stone drain (pl. 30.2).
Beyond tbe « Room of the Monkeys» to the West there are some
rooms bordering the Court on its t~astern side. It seemed to be a single
room and the numh('r 85 w~s assigned 10 it. The progrr~ci of lhe e:<ra-

fig. 19. Tht" Monkeyi. room. f'rescoes pn·r1p1lat~d togeUwr with

Lhe slabs of !he floor rrom the upper slorty.

vation showed thnt there were three narrow rooms. or the two North•
ern rooms, 85 and 135a, the first may have been a staircase. 88, to the
South, is an ordinary room. All these rooms have given us the oppor..
tunity to study the phases or the ca tastrophe. They wel'1! covered by a
uni£orm layer or beaten clay, which appearc<l os soon a~ the pumice
layer was removed. It seems that it was a roor rather than a floor of
an upper storey. It was full or minor and larger bolts (pl. 31,1).We can•
1.•..X( ..\\ .\ 110~~ ,\ I I IH ft\ Ill

not. st.ate with certainty, that. we have to do wit.h a bombardment.. or

lapilli, though many holes were circular. Plate 31,2 •hows a portion or
Lhis roof from close distance. .
The surrace of this roor was covered, before the excavation, by
• layer or pumice 2 m. thick (see section by Mr. Andreou in plan V).
(n this layer a cave appeared within the pumice; it was broad and low
(well visible on pl.25.1 lo lhe right).(\ seems now very probable that such

1-'ig. ~O. A wotk,·d fragment of Par1an marbl•• (0.3', m. long) froru

the" ROblli or tho ~lonk(>JJ.".

cavities were formed owing to the sinking of slill standing roofs or rtoors
or houses in different periods ar1.er the explosion.Similar cavities appear-
ed near the wells 4 and 6. J gave lhus an explanat ion last year, concern•
ing t.wo tmrfa.ce cavities in the neiqhbourhood, which had been formed
only a few years ago. (The one near the cave Arvanitis I and the other
about 1$0 m. lo the Norlh - Wesl in the Valvis vineyard.) More than a
century ago the French scholar Mamel described a cavity, in which he
did nol dare to penetrale because or the danger or a s udden sinking
or the roof. It seems that it. was a «cMinoa.1111 room, the roor or which
had nol yet collapsed.
\¥hen we removed the. roor from Bf> we were ~u q ,ri~ed by the
fact that. under it Lhere was l•L•mice in some parts. Tlie roor over 88 was
e xceptionally hard and thick. !.feanwhilc, al some Jtoint$ under it. we
met pumice, very rine ho"•'ever; we followed it.. Lo a depth of 25~4.5 cm.,
where il stops, appa1·ently, on ·an anomalous layer of stones and earth
of decayed bricks. In the na.rrow space B5a we met again a pocket
of line pumice under the roof. Still deeper we mel another hard lay-
er or beaten clay, belonging to the same roof, under which we round
again pumice in a layer 45-65 cm. thick. Arter this pumice the rest or the
deeper filling was of stones and earth. Later we have obser\·ed !he same
phenomena in Sector r (see below).The explanation is al hand: through
the holes and gaps &nd fissures of the buildings the pumicr penclralcd
e,1erywhere. Ii wsi, it.seems,a riry and ~lippery malerial, like for instance
t.he seeds or llax 1 which slip very easily even through min11lf' holes and
cracks, so that Ibey were once a dangerous car~o for sailing ships. Al
t.he &ame time new quokes, during the eruption, or even the tcrriric
blasts or the explosions, brought down to earth new portions of ruins
hitherto standing crtct. This is why we ortcn find stones and brown
stains (decayed bricks) within thr dec1> layers· of pumice. These obser-
vations may be more userul for volcanologists tht1.n for archaeologists.
10, THE QUARTER r
It is easier Lo start the description of lhis sector from the South.
wherE' thP mnin ('ntrnn<'e for thoso co,ni1tg from the iW8 appaN>ntly
existed. The \Ve-at wall t>f Lhi!\ quarlP.r hM 3 j?reat thieknes~ (up lo
1,50 m.) with multiple beams of roinrorcemPnt c~"e pl. '2.2). In tryin~
to rind plaou for sinking our \Vegtern wPll!l we disco,·Pred ::t (N)e !ti.rip,
apparently a road. Near lhc more Northerly pillar 3 (pl. 2.21 this road is
blocked by a transverse provisio:ial wall (lig. 11 and 21). Thr value or this
quarter lies among other things in the fact that the squatters left here
abundant. traces or their presence. To protect themselves from imminent
ruins or from winds and rains they constroet.e<l poor walls without. clay
and with stones they took from the ruins, among which they made their
shelters as best as they co1,ld . They preferred, or course, the stones or
damaged ashlar masonry, ii these were available, because walling with
such hewn stones was easier. ;\ (Csqnallerl\)) wall is visible in pl. 32,1.
The road just. rnentioned, shown in pl. 2,2, was not broad. To the
West of ii there is a building, which was partly at leMt.,in ashlar masonry.
ll appears t-0 be interesting. Fig. 22 show< the lirst stones as soon •• they
emerged from the pumice, near piller t,, Fragments of frescoes showing
an elaborate Iheme or spiral, were collected among the stones. Inside
the pumice the usual holes from decayed beams were visible. One of them
(fig. 23)was square in section.There can be no more doubt, thalsuch holes
arc aJmost always the traces or wooden beams.I Lis only surprising, that
the wood in all cases had disappeared to the last trace. Further work at
t-.X<.. \\'AI ION!-t Al I 11!'..R...-\ Ill

this poinl has shown that, there was a large hoUo,,· space inside the pum•
ice. \Ve h8\'e built a wall at il~ (mlr-&nce (pl. 32.2). It was further shown
that. this monumental building preser\'es the: two lowermost courses of
hewn stones, but.. Lhe stones are badly worn by decaying. A stone drain

Ftg, ti. ll1•nt~l1,,11 ur lhtt tl1id, \\"t>:-tt'rn \\llll uC Vudrl1•r I',

~Ok thti barrit· :td+' of lh1• SquaUC'l"S.

appeared also, possibly belonging to I lw roatl. Alter ere,tin~ the pillor,

work was suspended here, hl"cause the superposed layers or 1mmice a re
thick. A long preparatory wol'k is necessary for excu,·aling lhii; 1>romis•
ing area, which will presumably yieM mteresti1)g rrescot•s. The rrn~mcnts
we have found are of fine style and <·olonr. \Ve gi,•e here the photographs
taken soon arter finding tl1e p1ec:cs. ,\s a rule, the ('Ofc,urs suHrr arter
some days or e"en hours. Experts, however. do not fear for seri011~ dam-
age and oscribc this paling or rolours to loss of humid ity. The greatest
piece {Fig. 24 and eoloor plate B,'2) shows a spiral bclong111g lo a
frieze or cornice. F'urther piecCs show c<rosctte~» (fig. 25) and a pear-
 f'.\:( 4\\.\IIOV, ,\I lllt.lt.\ Ill

shaped object (po•sibly lo be underslood a. combined with " 'l' or wai-

motive) 1 •
As stated abo,·e, the South parl or quarter r presents a ,lramatic

Fig. 2~. Fallt'R SlOll('S und holes of bl•ams ,n '""

pumice near pilfar 4.

picture of the severe earthquake. Tho whole solid Eastern wall of rl and
1'2, pushed by a shock coming from North• West, has been precipitated
in umonoblock» Lo the East, thus covering the Telchincs Road and the
compartments naand 84. Plate 33. t, (view from the South), illustrates

t. In "'Ei:,vov t969, p. 162: fig. 199 (stt hrre colour plate B.2 and pl. M.1)
the photograph &hows ,ome of the fr;)gmf:!nl& pieced together, f'or the ~ar-shape-d
object see ror instai,ee Thera u. pl. l0,1.
 41

well lhis lact. Pl ale 33,2 laken at an opportune momeul and lrom close
distance, .shows thf' plaster or the inner f>arl or the wall, which, after the
lall, wos exposeJ to t,he sky. Piute 34.1 (lrom the N<>rlh) s hows the

)
' "
!~
,

,· <:,
...
~ --;, _
.i>' ~ .
# ✓:·

·• .
...•

1••ig. 23. Ont of Lhe holes is rectangular in ~i•tli1m,

that is the- beam was sc111Mt"",

breaking of the woll at Urn poinL where it. WM weak owmg to I he holes or
t he beams and horizontal members of the wooden frame.The lower part
ol t.hc wall, stand ing erect, is clearly "isihle (Lo the right), while the fallen
upper part has lelt a little wedge-shaped hollow space in the 111iddle,
The raHen wall rormed a ki1HI of mantle cow!ring the dramatic
reality. After removing this wall , we faced tl1~ who1e picture of lite seis-
mic chaos. It is perceptible e\'en on the photograph (pl. 34,z). Earth from
the. fallen inner brickwalls 1 worked and unworked stones from the main
walls, numerous fragments of wall•pfaster and pieces of broken pot•
lery riJled the whole area. A rragmont, or a steatite larnp wos also found.
\Ve stn.rtcd by cleaning rooms ri • r2, because thus it. was easier to
remove the debris. It soon became clear that under the huge mass of
debris the lower walls had been entirely preserved up to thE" storey, with
intact doors and even with parts or thr wall of the compartments above.

Fig. 2~ Frescoes rrom the area ri

;\II the.,. parts of the upper walls, usually in dilapidat~<l condition, were
kept 1n position throu~h a provisional &uspPnsion rrom o quick1y marle
scarfoldin~; in lhe meantlmf." thf'y were pul in a wooden mould aod con•
solidatcd with ronr.rctc of cement and iron. One sees the result on r>I. 34.2.
Everywhere the wolls of the upper storeys were thus saved. wiLhout a
single stone falling.
The South wall or roorn ri (it seems Lhat it was an outer wall, as
an open space here is very probable, although not sure) was fallen. The
best preserved parts of this wall are here only about one metre high.
Pl. 34.2 (lower right side) illustrates the conditions. The squatters had
removed all the debris from the South wall, opened a door here and,
 IJ

to facilitate trallic, they had made a semi.;,ircular doorway with a

series or stones along the edge, the rest being filled with stones and earth.
(See plan IV and pl. 3,2 and especially pl. 35,2.)
Already the interior or the rirst room ( rt) has shown that this
area of the ruined buildings had served as a workshop, possibly or cop-

'
.t.. ' . .' .
/
-! ...,_t
I

per&miths, although no I race or metal ha& been round . Egg-shaped

stone tools or dirfcrcnt si1.cs wf'rc abundant. The stones a.r~ hard pebbles
and they show a grOO\'e in the middle for sharting through a twisted
twig or a suilable plant 1 • These hammen; a.re usually about. 10 cm. long;
but there ar-8 otherti reaching 30 cm. or more, which ar~ very heavy.
They show two grooves instead or the one of their minor brothers and,
moreover, two or four boms. They shou ld not have been operated by
wooden handles, as they a.re too heavy. Equally numerous are cylindri-
cal and other hard pebbles with both extremities polished. They must
have been anvils, though we kllow rrom EgypL1on paintings, that such
stones were used as hammer•, held directly in the palm or the hand by

I. It is a well known k,nd of shafting. I know from up~rience acquired among

Lhe. \'illagel'$ in ,\ le-ss.enia that 3 lh,n twig of m3,5tieh•lr« (r.1zt-x.,c;} twiste-d round an
object becomes after drying an 1:xl.rtrnely hird a.nd solid shaft or ring or stick,
H

t.be workmen or the rnetaJ workshop. This room preserved some anvils
still erect on the floor, one extremity being embedded in the earth. More
than one ball of a clay chest was still on situ. In the middle or the
room there is a kind of hearth and some traces of bench•• are visible
around the walls (.omc of them arc distinguished on pl.35,1 and 36,1) ; but
everything is of hasty and provisional character and on anomalous
floors, just as if they had been readily-made after the catastrophe.
Undoubtedly we have here not a real workshop, but an installation of
the troglodytes.
Still moro abundunl were the same implements in the room adjoin~
ing to the ·:-.orth ( r2). Plate 36,2 shows litlle hammers and a circular
smooth gtono 1 an anvil or a seat for a workman. Plate 37,1 shows
untouched in their places some of these tools.The second from the right
presents clearly four shallow grooves. They correspond Lo the four rin-
gers of the hand, whether the tool wa~ employed as a hammer or as a
grinding istone 1 • The same roorn be0ts along it.s Eastern ,,•aJI a row or
schist slabs. A number of little stone-balls (notural pebbles) i• seen
there (pl. 37,1). On the opposite wall a stone protru<les (rom the wall al
the height or o man'it breasl. It. ,i- poi;..-.ihly thv ,,-,«fAvOo-"'='&.n'Ji:; or ortual
Cretan houses 1 that i$ the slone upon which lhe water•hydria find~
its place (pl. 38,1).
The North • Eastem cornC'r or l111s roo1n 1 which is spacious, is di-
vided from the resl forming a srparole hltle <"omparlmenl through a
poorly-made wall bent at right augl••· The provisional character of
the wall is visible on the photograph (pl. 38,i) anrl certainly this
wall belongs to the squatters. One sees a built reces• into the North wall,
ror which we have no explanation yet. \Ve did not rind traces or tire. To
the right we round a little cylindrical clay vase with two atrophic, not
pierced lugs (pl. 39,1). It is a plain vase with anomalous interior surface
(0,10 cm. high, 0,04 in diameter). Its use is unknown, but surely it is
not an e,rery-day implement.
In the North • Western corner of the same room was lhe staircase

t, 'fhe hlllt: phaJJus-likt> object to Lhc left on pl, 37 ,1 secm.s to 1)(- a matural
pebble. bul e\·en so it has no pl11ce here as 3 ph3lh111, it is 3 hammer or hmmcr..axe.
There are similar objects rrom tht"" stone agt•, which are artificially made and they
are tools beyond (ltty doubt. A similir objcd (surface r,nd) has bc(in pubHshed by
Mr. E . ll4SU.OII.OHA5. It is now in lh(' Museum of .\gnmon: HAE 1963, p. 2 1I
end pl. t86a. See rurther Fasc1u:,., Weltgesdtiehte t (VorgeschichteJ. p. I i2 fig. l i .
l·.XCA\',\110~\ ,\I ll lt-lt\ Ill

towards Lhe upper storey. lt.s first steps. seen rrom above, appear on
rig. 26. On this sLaircase were round hair or a great marble (,palette11 1
hamine111 and an,•ils, omong which a worked square stone with the upper
surface ~lightly convex (1>1. 39.2}. Through · an opening, the staircase

j?ave access to Rooru r.1, (lo the North), but lhe opening had been block-
ed by the s<1uatter• with stone. selected among the ruins.
Out or the room to the West, that is in the supposed road, a curious
stone was found,which certainly ,lid nol hefoog tu I he rcsL or l11t! build-
,r
ing materiol.Thc lower part is broad aJHI thiu as it were u11 axe, while
lhc upper part is like a sa,ldle (plA0,1). 11 man can seat comfortably on it
oncl Lherr i~ still place for working, sny hammering, in lhe broad extrem-
ity of the stone. The workmen called it at once an anvil, lndced 1 the
broader upper extremity or the s lone is worn nnd, moreover, 011 its side
there urfl t.wo hosse~. t! pon the-n, liglll mNul !ihet•ls c·onld be hammered,
 FXC.\\ ..-\110\:S Al 1111-k:,\ Ill

for instance for making the cctalcnts)) of a scale. Pia.to 40,2 shows this
detail or the an vii.
As one can sec on the plan, Rooms rt to r3 constitute a unity.
The rest or the rooms further to the North ( rr. to rt 0) arc narrower,
because the Telchincs Road widens out there at their expense.The We,t-

Fig. 27. Room or the Squatt.ers (1'4B} Lo

wllic.h they entered crawling frorn tht
window.

ern part, or this area is still covered by pumice; but. what was 1.1ntovered
shows that this was a considerable quarter. Here, the highest point ol
the wall seems to belong to a third storey,
Room r4 is accessible through I he staircase described above, The
s.quat.lers, however. prerered to enter froni the Telt hine.s Hood cra wling
through the window we have seen above (pl. 26,2). The traces or their
passage were very clear on the floor or r4b. The photograph or rig, 27
shows well the hardened floor, which was free or stones and other debris.
As soon as the excavation advanced, we felt that Room r4 was di-
tXCA \',\'I IONS ,\'I 11 1tJv\ 111 17

vided mto lhree comparllllenls. £'4 is apparently connected organical•

ly to the corridor~ opening to the North. To the \,Vest it joins rt.a, while
r4b is the entrance "mployed by the squatters, as already described.
Room r4 wa, lull of stones and sundried bricks. On these ruins
was found • large, entirely well preserved bathtub. This means that
it was put there by thr squatters (pl. 41 1). It is filled with pumice and
voleanir ashes. \Vhen the surroundings were cleared it was revealed,
that on the same level were g.everal vases, all broken and 1>urtly lost.
(pl. 41,!), This means that they had fallen from above.
The North wall ol this compartment has two doors. Their walling
by the troglodytes alter the catastrophe, is clear. On the photograph
(pl. 42,1) the left door (belonging to r4a) shows the following details:
on the uppermost part, a piece of wall belonging to a third storey; on
the lower part, one can see the stone frarning or the doorway. At. this
height, in fact, a floor or beaten earth was clear. The holes or the beams
are another indication. The bathtub lies 0,70 rn. higher on the debris.
Plate 42;1 shows still more clearly the walling or both doors, the place or
the lintels, doorways and doorjambs, all of wood, and below them, the
traces ol the temporary divid ing wall or the squatters, built upon the
underlying North wall or 1'4b.
Room 1'4a was excavated deeper for stratigraphic re..ons. Closely
ialong the walls there are perpendicular holcJJ in the filling. Sometimes
they c--0rrespond lo the horjzontal holea o( Lhe bearnis or the floor inside
the walls; but lhings are not clear. Near the Eastern wnlf 1 almost in its
middle. four litlle perpendicular holes appeared in the filling.Their diam•
eter was between .'l ond '• cm. They were \·isible inside the sund ried
bricks, which were decayed, to a depth of 20 • 25 em. It i& unknown to
which implement or piece or rurniturc they belonged. In the pumice
covering the ra~ade of Arvaniti ta we have observed similar boles.
We have cleared the ,lebris to a depth or 80 cm. below the doorway
or the door of 1'4a. At this depth began to appear the lips or two great
jars along the South wall. One of them, as revealed soon arterwards,
bears great red spirals. We round sherds ol minor vases precipitated
from nbo,•e (pl. 43,1). Therefore, the floor of the room lies about one
metre tlccper. This is Ilie basernenl. In Lhi!\ way we have here surely
three st-0reys. \Ve have eoveretl again lhe jars and rurther excavation
was poslponetf ror later. The n1ins or Roo1ns n, to rio extend rurther
Northwards reaching lo tl1e .North court. AL the same Lime thtise rooms
constit11le thf' \Ve:tt('rn "lid~ of' the Telchines !load. l l is clear that we
have a very comlorl-Oblc domestic quarter. We ha1•e already dc~ribed
the stately door opening from the Telchines Hoad (fig. 17 and pl. 27,t) to
two corridors or sta.ireases (I'~ and r6). Plate 43,Z (photograph taken
from the North Court), shows to the left the Telchines Hoad. joining to
the right this great corridor, the walls of which are well preserved. The
left wall shows clearly two holes for the wooden framing.
Both corridors, r~ and r6 appear in the centre of pl. 44, t, taken
from the North. Entering corridor r~ from the Telchines Hoad (upper
left side of the Figure) one sees the floor covered by ftne •tone slabs.
Further North we meet only hard earth on the Jloor, poss1h1y owing lo
intensive coming and going or the squatters. A wall closes the corridor
on the South side; a gap in this wall (visible on pl. 44.Z) indicates a stair•
case or some other way or descent to the basement below; above it, on
the storey, is the room of the batl,tub (r4).
The wall separating corridor r5 from rG is well presef\1ed lo a con-
siderable height. It has its plaster still attached on both surfaces and a
perpendicular slit, which is not the result of quakes. Its Western side
is sbown in Section VJI by Mr. Anclreou. The corridors and the adjoining
rooms M and rs gave many architectural details, especially traces or
wooden members, like door jambs, lintels etc. They should be studied
1
by special archilects, as they arc both, abundt1nt and we:11 preserved •
Tlu.1s 1 by the Soulh - E8stern corner of r7 a door opens lo Corri•
dor 1'6 and at right angles opens another door to rt.a (pl. 42,, left); it
is not only entirely preset\'ed, but it bears on it a piece of the wall of n
further storey, visible at the upper right iside ol the rigure (see also pl.
42.1).The door from r7 lo r6 had fallen, but its lintel,, still distinguish-
able. Apparently it had fallen together with the wood, which helped to
keap the stones or the wall in position. Plate 45,1 show• this lintel. Pos-
sibly we will be able to solidify and put it in position.
We mentioned the other door opening to Room rt.a. Along the wall
we found an oblong rectangular cavity, possibly a print of the wooden
door as it was fallen (fig. 28). We had the opportunity to observe in
several instances that the wooden jambs of doors and windows were
stems sawn into two parts longitudinally.The sawn part was put in the
ra~ade, while the convex side or the wooden stem faced the wall. The

1. Se(• ror iruitince lhe book of n. XAuxAN!'l, Archilektur Kle1nasieni.

1955, p. sa r.
 EX('\\ \ 1 IOX~ \ I 11 ll-. lt\ Ill ltl

plaBtering made it invisible. Such a print is shown in the photograph

(pl. 45,?), taken purposely from close distance. This jurnb belongs to
the door of the previous picture (fig. 28). Sc9lion VII I by Mr. Andreou
presents things more clearly.
The Southern jamb of the i',orth • MSL door of r7 wa.s still better

fig. '28. A prinl of lhc wooden door lrom

r1 to r,a. To the right is Lhe waJJ sepa-
rating the two compartments.

preserved.There, lhe print of lhe door rrame wu:s finrly Jlre..xcrvc,l, with
its sides and dentations. The cavity was evacuated to a depth of 80 cm.,
but lhc lower part was damaged. Section VII I (upper part) shows
this rrame. The beam wai; not rectangular. IL was 0,12:> m. Lluck and
about 0,30 rn. wide. ll had a double dentation. For many days it was
preserved, •• it was printed partly on sundricd brick (tl,ough decayed)
and pa.rlly on plaster. Meunwhilt\ winJ. and moisture damaged it slow-
50 FXC:.\\',nlO>JS ,\I n1F.lU Ill

ly, but steadily. I decided lo save it by pouring gypsum, though

the hole would be thua deatroyed. The result is shown by pl. 46.t. We
are trying to find a ,ofter and elastic material !or taking a cast in
such instance, v.ithout damaging the holes.
In the earth of rG we found an arrowhead of white flint. Its form
is archeic and it i• unusually broad (0,03 long, 0,022 wide). Under
the Onor of this room, which is well preserved, we met, again fine pum•

Fig. 29. Perpendicular clay-pipes in flO.

ice {pl. 46.2). It is up to 60 cm. thick and rests directly on the cata,tro-
phe layer (stones with sandy earth). It is clear that pumice, already
stratified upon the ruins or the buildings, found the poSllibility to pen-
etrate deeper through gaps and slits, possibly opened by further earth-
quakes.
A narrow space, corridor or staircase {rS) extends to the North or
I'7 from East to West. It communicates with r9, through a door. All
 51

these rooms (f'S • r!OJ as well as the Western part or the Court were
especially distinguished through the clear line or the superpoS<ld pum-
ice. There are enough fragments or frescoes. and plaster still auached
on sundried brich. Some fragment-s show hands or roS<ltleS. Room
rs bas yielded liLtle fragments or white plaster with prints ol tiges
or reeds (pl. 47.1). There is not yet an explanation ol their destination.
One of the fragments belongs w a circular object or 40 - 45 cm. diame-
t.er. A convex surface is clear on some rurt.her rragments, but. it. is pre•
mature to speak about flutings or a column, We must wait for fur-
ther evidence.
Room 9 is badly preserved, its width being equal to that ol Cor-
ridors 5 and 6 together. Through a door at its North - West corner, it
opened towards the North Court. The !Joor was lull ol holes (pl. 47,2).
ResLB or lood were round in it (sea shells, shells or snails, animal bones).
Further linds were obsidian !lakes, a liltle mortar ol trachyte and
a fragment, of poros-stone with an incised cross.
The last room (rlO) has been little excavated. A thick layer ol
volcanic ashes is still superpoS<ld on it. We have made only the cxcava-

Fig. 30. A c:omplementary teehnlcaf work in 1969 wa.s the con.st.ruction of a. mole
tor Jani.ling oo tht ahore, ne~r the excavation.
tion necessary for the foundations of pillar 2. A wall was uncovered , on
the surface or whieh u perpendicuJar «cehimney» or clay pipes i6 still at-
tached. Only the first pipe is visible, between 65 and 70 rm. long and
20 cm. in diameter, it. is not.. yet known for what, JHJrpose it. wais erected.
F'ig. 29 shows the little pie.:e uncovered.
Partly in this room and partly in the North Court we have round
line fragment• of two imported vase, with exceptionally thin walls.
There are further fragments of fine Minoan J>OLlery. II is rlear that
all these compartrnent.s eonstitnteJ an arist0<:r.atic quarter.

11. THE F INDS, GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

As a rule in all periods of the excavations, the finds were mainly

pottery and stone tools and implements. The frescoes Lake, of course,
a prominent place. Of all objects a lready prepared ror study and pic-
tures, we will present the most interesting.
Almost. aJI the jars and mfoor vases of Lho tripartite store room
or Qua.rte.- A have been mended. \.Ve have now the three unpainted
jtfrs containing nour, as already mentioned above. Together with them
were tound the sherds or a row minor ,·ases. One or them is a one-
handled sky1>ho,. Perhaps, it was a kolyle for distribution of the daily
portion of flour or barley (fig. 31). The ewer in fig. 32 was round in the
same compartment, but.. not in connection wilh the jars.
The midd.lc store room (A2) has yielded again most exquisite pot-
tery during it.s rinal excavation. II~ religious character becornes still
more probable. From Lhis room came the jar or rig. 33 with chclonium
decor-ation (<(tortoise rippleo) 1 •
T he beautitul spouted jar of fig. 34 with white reeds C6mes from
t he same area, as well as the spouted liUle jar of fig. 35, 0,38 high.

t . Thi! m()live ()\herwis.e dHficull to describe, consisLs here of wavy ettsCtfll •

shaped perpendicular lines in parallel row$. English scholars ea11 it tortoise-shell
r ippling (the expression was coined, I think. by Sir A, f:v3n$). l ndttd, it ls slmi1ar
to a shell of tor lOtSe, 1n Creek xc>.w\'~fiY. •rhe moth·t is \·try popular and persists
rrom MM IJ (a d()wn to the 3dvanced Mycenaenn period. See Ev:;1n$, PM IV, p. 112
and IJ, 363 «praetiea.lly indistinguishable from the rorm i n "hich it survh·es into
L}I la•. At. a rule, it appear$ u a surrace decoration. but here (and \'try oft on
other vUM) it ll divided in bands.
1-.XC.\\'.\IIO'°'S .\I JllfRA 111

Another va9,e 1 a spherical ewer, shows a joyful decoralion or red branches

(A 2,2, pl. lo8.1. Height 0,18). The vase ol lig. 36 (A 2,3, height
0,11, m.) is handleless and cannot be anything but a liller. On lhe

f'ig. 31. A eot.yle found together with the

rlour-jon (A I ).

picture it. is shown upside down. The narrower exlremit.y ends in

a ,•ery thin wall as if ii were made or paper. The three lollowing vases
were found together (A 2,3).
Cymbe colour plate A, 3 is
visible in siLu in the photo·
graphs pl. 7,1-2. It is finely
pre•erved; length 0,35 m.Equal-
ly well preserverl was Lhc strain •
er of pl. lo8,2 and colour p late
A, I , 0,235 m. high. Beside ii
was lound the askos or fig. 37,
0,06 m. high. Its lorm, the
characteristic lips and the bow-
lorm of the atrophic handle
give Lhe impression that the
prototype could be a plated
basketry vessel.
The third compartment ol
the magazine (A3) yielded a fig 32 Ewer, height 0,265 m.
really arnazing number or vases :-:.tore-Room ,\ 1.
in 1968 and 1969. Jars and akin
pottery were lileraUy heaped in the North .. \\fesL corner or the room,
the floor or which wtts deeper 'here titan in Lhe Easter,, part.. or it..
How space was round for them there, is explained only ii we accept
that. they were out. of service, parlly broken, so thal the one wa,1
iOJide the other. Arter their mending it was impossible to find enough
room for them in their original place. Here we can show only s&mples
of the variety of these pots rrom provisional photographs taken on the
spot-.

Fig. 33, ,1·ar with • lorto1si:, shel111 de<:oralion.

Height 0,64$ m. Room A!?.

The broad-mouthed jar in pl. 49,1 is deeorat<id with the very pop-
ular motive or •treedsn. IL presents technical peculiarities or making dis-
cernible e,•en in the photograph. There is another cl•"-• or broad-mouthed
jar-like pot.s which present lhe common rharac:Leristic that they oil have
strongly protruding lips and are never painted. Plate 49.2 shows one of
the largest and rig. 38 one ol the minor vase• ol t.his family. They
are suitable lor pouring a thick liquid, for instance honey, and
have the advantage ol being easily closed through a piece ol tissue or
F.XCt\\'r\TIO.'\S .\T n I~ RA Ill

leaJher tied around the neck. Figure 39 presents another broad-

mouthed spoulAld vessel; the position or it• handles classifies it IA>
the amphora&.
A tall ewer from AL, 0,645 m. high, bears a running white spiral
on a reddish engobe (pl.50.2). Its peculiarity is that the spirals are oval in
&bape, nol circular as usually (pl. 50,2 ). It. is a vase known from

Fig. 34. Spouted jar. Height 0,52i rn.

Slort•Room A2,3.

Crete. Slightly minor in dimensions and with equally protruding lips

is the ewer or pl. 50,1, round in Magazine A 3,1. The skypho-
prochous or pl. 49.s was round among many other,, in Magazine 3,3. It
shows white reeds and plastic knobs.
Abundant are the tall, cylindrical, sometimes slighlly concave ves-
sels with two lugs, which we h•ve called flower pols (pl. 51,1). They
bear almost always a little hole in the bottom (pl. 51 ,2). The clay or these
examples is pale and polished. Other,, (pl. 52.t) show brown or reddish
rloral motives, perpendicu]ar or in torsion.
!j(j tX( \\'.\110:'\S .\1 llltRA Ill

Particularly interesting is a series or big stirrup-jars, es in so early

a period this class or vases is only known in Crete and even lhere they

t'ig 3&. A hllcr. llei,ght O,U m .

fig. 3S. Spout('d little jar Jteighl 0,38 A2,:L A2.3,

are rare. They art\ I believe, cxclu:1ivcly made tor oil•trade. They were

F,g. 31. Askol-like vessel, Heigh1 0,06 m. A2,3.

all round in Magazine A3. The lirat two show a conden,ed geometric
style with tendencies Lo metopic decoration. The basis of the decoration
t.X(;.i\\ ,\110~~ .YI n1nt,\ Ill 57

are horizontal bands with the chelonion (tortoise ripple) as main motive.
On the first and greater (rig. 40, height 0,355 m.) distribution in metope.

r ig, 33, Broid·moutlwd h lllc jar 0 ,305 high

rrcim ,\ :i, (II w;is tountJ wilhin a lar~r jar.)

is reali1,ed through squares bearing little crosses; but tho other (fig. 41,
height 0.33 m.) introduces true melopes, using a perfected similar deco-
ration.

Fig. 39. A spouted amphor.a.

Still more voluminous is the last stirrup ,•ase (pl.53,t, height 0,4 15 m.).
IL shows mat-painted blac~ horizontal bands and a broader zone. In
this last a 1,quicko <lec9ration was applied. Basic motive is again the
5g 1-'.XC,-\\'All()('I.') XI rtlfRJ\ Ill

chelonion. The metop.. are lormed through something like the double
axes or the <thalr rosettes» which later become characteristic element~
ol Minoan - Mycenaean art.
Plate 53,2-a pre,ent the greatest and most arobaic ol such vas..

Fig. 40. Slirrup-jar 0,335 m. high. A3.

hitherto round. It is more than hall a metre high, and ol dark coloured
clay. The spout has here the lorin
ol a beak and bears two little handles
(pl. 53,3) while symmetry requires
three; moreover, there is a conical
protuberance in the rear part or
the beak (pl. 53,r,). The diso on the
top or the handle has a hole{pl. 53,,)
either lor fastening the lid ol or
attaching the label. There is no
doubt that there existed an inten-
sive traffic of oil, either imported
or shipped.
The <t\\'estern Roomsn of this
quarter give us further hopes of in-
Fig. ,1. Stirrop-jar o,33 m. h;gh. Aa. teresting finds. We already mention•
ed that Western Room 2 show,
under \be floor of the ,torey a c~nsiderable group ol vases. Plate 52,2
(Ouh) p,..en\8 some ol these vase, not yet removed. Plate 54 and
1-.XQ\\ 'A'l lONS ,.\ t '11 1tlv-\ 111

colour plate A,2 show the remarkable rhyton; the circumstances of its
finding have been described already. The feet are fastened upon two
thin plinthoi, so that the bull stands as ii 'on a base. Another sugges-
tive fact is that the extremities of the bull's horns have been purposely

Fig. ,2. Pilh&mphora lro1i1 02 0,330 high.

sawn. The underlying idea is 'that the animal was hot, t,empered and
perillous. There are some indications lhat in Crete lights between bulls
were usual. Analogous parallels from old China show how much the
Yiet.orious bulJ was held in honour 1 • The rhyt.a in question were
apparenly representing just such bulls, the symbols or power and
fertility.
The rhyton was decorated with a yellow-gold colour. unfortunately
damaged by the sulphurour salts or the pumice.The painting is delicate
and noble .as if it were an Athenian white lekythos. One sees a double
band round the neck, as if ii were the analogous amulets worn by the cow-
llathor. The body or the bull was CO\'ered by the sacral DP.I we know
from Cretan bull-rhytons, especially from Eastern Crete'·

1. I ha.ve writlen a paper on the sub;eet., but it is only a summ3ry or a lecluro

and it wa..1.; published in a rather inac<:e.ssiblo book : AwaCl(:r. .:),,.uF,n;, ~>.lo-
%•~ · - 0oi,po. op. 1 ( 196t), p. 175 r.• especially 18~•S.
2. See among olhers gv,us, P~l I, p. 188 and l'SpeciaUy II. p. 204 5. A close
a

ana.logy is pre&ervied by the rhyton rrom Psyrr;i;, which is contemporane!'ous (Llf fa)
and was buried surely by lhe same- calamily.
60 t-X< \\ ,\llo,::,, ,\I llltR,.\ Ill

The vestibule to the Mill-House and the Mill• Houee itself (plan Ill)
did not yi•ld quality-pottery. On the doorway of the Mill- House was
found in pie<:es the spoutod basin pl. 55.1. This vase, as well as the cymbe
of the «Sounk House» (pl. 55,1) are every-day ware.
From \he space between Quarters A and O the most eonsiderable
vase is \he Grapes-Ewer (pl. 56,1). It was found on lhe slab floor of
tho first room of the ashlar mnsonry building (•ee above pl. 17.1). Such
grapes appear for lhr rirllil time in Aegean arl, Lhough lhere are fore~
runners to this motive 1 rrom Thcra again (Thera I. fig. 44). ll is still ln

Fig. '3 Cla.\' idol.s. l-h·ight 0,0i5 :-tnd 0,055 rn n-SJtl't:ln d}

(Photo l>oum3st

be not.ed 1 that the form of this ewer is alreudy that ur amphora, H we ndd
a second hand le.
Quarters 8 and r did nol yet yield considerable pottery. Only two
rooms were rich in ceramic producl~. The first is the slab-covered 82. the
best vases or which are already published in the Heport or last year.
or the further vases reconstructed in the meantime we publish hero
the little pilhamphora fig. 42. Its white painting is still or MM tradition.
The seeond room rich in pottery was the « !loom or lhc Monkeys»
(B6, see above pl. 35).The jar already mentioned is shown in pl.57.1. It
still preserves the relier rope-ornament of MM tradition. 1'0 the spiriL
or the oame period belongs the amphora r•I. 56.2.The delicate white paint•
ing shows that the vase was imported from Crete. Unfortunately the
surface is worn. The •ide or the vase (pl. 56.3) shows a plant-motive
above the handle or the belly. Similarly imported is the rine ewer or pl.
50.3, The ivy-leaves with stalks turned to wavy lines are a characteristic
 fil

common to Thera and Gournia, both destroyed by the same calamity ',
Two clay idols, though in fragmentary condition, are still tu be
mentioned, because of the dating of the type, which is sure in this case
(fig. 43). The first and greater (height O,Oi5 m.) was found between

Quarters A and B the second (height 0,0:,5 m.) comes from the filling of
l'9 and had apparently fallen from the upper storey.
\Ve shall give here only a rew characteristic pieces from the nurnerou~
stone objects found. The very archaic marble idol or pl. 57.~ (height
0,14 m.) was found inside well 12 near the S\\' corner of 82. We have
already mentioned a fragment of while marble from the«Room of the
Monkeys» (fig. 20). It is 0,34 m. long, 0,19 wide and 0,0-lf, thick. The
material and its carcrul workmanship indicate a11 inlerestiog implement
or decoration. PJaLo 57,3 shows Lwo faces or a stone vase found in Maga•

I. Conwa:r., the pilhamphoru- or Qua.rt.er A in 'l'hcra II, p. 37 (hc:re- double

leaf-stalks) and Cret.an wa1-e liko Ute one from Gourni3 PM JI, p. '86 lig. 292.
62 1.-..XC.\\',\I I ON~ .-\T rt IF.RA IIJ

zine A2. The asymmetrical shape indicates a special use. Possibly two
joining vases were employed together. An analogou5 asymmetry is n.oted
in the clay pots found in situ on lhe «hearth» of A I 1•
As already mentioned, the most numerous stone tools were round
on tbe «Squatters • lloors» of rooms rt and r2. They wel'<l explained
as hammers and f<8nvi1s,,. Some or them may be pounders or grinding
slones. Expert.s in stone implements. may give helter in£ormalion.
As all of them were left in situ, no good photographs arc yet available.
Plate 58,1·! show ((hammers1) and lCanvilso as they wore found. The
hammers of little size show a single grooving In the midlle, explained
above as serving for shorting; but.. there are similar voluminous imple-
ments up lo 35 rm. long. They bear two grooves and two or lour bosses.
They should be called big hammers but a wooden shalt for them would
be unthinkable. They show 1 however, Lhe isii;ns or u&e 1 because their
extremities are always worn. (See fig. 44, e,pecially the lowermost
example.)
The lrcscoes ha,·e not yet been prepared for study and little can
be Mid about them. II seems in any ease fairly sure that Thera wilt
yield much new evidence on Lhe ,subject, or freiscoes. Experts in the mat•
ler know that it is very rarely possible lo Iii together fresco fragments,
which are badly worn and have no edges in good slate or pre,ervalion.
The famous artistic assistants of the excavators, H. Bagge, t.he Gillieron
family, Piel de Jong, acquired a justified fame ror aasembling actual
fragments into an intelligible scheme concluded from the existing evi-
dence. In Thera things are, happily, better.The fragments of frescoes are
for the most part. abundanl., not very badly worn and their ex traction is
made without the least Jou or damage by the veteran Crelan expert,
Mr. Z. Kanakis '· The artistic staff of lhe Greek MuMlums under Mr.
T. Margarito! completea the work of cleaning and fitting the fragmen ts.
Next year, we hope, all work will have been completed on the riald of
the excavation. Experts in field work will realize, I hope, how precious
this work is. The progl'<lss of lilting together is illustrated by plates
60 and 61, though the work is ,till incomplete.

1. Thera II, colour plil.e 8 No. ti and p. 27 rig. 3$.

2. l remember with emotion that we began together this work al Amnissos
more than a generation ago (ITAE 1932, p. 88 t.). I wa, young and he was a. youth.
Ever ainoo we developed the mtlhod, which our 5-imple means made possible. Mean•
while, all fragments were s.ttfely extracted, with thCI exception of just one light
d'1lllge. To·dtay we a.re still working together in the place., where the exea.nt.ion of
Amni.a&os had led us after toil$omo etrorl& of thirty years.
t:XC,-\\',\TIONS 1\ I I ltl:.RA Ill

Something has been already told about the rrescoes or Area rt. Plate
59,t •Jld colour pl. 8,2 show Lhe few frag,nenls or the rine spiral, which
apparently decoraled the upper or lower p@rtor a wall. In Area 1'10 and
the adjoining North Court •ome fragments were collected among the rallen
stones. Plate 59,2 presenls two of these just after t-hey were unearthed.
Plate 60 shows the fragment• liUed together by the Margaritor team.
As one sees, the subjects are rosettes appearing to lie at random
along or on bot.h sides of a wavy line.
Two racts are prominent. First, the
leaves do not belong to flowers but are
angular pieces giving the clear impre8.sion
of inlaid work. Secondly, the rosettes
are dispersed as ir they were naile<l on
the whiLish surraee. F'igure 45 shows a
clay <•naili,; with such nails the Sumerians
composed a kind or mosaic '. The head•
or Lhese nails explain the rorm of our
rosettes. Perhaps ii would be premature
Lo venture the explanation that in tbe
Theran lreoco we have a picture or the
sky and the stars.
The moat interesting group or frescoes
was founrl in the u Room of the Monkeys•,
BG. Already in 19AA o fragment showing "
1J,c hea,1. of fl hlu1• monkey was found in
1111per layers•. In 1969 many other rra~-
mcnts were round ghowi11g lifeless designs ;
it. was soon clear Lhat we had, {1t the
same Lime. a whole herd or blue mon- f'ig. 1,s. CJay ro5eltes in f(lrlH of
nails.Pmployed hy ~he Surnerian1
keys moving to every direction. llnfortu- for I h1• dt:"Cotation of archiltc•
nately the pieces were not found under
ra vorable c-ondition~. F'or tho most parl
Lhcy were pressed t.ogether at or near the NW rorncr of the room,
where Lhcy had been precipitated togelhcr with stone slabs of on upper
floor. OfLen the slabs were so firmly fitted on the North wull or the
room, LhaL we mistook them for an oorlhornarmarosisn or schist slab,.
Many of the groater pieces of Lhe fresco were found lying perpendicularly
-----
1. PM lV, p. 12~ • S and figures ,s - 6.
2. Thera. II, colour plate 81."
among sandy ashes and stones. Much work is steel needed, before we
are able to cooceh·e an idea about the composition. Plato 61 presents
a monkey (Cercopithecus Callitrichus) collecting food. The red object.a
which almost all monkeys touch are possibly the rocks or red lava
abounding on the island.
A great piece (pl. 62,t) shows two monkeys in natural size. The one
goes up and the other moYes in the opposite direction. Besides we see
again the red conventional motive: c(rocksn, c<deserh> or- the like. Jl seems
tbaL other kinds or anirnals were also represented in the i.tune composi-
tion. A head, fragmentary or course, may be thnl of a dog or a bovine.
Swallows fly in the ,iir. One of them h almost entirely preserved (pl.
62,2 and colour plate 8, I). Finally, great fresco fragments were already
round in 1968 in the same neighbourhood showing 0oral motives of
myrtle and rush 1,

I~. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS

There have been many discu88ion, dnriog the Thera - Congress

about the fundamental questions; but the problems remain altar all
unchanged. Many di,tinguished &cholari examined the ruins on the
spot; the main que.,Lions, however 1 remain tbe same. According to the
results or the excavations, already in 1:1e 3rd year, we have the following
fact.a.
I) A strong earthquake had thrown to the ground all buildings or the
sett.-lement we a.re excavating.
2) Squatter& u•ed for some time the ruins a• Lheir dwellings; but
this cannot have Jasted ror a long time; perhaps two yeer.s, perhaps n
single one, or even a few months onJy.
3) The awakening of the volcano followed. F'ine corns 01 p, mice
penetrat.ed everywhere among the ruins 1 even inside jars and lit~l" vases.
✓.) During the further progress or the eruption bigger pieces or pumice
fell, •hapeless but always angular, lhe biggest of Lhem having the
size or a melon. The usual siie, however, is bet.ween that or an almond
and an orange. A layer 4 m. thick was formed, which covered all the
ruins. Minor quakes or the tremor& of the blasts precipitated the still
standing upper parts of the walls into the already stratiried pumice.
Tb~n began the falling of fine dusty volcanic ashes mixed with lapilli
of small size (usually between the size of a nut and an egg). The whita

1. Thera II, pl. 5. 6.

shroud of lhe ashes covered the whole island under a layer reaching
ltO 10 GO rn. in thickness.
5) All ceramic products thus buried within the buildings, which are
surprisingly abundant. fall into t.wo clas.11es: some are mat.-pa.inted of
purely Middle Cycladic tradition and these constitute the great majori-
ty; and some are painted with lustrous colours. Some of them are iro_
ported rrom Crete and others are Mycenaean, while a subdivision
seems to be imilat.ion or genuine Minoan ware, either local or made
in some slill unknown cenlre. They reach the advanced phase of LM la,
that is they belong, stylistically speaking, lo the end of the 16th
century B.C. We can oecept an approximated date, 1500 B. C., hut
not later. Both classes of pottery were found together on the floors
and they co-existed.
Now, it is an interestiug fact, that. the same catastrophe befell
Knossos with equally disastrous results. II is clear that the same earth-
quake ilevaslatcd Knossos and surely some other parts near Knossos,
e.g. Arnnissos, Archanes and Vathypotron. According to Sir A. Evans,
writing al an mrnsuspectedn lime, the Palace of Knossos ahows clear
indications ol that catastrophe, dated L~l la. Out the Palace is a
chaotic succession of catastrophes, conrlagrations, repairs and rebuild-
ings lusting more than six centuries. Therefore this catastrophe is
nol so clear in the Palocc, as it is in the private houses surround ing
the polacei anrt one example. perhaps the best, is the o ll ouse or
th(• Frescocso, just hccause its painted decoralion constit.ute, lhe
a ltera pars ol tho Theran « Room of the Monkeys». l o both compo-
sitions tl,e elements are the same: rocky landscape, f1oral decoration,
birds, a few animals and, as rnain subject, the lifo or the monkeys.
Evans had recognized that the catastrophe of the House of the
rreseoes happened in LM la period. \Ve •tress here that vases round
on the floors of the house ore identicaJ Lo similar vase& found in
J\krotiri '· It must be a,lded that stylistically both frescoes show
exactly what would be expected : In Knossos the refined, but a little
crrcmioolcd and frozen an,I ,lecorative tendencies or the Palatial ar..
lists; in Thero lhc painting is inferior in colour quality and Lhe style
ill. more crude, hut. more sincere.
Along with the llouse of the Vreuoes, all the excavated houses
of Knossos were similarly 1le~troyed. Everywhere the traces of Lhe seis-

I, Com1>aru lhc> chous P\I 11,.p. ,:t6 r1g, 153 8 wilh the similar pol in Thtra
H. p. 41 lite. 2i.
 f.XC,\\.,\ I ION~ .\I 111~. lv\ 111

mic catastrophe are LM la. Quite characteristic or this ~reat I simu1-

laneous and sudden catastrophe is that.. precious bronie or sil\lcr vas.ett
were buried under the ruins or the LM la period. According t,o the char-
acteristic expression or Evans one io every thJ'ICo houses or Kno3sos pre-
sented bronze vases and implements and similar finds are known rro1n
Tylissos, Malia and Mochlos 1•
There can be no reasonable doubt that this great earthquake has
been equally catastrophic for Thora and Crete. More careful investi•
gation will probably show that in the Aegean and in Asia Minor, whore
the subterranean tectonic ehesm penetral~s, analogous catastrophes
occurred. Indeed, I have indicated already in my paper in Antiquity
or 1939 (p. 436) that such series or earthquakes either before or
alter an eruption, are typical for Thera. Here we have now evidence
that the earthquake happened before the huge eruption. ls it possible
to think, that just this quake awakened the volrano? Expert• may
examine this possibility.
The main question, however, remains always the same: how long
after the quake did the action or the volcano begin? Our ohservotions
tend to sH.ow tbat the time that. elapsed was very short, possibly one
or two years or only a rew months or a £ey., weeks. We have no other in-
dicat.iods than provisional walling in some places, provi~iona1 search
""'"lthin t.be ruins and scanty remains or lhc 11squatte.r$» activities. On
the other hand, provided Lhat the eruption began and ended within a
short time, say some monlhs or al the mQsL two to thre<' years (lhis is
the opinion or the mosl competent authorities or t hP Thora Congress).
we ha,•e to make the following statements:
Archaeologically speaking il is certain that tho coastal settlements
destroyed by lhe tsunamis {Amnissos, Nirou, MaJia, Gournia, Psyrra,
Mochlos, Zakros) yielded ceramic which is still LM la in date and i-
dentical t,o the more advanced elements or the Thoran pottery. This
is elear especially in Gournia, where pottery tUld implernent.s are: quite

t. Tht mosl ioleresting hoard or 1netaJ vesse.ls is that of the North • Wt>sl
Treasure House. PM II, p. 62J r. See rurther p. 380 (South Hou.~}. 390 (Houu or
the Cha.nsel Screen), 414 {North - Eut House). moreo, er. 42 1, 431, 623. The objecls
1

are series or 8ronie ,•ases and tools buried by ;i catastMphe in LM Ill, ln r~1111.
p. 280 this same caWLrophe 1s clear in lhe palace. ll happened an mitun.- L)I Ja pe•
riod, •a.bout 1520•, and i.-. charactcriwd a.s ••a partial catastrophe». A similar hoard
or bronie objects from Malia waa publi,hed by me in llCH (vol. S3, 19%9. p. 365-381)
uoder the title: Le cchernibon1t homhiql.)t.
f..XC,\\',\ I I0:-.S ,\ I ·1 It EKA 111

analogous Lo similar objeots lound in Thera. On the other hand, how-

ever, there is pollery in lhe destroyed Cretan eoa.tal settlements, be-
longing to the uMarine Style». This style is-classified by archaeologists
as LM lb and dated Lo the period 1500 - 1450 B.C. Be&id8' the Ma-
rine Style tlteN! i• a fu rther development of the floral motives. Archae-
ologists are based upon the style or the painted pottery; but ii is
perfectly possible, that this basis may he nol so wide, as we suppose.
The Marine Style as idea exists already in MM Ill and it appean
already in the pottery, which we find in Thera (e.g. dolphins). What
Joea not. appear, is lhe especially attractive and showing new ideas
LM lb Style or Eastern Crete. But there are indications that this was
a style peculiar lo Eastern Crete, from where it had gradually expanded.
It is well known that the powerful rulers whose protection created
the styles, were jealous for their products and for their artists. The
Oaidalos legend is • proof or that ' .
The summary of the questions is now cloar; the questions capeble
LO settle the i(archaeologicaJn dirference bet.ween the eeramic style&
buried in Thora and in Crete a.re two: first., how much time elapsed be-
tween quake and eruption; and, second, whether the eruption went. down
to its final cycle (Lhal is the explosion and sinking or the volcano) in
a few months (as in the case of Krakatau) or in some years (case of Tam-
boro). In lbis aecond case we. have already some opinions or expert schol-
ars, that.. there elapsed time bet.ween the beginning or the Yolcanic action
in Thero (ejection or pumice) and the final paroxysm (ejection or dust
and final exploding and sinking), but how much lime?
We have already stated that in the lint question the answer of the
excavations hilherlo realized is ,coot. much timen.To the 8e~ond question
lhe opinion of the competent authorilie, of the Thera Congre., is that
the eru ption must. have beell only one. lt8 duration, from the rirst a-

1. Indeed, lhe LM lb Style l$ ea.rlier, more abuoda.nl and more exquisite,

originally in Eastern Crete (PaJaikaslron, Zakrost. It Is for th.is reason lhal sine$
a gene.ration a.go I have be1ieved in lhe existence or a palatial centre there; in that
period private initiative towards greater commereiaJ enterprises was not possible.
On1y under the protecti 1n of the ruleri•traders was a vigorous de,•elopment ot
arts and art products possible. The Cacts jusliried mv prediction (Antiquity t3,
1939, p. '261~rnd the palace or l:!asltrn Crete hrui betn discovered by pror. N. PJa-
lOn. As we advance towards the West. the Marine Style products bec.ome more
rare. Jn Gournht we have few pit>C:e$, still less in Malia. In Nirou we ha,•e but one
and in Amnissos none. In the mansion of Vathypelron, destroyed in t.M la, there
are only two or three sherds belonging lo the same vase, app8.N!ntly a pitcher.
 1-, M :,,\\ ..\T IO'.'\" .\I TIIHt.\ Ill

wakening t,o the paroxysm and the sinking or the volcano must have been
some months or one year or at most three (as in the ca&e or Tamboro).
Was this time enough for the development or the Marino style a& we
see it in Crete? In Zakros, where this style was possibly developed under
the protection or the palace, it appears indeed most advanced, so that
any archaeologist would put if not a generation, at least twenty years
between the ceramic styles or Thora and Zakros. For the volcanologisl•
this should be, apparently, too much time ' ·
However, our main thesis is this: It is safer lo base our solution upon
the laws or Physics than upon theoretical or stylistic combinations. It
is impossible to imagine an explosion of the Krakatau-Theca type
without tsunamis. It is impo$$ible to ignore the catastrophic power of
the tsunamis. IL is impossible therefore, to imogine that Crete and other
places in the Eastern Aegean escaped terrific damages by the lsuna •
mis round 1500 B.C. 11 is around this basis that we have to pass our
archaeological and chronological questions, not vice-versa . If there
js no other solution, we shall revert to our original explanation 1 that.
the provincial style of Thera must have lagged a little behind the •tyl•
or the Cretan centres. IL hua been indicated recently thaL local pollery
in Sicily seems one generation more archaic than the actual !Lyles of the
metropolis (Corin th). This phenomenon has been observed more tho.n
once. It is jost. what. is needed here Lo cover the distance betweeJ\ Lhe
Thoran and Cretan ceramic styles.

t. In Kra.kat.e.u the lapse of time between btginning and end of the eruption
were Lhe months batwee.n Ma>· 3nd Augu!il 1883. Tn Tamboro the time that el~psed
is three yearg, In the caK ot Pompei the seismic calASlrophe occurred in 63 A. 0.
and the burial of the town by the eruption ot Vesu,·ius came in 19 A. D. But let
ua abandon these problems to the starch of the specialists.
2. Antiquity I.e. p. 428 - 43:I.
PLATES
 EXCAVA1 IONS AT TH ERA lll

s . A strainer with lilies decoration .

2. A thyloo in CoMTI of a bull

3. Cymb t, wilh lily tlowerg .

PL.-\ 1 1-. B EX(. \\Al 10:SS 1\1 TIIFRA Ill

1. A awaUow from the Fr-e&CX> of the ltonkt)'S .

2. Spirals fresco Crom area rt .

E.X( .,\\',\I 10,:, . \ I 11 HR.-\ 111 l'I..\U. I

I, A \·11•\\ of Iii,· ,•:<t'~V.ihou. l.-1,wl•r ,,11r1. llw i,:r1•1\l slwd B; UJ•Jh'r h•U. lhc hllll•
\luM>1Jt11 .,n<I ~tarr 11u.irh•r: uppl'r r1~bl, fahor.1lor1,-.,, .,lun••romns
,HIii I he technical Jkr.LOOIICI$ quarh•r.

2. Sh1-d (;( sector U frum the ~ orth ~ t.:ast.

 f,XC:\\' ArlON~ K l I ll llv\ 111

\\'t"'ih•rn wa ll vr l',l·dvr I', u 1, h.> 1,:)0 m . Ll1itk,

:.t. ' t'hc
Pillars 3 (in the baOcgroundJ and 'i are vis.ible.
t.XC,\\'AIIU~!-1 ,\I 11 1•. lt\ I ll

2. Seclo111 8 - r and the sl1ed from the South.

l'L\lt, I tX(~\\'\1 10'.\~ .\I 1lltk.,\ Ill

I.,.,,••• t,r...111 w,n,t .. w 11( M:1J,:,Utlll' ,\,I fr11111 \\1tlun. l rn l,•r lh,• \\ lll1l11w \'.t.$.:-S
:mil lrn1111•w.t1~hl-. :tr.• ..;.Lill 1n pn:<iti,m On th,• t,·phru f1ll1ng ~f th,• •,,•10,t,Jw
ilOt' .,..,... ~ tlw unprmt r1r 110 u1iri~h1 wo1..t,·11 -.uf!f 111rt
f,:,..:( .,\\'\11{),'i \I lf l t-K.\ Il l l'I.\U J

:l. 'fhe 11.'rt p;irt or th-: Ytllld<>w s1U from withm.

l'J..,.\ I J,_, 6

I. A nest of \·,ti('5 -,w.ndint_('. bt>$idt• the p:trhh<m w.tll

betw~•n '.\1awnuw~ I and'.!.

t. ;\lagaiine 2,1, The plact wh('rt a sc.i,le and a ttlivanolris» stood.

 l'I ,.\ I ► 7

I 't
. ' ,
:; •' J1'
... ;~i.
Pl...\ I I· ?\ f-_'.\(..,\\ \110!\'i \t IJIFR.\ Ill

~-..
- ...
"-
,,iie"'-,
,;.:r~1'' • . ~·,...
t::XCA\',-\110'~ ,\I I l ll-. R.\ Ill l"L\ I 1-. !)

2. J:u~ of M3g3zinc 3,3 brought near tu lhl'ir or,ginlll pl.a(~.

Pl ..\ 11'.. IU 1-XL\\',.\110~~ \ I I llf It-\ I ll

2. A corner of lht• \1ill• Room

 PL\U II

. ,-
'

-~
>

., .r
J

"J / ~,;.
.,...

1. An asaminlhos fbathtubt painted with whitt re-eds. Mill-lloom.

2. The Western part or the .\till• Room.

 FXC·\ \',\111)'\\ \I ·111FRA Ill

. ..

2. 1'h~ 'I'\\' oorner of tht" ~hll- Hootn i:tfter rtlflO\'ing th{' baskeL
l·.X<..\\ ,\110'\"i \I lll ► K.\ Ill

I T l1c llmni•I 11f Qu:ult>r A.

2. TIie 1tSunk J lc,usc». (;rude bru;k$ 011 U1t· wmdov. .ind v. c.yml:M! on ,ts sill.
l'L\U I~

2. 1\ lilllt!- bathlub (possibly a biby's <:tadle) fallen in lhr St~p Lane.

tX( \\.\I((.);\') ,\l ll l t-lt.\ Il l

:l. A I l ouse ol' Lht :Slt.'\!fJ Lane.

l'L.,\ I l Hi

~- Entranr,• lo the uhlar masonry Building U (s 8ronou Ht).

1-, XC.\\';\J J():\~ .\I I tll'.ll\ Ill 1'1,,\ I I• 17

I. The V~tibul+• ur u,. . ti<lflh' 1,uildmg. Ulh' M.'\~ lite rh1e1r t,r J,!fl.'111 ;,,lun,• ,iatis
and the t.'Wt.'r nr lht• Omp~ in tt11• upptr righl ('Orner.

rir(1W!fic"f.5&•l. , ,.
~,.,,,-,::-;: .
..,
'

2. 1'he qu3rter n;in1cd «Bridge)t. A door. a j;,r ~nd a room "ilh tr.ices of fiN.
Pl..,-\ It I ~

h The •(llridgt.•~ rrom tht" West. 1\II !'omp.artm,•nl.11; ur pl.1te,s tr..z - 18.1
are uppl'r storeys.

•" \ \r -..... ~
• • --t ••
~

':!. A wmdow of lth' 110('nlated nu1ldmg~ (dimensions .:.Sx!i5cm., lhat is t,5

reett with ~he tr-aces or a ba.h1slt'8de of three horitonta.l wooden rods.
t.XC\\'AIIO~'> ,\I ll l t' K.\ Ill

1. ~Vindow o( tl1e O.:ntaled building. hnJ>rinl.s o( the balustrade.

2. Tho big building 01 a.. hlar m.isonry afltr the discovery of the basement.
l'l...\11-. :m FXL\\',-\110~":i ,\I 1111•.lt\ Ill

'l, A lit)'d' of lhc F'm .· full or pottery.

l·X< ;,\\" \I I<)'.\
. ·' i \l 1111- R,\ JII

,,
i ~-'•
• ~

...
·•
--
'

t,
2. Clay oxen lhrown inlo the Fire.
The F1N-, T o lhe nghl lhe r,:d floor Ovt•r 1\ vnf' sets tt1~ ttm knf>liS
or lhe bunll Jayer. In the middle lhe pit.
t~Xt.,\ \ '1\ 110\~ ,\ I 1111-RA I l l l'L\ 11- :t:l

I, Doobl~ tloor ni:-a.r pillar 6.

2. The South Quarter afler rtmoving lhe faye r or pumice.

 • XC.\\ ,\110 '.':~ \I U I Ut\ Il l

. i.' . 'P".l,?al.~ ~. • . -
.,,:• ~ < • • • • ',.,: "'-· ~
... ~ , . , ... ,r";'.:,,.
;,t ,h~ : .. : ••• ~ : "I'" ... ,

l. Th.- -.'Jorth Court" (lo lhf' lrfll and quar ter,;. 8 r.

2, The ~forth Court from th<' SW.

 l'I .. \ It• '.!:,

Z. The Wt!'Sltrn he~p of ruins of the court after its removal.

One ,ees thd t-ireular encl015ing wall.
l'L\11' :!ti t '.\t \\'.\ I 10'-\ \J 1111-R.\ Ill

I. The SI~ ('ornr-r of lht• rourl bdort• clcanintc 11 To tt11• riJ,:ht

lhc beginning or the 11'l'elchines Road,, is vlS-iblf',

1 Thr window of lhe Squallt!I'$ from the Telchines Road leading

to Room 1'4b. One can soo its geison iproje<:ting part) of schist slabs.
I:.:\< \\ \I 10:,,:~ ,\I I IIHt.-\ Ill l'L\ I 1-. '!i

I. The, door from the Telchines Road toward corridor rs ortcr iU ell\aning.

2. The Telchines Roa.d and lhCJ pa,•ed tloor or the upper storey of Room 82,
 ..;
"
E
•c
'.j
l
•.,,•
$

C
i

.. .,"'
;;
0

"',..
~

.,;
 1'1-·\lt- 29

1, The floor of ft.!: v-cn frorn Ho1Jrn n.

2. Area 86 tr-0ru Ea.st

J'L\11- .m t.M \\ \110'~ \1 IIU-R\ Ill

2, A bothros·llke e;a,•it)' on the floor ot the Room or the Monkeys.

EX(...\\',-\ I IO'\:-, 1\ I I I HR.\ Ill l'L\1 1· :U

I. X11r1h C,mrl (U l•l'◄~r pt'l.rl or pholo) a nd !IN':t H5, lht root

M "hirh show~ llliu'ly holt"S.

2. Tht: 1'>0f or the .sarne r.r:e1.1 ::i11pear111g as ir 1t had b<t•n bomb~rd('d

from lapilJi of lt10 volc-ano.
2. Arl'a t'I ,war ~illar ~. Ctwily in Lhf 1rnmic,e (walkd by us
ror Hlet.y purposes).
t-.XC \\' A"1 JOX!-. /\I I IIUt.\ Il l l'I.Alt. :U

I. .\ N'a I' . .a fallt•n wall wtlhout hNnJ: dilap1daltod. To th1• upp~r right of tht> pholo
on" llttS the- sltth-floor of az.

2. The falle.n wall of the above picture s lill .showing iLi; pla.sler.
 I.~(.,\\,\ 110,., \I I II Ht\ Ill

I The broken w,11 or the previous pictur1..•oc. ThP lflwPr 11::1rl flo II!,• ri~hl) ... ,and,:;
still upright. L1:fl s,df', lhi• fall1•11 parl. )tiddle ~lion the !ipare hl'l"<'<'l'I
lht• \ll)rl~hl .ind th..- fall en JMrl~ of thf' ¥.all, fu ll or dd,m:.

1. Soult1l'rn parl of Quar1er r showing the layer or the ea1as1ro1)he.

~X( .. \\',\110:\~ Al I ll ► K.\ Ill l'L.\I ► ~5

I \1'1 •;,!'\ I' I r11-:ht1 am.I r:1 (l;•rl). l.tWti'r J'llr l llw llud; ~~l,•rw r
(\\',...,In n , wall .

.\ stmi ..t'ir1.:ufor pro\•i.,ional dO<lr..,r-ay or troglodylit workmanship.

1-.XC \\';\I JO~S ,\I I HUL-\ Il l
t\.l \\',\ 110 .\ , ,\J I JIUV\ Ill l'L\ 11- ,H

1. 1"1. EastE>rn w3II \'(1th~ ~ries or sch1;,,l .slabs on lhE> floor

<And a he.ap or spherical J>trbhles.
 I•\(\\ \IH>V, \I llltK\ Ill

l. r:z, A i t and ror "aler•h)'dna~ (In Crt!lt• ii •~ still 11, usti

under th.- nam"' o-:-,2p."oo-:-d..r1i;,)

2. The Xortl\.£ulern corner of the ,,Coppersmith" s !lhopot with a cavity

in the wall.
E. XCA\' AllO'J°' .\I IIIF,kA Ill

1. •\ htlh• \'t1.~1• , prubablr vr imhiistm1I nature found in f:fa,

Z. A stone. va.su. htunrners and anvil& on lhe staircase.

 " " \\'AIIO~S i\l lllfR.i\ Ill

2, ~ rni~c.ircular uvillL'S on the a 11\•il.

F XC: \\ 1. \ I JO.'\!'> ,\ J J IIUtA lll
 EXC..\\'All9i\::i _;, r n ttK.i-\ Ill

1. 1)0<,1'$ or 1'1,:, :rnd r,, ~ ltw)' hi>r~ fouml \\;111,••I l,y llu: l-!')_Ulllt--r..,
O\'fr the lirlltl of the left door one- 8"es a bit or thf\ wall of lhr third sto~y

z. The walling of lhc doors by tht squallers.

1-'..XC,\\',\ 110~~ 1\ I 1111-lv\ Ill

1. The filling of f..a "''""1 la.ken away. ·rhl· li11i-. of 1v.11

(raUen rrorn above) begin lo AJ>flNtr
,~n. .amt olhl'r \'~$~

2:. (Jurirler r Sl'1.•n from lht· .." ort11 Court. l.,cfl : Th~ «Tdchmes Road••·
!light: <AITidor rs.
1'1....\1 l "1 I f:.\CA\ ,\UO;,,,.S \I lllllt.\ Ill

L Thi) 1'clc•luncs Road aud corridors 1·:; - l"G Crom lhe North.

2. Corridor r s 1R llll' ~ nice. in Uw b.adtground a ga,1 in lht wall

(p,os.sibly an entr,911ce to lhe ba.sementJ.
 l'l.,\11:. V,

I. A follen lin lc-1 of lt1(' door from r, to r &.

~ -:. ._
~....• --; r\_... .. ..;
,.._.
'2 . A prmt of 1be semi•cyllhdricttl wooden door J:Jml} or the door
trom r, to r4a.
PL\rf-. It) .. Xe.\\' \ I !Oi\~ ,\ r TIit R,-\ 111

1 \ l'la,1,-r 1;1~1 i1( 1t1,, v.11od, ·u rr-.1mi• 1,r llw , t'lrlh .. ..:ai.tf'rn doc,r
fr.,111 r ; lo l'h

2. Pumice under Corridor rG (from the South}; the height. or the layer
reaches 0,60 m.
tXC\\' \IIOV''> \I flltk.\ IJI l'L\lt, 17
 I .XC:..\\ ,\110.'\-. \I llll•R.\ Ill

'!..\ slraintr u,2:.iS m. heigh. A2,3.

1-XC\\',\110'~ \I 1111- R\ 111 PL\ 11· l!I

I. Hr,,;1d •u~011 lhed JIU' w1llt r,.,.,1,-.

,l,.(·11r11l 111n \ :i,:t

3, :,l,k yphoprort111.-, 0,20 tn. high. A3,:t

Pl.,.\I f :,O EXC\\',\IIO~<., \I 1111-RA Ill
txc:.., ,·A t ION~ A l I ti ll{,\ 111 l'I ...\ I I· ·•I

I. Thr,'t~ rlo\, \'r JHJI S, 011• fil"SI from llw W1--.h•r11 roo11'I or th,• :-;oulh Chrridor.
lhe olhtr lwo from t he well ot th~ t,.'1•ntral p1lh;t or shed .\ l l i•1jthl li5,l fi
aod 15..S can. rtlpech,·tly.

2. Iloh.-s: 111 the ooltorus of the flower µu l~.

 1-.XC.\\ \11<~;-J> \I 1111-.R.\ I ll

:t. \\'i:slern Hw111 :!. \',1M~ ~l<>rrd in U1c- t>.u~riwnt th,,,r a~ .-ei:11 rrom abO\'c
through the sc..i.trold trtcted to consohdatt the floor or lht upper storey.
F.XL·\\' \IIO-..;\ .\I 1111-R.\ Ill

- · fht·••1•lw11,fllJ 1111,,! '> ltrruJ1•J.tr 0,52 m.

1111,l'.II, \ '.I,
JJL\l l \I ... XC.A\',\ I J0:0,.S 1\ I l 11ffv\ Ill

1 Rh~·ton in form or .i bull. \\'(•stern H.oorn 2.

'2. Tht" same rhyton.

I. Spoolc,1 basin round on the doorway of tht: door to the .\hll-Room.
Oreatest diam. u.36 rn.

:!. Cymh•· from ttTht' ~unk l lr1t..1t«» li,', 'i lfl. long.
Pl ..,\ n. j.fi

2~3. Amphora. imported from CN:t.o 0.53 high. Room of the Monkeys.
I. ,l1:1r from tht Room or the ~1onkty&' 13". '!. Marble idol 0.1!. high. PiU3r 812
Ht1ghl 0.665 m. f Pholo noom.ul

3. Spouted stone vau. St.ore Room A2,3.

 t-.X(.\\.\IIOV•~ ,\I 1111-Jt\ Ill

I. Stone hnplcmcnt4, r1.

-.!, !;tone 1111plcment.s in difkr~ul depth$ inside room f'2.

1-X< \\' \ 110,~ .\ I I 111-ll.\ Ill l'L,\ I l :.!I

1. Fre-scc> rrom the South - West corner or st-clor r.

2. Fragments of frestoes from the Western part or the North Court.

l'L\I • fiO 1-Xt \\' \1 10,~ ,\I III FR..\ Ill
l~< \\'\110'\~ .\I I II FR.\ Ill l1 L\II/:. ti l
 ►\( \\ \IIO\/, \I 111 1-R.\ JII

1"wv nu111kr_\!1 Ill anhlht'lu.:al 11U)\'t'fllt•n1,

:?. ,\ -.wallov. frv111 tht> fresco compos1lion of 1hi' Blue ) lonk"ys.

f.Xl..\\'AIIO:'\S ..\I IJIH<,.\ Ill 1'1..,\:-.; I

'
 IX< \\'.\110"-' ,\I JlltJt\ Ill

\
i

j
0

0
•
000000

Phan or $ecl0r A and +lf the Tunnl'I$ opone-d to the WllSt or it..
 1'1..-\ \ Il l

I L

111en o r the Mill-House.

 1-.'.\C:.\\ ,\ I IO~S
' ,\I 1111!.lv\ Ill

Pl30 or Quarters 8 . r.
U,C,\\ ,\110:\> Al llltR,\ Ill SH. I 10 '\ \ '

·· ----•

A ~ lion in BS.
1'1 .,\7' \ I t-.'\< \\ ,\110" ' ,\I Jlftlt\ Ill

0
f.XC:,\\' Al 101\!) Al 1111-.RA Ill SEGIIO~ \ 'II
Seclions or wooden Jamb6 in r,,
 THESECONI) ED ITION
OF TME F,,\'r.,ll',4T/ONS ·IT T/1/iR, I /, /1/
ll\' $ 1'\'RIDON M.\RINAfOS
No 178 I N TIIE ARCH.\tOLOGI C~\L SOCI F.T\' AT ATM ENS LlllRJ\RY
No •I IN T II ESF.RI ES 1INCIF.NT SITES AND MUSEUMS IN CRt;t,<;/S
WAS PRINTED IN 1999
ll\' 'GR,\PM I KES TECH N~:S E. llOUI.OL'KOS .. \. LOCO'I II ETIS'
26 MILONOS STREF.' r , ATHF.NS