Agora:ReportPage:2025-Excavations-1::/Agora/Reports/2025 Excavations/2025 Excavations 1.jpg::1583::2048 Agora:Report:2025 Excavations John K. Papadopoulos Debby Sneed Agora 9 Jun-1 Aug 2025 Report Excavations in the Athenian Agora, 2025: Preliminary Report 2025 Excavations The 2025 excavation is the third excavation season in the ΒΚ section, divided into three trenches: ΒΚ North, ΒΚ South, and ΒΚ West, and covers the central part of the Stoa Poikile. The excavation practices included total collection, dry-sieving all the soil, and flotation samples from each basket. Apart from the specialists and staff, 26 volunteers, five assistant supervisors, and six supervisors from different universities. The architectural remains from this season include part of the Middle Byzantine (10th to 12th centuries CE) neighborhood and later features, such as Ottoman-period pits and wells. Noteworthy was the discovery of an in situ block of the toichobate of Stoa Poikile, during the excavation of an Ottoman or later Pit in ΒΚ West. Specialists also studied material during this season. The study of pottery revealed that only Byzantine, Ottoman, and Early Modern pottery came from closed stratified deposits, whereas Greek and Roman period pottery came from disturbed contexts. Faunal analysis included animal bones and shells. The study of the animal bones showed caprines as the most represented species. The study of the shells indicated the use of shells for Murex dye production and basket-fishing practices. Lastly, archaeobotanical analysis, large amounts of samples were collected to be processed during the academic year. A summary of the second excavation season in Section ΒΚ, in the area beneath the former building at 14 St. Philip Street. The area was divided into three trenches and yielded mixed material from the Modern to Late Roman periods. Notable features from this season were walls in ΒΚ North from the Middle Byzantine period and pits from both ΒΚ West and South, the purpose and dating of which is still under investigation. The excavation followed a strategy of total collection and 100% dry sieving with flotation and phytolith samples from all the baskets. Experts sorted and examined pottery. They counted the tiles and kept a sample. Aerial and ground photogrammetry were conducted on a regular basis. The study of the ancient DNA from burials in the Agora was resumed. Agora:Report:2024 Excavations Summary 10 Jun-2 Aug 2024 Agora John K. Papadopoulos Debby Sneed Agora:ReportPage:2024-Excavations-Summary-1::/Agora/Reports/2024 Excavations Summary/2024 Excavations Summary 001.jpg::2063::2233 2024 Excavations Summary Excavations in the Athenian Agora, 2024: Preliminary Report Report A summary of the first excavation season in Section ΒΚ, an area beneath a building demolished in the fall of 2022. Prior the excavation a geophysical survey was undertaken. Modern, Ottoman, and Byzantine contexts were excavated and several features were revealed, such as foundation walls and pits. All material was collected and kept (pottery, bone, shells, etc.). All soil was dry sieved and flotation samples and phytolith samples were taken for each context. The pottery was sorted and read by experts. Aerial photography was performed regularly and photogrammetry models were created. In addition, a Geomatics study was conducted in order to produce a model of the Hephaisteion, and a study of the ancient DNA from burials in the Agora was initiated. Report Athenian Agora 2023: Preliminary Report 2023 Excavations Agora:Image:2023.09.0002::/Agora/2023/2023.09/2023.09.0002.jpg::2500::1667 Agora 12 Jun-4 Aug 2023 Agora:Report:2023 Excavations John K. Papadopoulos Debby Sneed The initial plan to excavate under the modern building at 14 St. Philip Street had to be postponed due to delayed demolition. Instead, excavations were carried out around and inside the Stoa Poikile. In ΒΘ East, Byzantine levels were excavated and more of several rooms were explored. In ΒΘ West, Byzantine and Roman levels inside the western part of Stoa Poikoile were removed. A reused Ionic column base was found, and more of the lowest step of the façade of the stoa was revealed. In Section ΒΖ, the area of a collapsed late Roman wall was cleared, and excavation took place in late Archaic and early Classical layers, where a large number of ostraka was found. A small excavation was carried out in Section ΒΓ to clarify certain issues at the Crossroads Enclosure. In collaboration with the A’ Ephoreia, an exhibition with drawings of Athens in the early nineteenth century was mounted on the upper floor of the Stoa of Attalos. 2022 Excavations AGORA 2022 - Preliminary Report Report Agora 14 Jun-5 Aug 2022 Agora:Report:2022 Excavations John McK. Camp II Agora:Image:2022.09.0029::/Agora/2022/2022.09/2022.09.0029.jpg::3041::2027 Agora Agora:Report:2021 Excavations 14 Jun-6 Aug 2021 John McK. Camp II Agora:Image:2021.01.0017::/Agora/2021/2021.01/2021.01.0017.jpg::2048::1329 2021 Excavations Athenian Agora Excavation Summary for 2021 Report Excavations continued in sections ΒΖ and ΒΘ in and under the Classical Commercial Building, the Painted Stoa, and the orthostate enclosure suggested to be the Leokoreion. In section ΒΖ the goal was to find out more about the later Archaic remains, perhaps houses or shops, underlying the Classical building. Pottery of the 8th century B.C. and the discovery of another well suggest that the area was used for habitation in the Iron Age after centuries as a burial ground. A number of ostraka were found in Persian destruction fills, and a fragment of a small gravestone of the 4th century, probably of a slave, was discovered. In Section ΒΘ West, two trenches were opened to examine part of the floor of the Stoa Poikile beneath the late Byzantine houses. In the western trench, fragments of a Roman inscription were found. In the area further east, rubble walls of the late Roman period and other disturbances have destroyed most of the original stoa floor. In Section ΒΘ East, three new inscriptions were revealed on the sides of the large statue base built into the Roman tank. The statue which stood on the base was probably of some importance. The inscriptions on all three blocks in the enclosure suggest that their original location was in an nearby area in the care of the tribe Leontis, the Leokoreion. Excavations were carried out in four sections: in Section ΝΝ in the southwest corner of the archaeological site, and in the northwest corner of the Agora in Sections ΒΖ, ΒΘ East and ΒΘ West. Section ΝΝ lies in the industrial district of the ancient Athens. Excavations took place in an area where a deposit of terracotta figurines had been found in the 1940’s. It was determined that the buildings in the area were not workshops. In section ΒΘ West, work continued in the Byzantine levels above the Painted Stoa. One more pithos was found and others were explored. In some parts of the area the bottom of the Byzantine house walls were reached to just a few centimetres above the floor level of the stoa. In section ΒΘ East excavations continued in front of the Painted Stoa. The Roman basin set into the western corner of an enclosure, the possible Leokorion, was cleared. The building technique and the closeness to the river suggest that the tank was hydraulic in its function. Some pots and architectural elements were found within the basin, which was probably abandoned in the 3rd century AD. North of the tank, a corner of a marble bench or seat was uncovered. It was most likely part of an exedra, a common type of Hellenistic dedication monument designed to carry several statues. Two large limestone blocks along the south side of the enclosure wall were further examined. They were probably part of a large building or monument which now lies under the scarp. In Section ΒΖ the exploration of the lower layers under the floors of the Classical Commercial Building continued. Early pottery was found but no tomb. The digging of an Archaic well was finished and the removal of a Middle Byzantine wall started. Report 2019 Excavations Agora 2019 - Summary Report Agora:Image:2019.10.0001::/Agora/2019/2019.10/2019.10.0001.tif::1950::2048 Agora 10 Jun-2 Aug 2019 Agora:Report:2019 Excavations John McK. Camp II Excavations were carried out in Sections ΒΘ, ΒΖ and Ω. In Section ΒΘ the investigations continued in the area in front of and above the Stoa Poikile. In ΒΘ East, built into a late structure, a large inscribed block was uncovered just south of the Eridanos river. In ΒΘ West the exploration of the Byzantine settlement continued. Also, the foundations of the southwest corner of the Stoa Poikile, which had been backfilled, were exposed. In Section ΒΖ more burials from the Bronze and Iron Age cemetery along the ancient road were explored. As part of clearing and restoration by the ephoreia in Section Ω, excavations took place around a large Roman house of the 4th century A.D., mostly in the area of a mosaic from the 2nd century A.D. Summary Report - Agora 2018 2018 Excavations Report John McK. Camp II Agora Agora:Report:2018 Excavations 11 Jun-3 Aug 2018 Agora:Image:2018.10.0001::/Agora/2018/2018.10/2018.10.0001.tif::4836::3405 Excavations took place in three sections, ΒΘ, ΒΖ and ΟΟ, covering a time span from the 14th century B.C. to the 12th century A.D. In Section ΒΘ work continued in later layers over and in front of the Stoa Poikile. In ΒΘ West, more of the remains of the Middle Byzantine settlement were explored; in ΒΘ East, deeper fills were excavated. A collapse of the fill over the Eridanos river opened up part of its south channel and it was possible to see large Doric column drums used as part of the channel construction. Excavation over the northern channel revealed a cover slab decorated with a large hoplite shield. In Section ΒΖ North, some walls were dismantled and a lion’s head spout was recovered. Late archaic levels produced more ostraka and a rare sample of reeds came out of 5th century B.C fills. Also, work was resumed in the collapsed Mycenaean chamber tomb (J 10:1). In Section ΒΖ South, excavation of Room 4 of the Classical Commercial Building was completed, and more levels of the North-South Road were explored. In Section ΟΟ the investigation of the architectural remains of houses and/or industrial establishments continued. A casting pit was excavated and produced large fragments of moulds for a bronze statue. An unusual type of bone dice came out while cleaning a scarp. Agora John McK. Camp II 12 Jun-4 Aug 2017 Agora:Report:2017 Excavations Agora:Image:2017.10.0001::/Agora/2017/2017.10/2017.10.0001.tif::2088::2953 2017 Excavations Agora Volunteer Report 2017 Report 13 Jun-5 Aug 2016 John McK. Camp II Agora Agora:Report:2016 Excavations Agora:Image:2016.01.0027::/Agora/2016/2016.01/2016.01.0027.jpg::3864::5152 2016 Excavations Agora 2016 - Summary Report Report Excavations were carried out in the northwest corner of the agora square in Sections ΒΘ and ΒΖ in and around the classical building identified as the Painted (Poikile) Stoa, and in the southwest corner in Section ΟΟ just north of the area known as the industrial district, with recovered material dating from the 8th century B.C. to the 12th c. A.D. Report Agora Excavations Season Summary 2015 2015 Excavations Agora:Image:2015.01.0016::/Agora/2015/2015.01/2015.01.0016.tif::4134::2480 8 Jun-31 Jul 2015 Agora:Report:2015 Excavations Agora John McK. Camp II Excavations were carried out in three areas: in Byzantine levels over the Painted Stoa in Section ΒΘ; at the north end and beneath the Classical Commercial Building in Section ΒΖ; and in Section ΟΟ in the old excavations. It was a varied and productive season with material dating from the 14th century B.C. to the 12th century A.D. Excavations in 2014 were carried out in three sections: ΒΘ, ΒΓ and ΒΖ. In Section ΒΘ, overlying the Painted Stoa, the Byzantine houses of the 11th century A.D. were further exposed in the western part and two more pithoi were found. The eastern half was dug deeper; a pithos discovered at a lower level suggests an earlier phase of the Byzantine settlement. Reused blocks, of which some may be associated with the Painted Stoa, were recovered from the walls. A fragment of an inscribed opisthographic stele turned out to be part of the records of the Poletai. In Section ΒΖ, excavation continued in early layers in the area north of the Classical Commercial Building. A Mycenaean chamber tomb, collapsed in antiquity and cleaned out and filled in the late 8th century B.C., was partially excavated. Two skeletons were found along with pottery and beads from a necklace. In Section ΒΓ, the exploration of the Panathenaic Way continued. Several road surfaces of Hellenistic date were encountered. No traces of wheel ruts were found which suggest that this road was closed to wheeled traffic. In Classical levels, numerous post-holes of various sizes and depths were dug. A large number of images of Section ΒΘ were taken with the use of a drone. 2014 Excavations Agora Excavations Preliminary Report - Summer 2014 Report John McK. Camp II Agora:Report:2014 Excavations 9 Jun-1 Aug 2014 Agora Agora:Image:2014.04.0617::/Agora/2014/2014.04/2014.04.0617.tif::1949::1336 Agora:Image:2013.18.0001::/Agora/2013/2013.18/2013.18.0001.jpg::3657::3312 Agora John McK. Camp II 10 Jun-2 Aug 2013 Agora:Report:2013 Excavations Report 2013 Excavations Preliminary Report on the 2013 Excavation Season Excavations were carried out in several areas, spanning Mycenaean to Byzantine times. Full exploration in Section ΒΘ East was prevented since the Byzantine walls could not yet be removed, but a trial trench was opened in front of the Poikile Stoa. Embedded in a 6th century A.D. fill, an inscribed statue base was found. In another trial trench, a cover slab, which overlay the north channel of the Eridanos river, was discovered. A camera put inside the channel made it clear that is was made up in part by reused blocks. In Section ΒΘ West, the Middle Byzantine levels continued to be explored revealing more of the settlement found throughout the entire area north of Hadrian Street. In Section ΒΓ, the investigation in the Panathenaic Way and around the perischoinisma continued. As it appears, the enclosure runs across the full width of the Panathenaic Way, but on an unrelated orientation. In Section ΒΖ, early levels behind and under the Classical Commercial Building were investigated. Fragmentary but high quality pottery of the Archaic period were found in numerous areas. Mycenaean pottery and scattered human bones indicate at least one Mycenaean tomb in the vicinity. Excavations were carried out in four areas during the 2012 season: three in the area of the Painted Stoa at the northwest corner of the Agora (sections ΒΗ, ΒΖ, ΒΘ), and one in the Panthenaic Way (section ΒΓ). The report is a very preliminary account of the results of the work this season. In the Panthenaic Way, Hellenistic and Classical numerous road levels were excavated in two trenches. One more stone socket for wooden posts was uncovered in the eastern trench. In section ΒΗ, a well was excavated to its full depth. It dates to the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. and contained a large amount of pottery of which many pieces were intact. Above this layer, pieces of broken roof tiles, an antefix and a sima, that may come from the Painted Stoa, were recovered. At the extreme east end of the section, part of the east wall of the Painted Stoa came to light. In section ΒΖ, excavation took place in the area beyond the Classical Commercial Building, mostly in late archaic fills. Remarkable finds were an almost complete black-figured lekythos, and a tiny electrum coin. In section ΒΘ, in the eastern trench, excavation continued within several rooms of the Byzantine period; in the western trench, the upper part of Byzantine walls were exposed. Report Preliminary Report on the 2012 Excavation Season 2012 Excavations Agora:Image:2012.12.0055::/Agora/2012/2012.12/2012.12.0055.tif::4368::2912 Agora Agora:Report:2012 Excavations John McK. Camp II 11 Jun-3 Aug 2012 Excavations were carried out in three sections, two of them overlying the Painted Stoa (ΒΗ and ΒΘ) and one in the Panathenaic Way (ΒΓ). In Section ΒΓ, excavations were concentrated on the Panathenaic Way with the aim to look again at a row of square stone sockets for wooden posts. These post holes had been interpreted as a starting-line for a racetrack. Instead they seem to be part of a temporary roped-off enclosure of which three sides are defined. An area of unexcavated fill was opened up in order to determine the fourth side. The excavated sequence dated from the 1st c. B.C./A.D. to 3rd century B.C. The post holes are excepted to lie a bit lower down in 5th century B.C. fills and should be exposed next season. A second trench in the road was opened to reexamine the hypothesis that the road itself had been used as a race track. In Section ΒΗ, overlying the east part of the Painted Stoa, a well was dug and over 100 pots were recovered. It seems that the well was part of the latest face of the use of the Stoa in the late Roman period when inner walls were built to create rooms probably used as shops. In section ΒΘ, overlying the middle part of Painted Stoa, excavation continued in Byzantine levels. Remains of a settlement dating to the 11th and 12th centuries A.D. was uncovered. The building walls contain reused blocks, one of which comes from the Painted Stoa. Agora:Image:2011.15.0008::/Agora/2011/2011.15/2011.15.0008.tif::3816::2886 13 Jun-5 Aug 2011 Agora Agora:Report:2011 Excavations John McK. Camp II Report Preliminary Report on the 2011 Excavation Season 2011 Excavations Report 2010 Excavations Preliminary Report on the 2010 Excavation Season Agora:Image:2010.15.0171::/Agora/2010/2010.15/2010.15.0171.tif::5616::3744 Agora:Report:2010 Excavations John McK. Camp II Agora 15 Jun-6 Aug 2010 Excavations took place in five sections: ΒΗ, ΒΘ, ΒΖ, Γ and Δ. In Section ΒΗ, excavation continued and late fills overlying the Stoa Poikile were cleared. A good cross-section of the stoa foundations was exposed. Also recovered were fragments of a terracotta aqueduct running along the back wall of the Stoa. Two Byzantine wells within the interior of the building were left undug. A Hellenistic cistern was recovered in the area behind and north of the stoa. Fragments of painted wall plaster were found within it. In Section ΒΖ, excavations were concentrated on the northern parts of the Classical Commercial Building, in an attempt to clarify its plan and building history. In several places levels which preceded the construction of the building late in the 5th century B.C. were reached. Below the floor in one of the rooms, several dozen ostraka were found. In Section ΒΘ West, excavations continued and numerous animal bones from a pit were recovered. The pit dates from the 15/16th century A.D. and presumably lay outside the town. The reason for this large deposit is not clear. Lower down, numerous Frankish bronze coins were found. In Section ΒΘ East, more walls of the Byzantine settlement were recovered. Several walls contained reused ancient blocks. Two rooms were larger than the usual rooms found in this area in this period. Ιn one of them a deep fill or large pit was uncovered. It contained fine, dark ash and a very large number of goat horns. A trophy base with the representation of a pile of military equipment was found. It is Hellenistic in date and was probably set up in front of the Stoa Poikile honoring a military victory. In Section Δ, shallow fill was excavated, much of it hard gravel showing few signs of human activity. This area was apparently not built on for much of antiquity. In the Classical period there are some signs of landscaping, and in the Hellenistic and Roman periods the area was crisscrossed with small terracotta drains. Agora Agora:Report:2009 Excavations 8 Jun-31 Jul 2009 John McK. Camp II Agora:Image:2009.22.0123::/Agora/2009/2009.22/2009.22.0123.tif::5616::3744 2009 Excavations Preliminary Report on the 2009 Excavation Season Report Excavations were conducted in four sections: Γ, ΒΘ, ΒΗ and ΒΖ. In Section Γ, the investigation of the Classical buildings south of the Tholos continued with the aim to find out if they were civil, commercial or domestic. It was clarified that the complex consists of three houses grouped around a central courtyard. A well in the courtyard was emptied, and the finds recovered indicate a domestic or commercial use of the buildings. The well is one of the earliest tile-lined wells found in the Agora, dating to the first half of the 4th century B.C. In Section ΒΘ, excavations continued. At its west end the bottoms of the modern foundations were reached. A pit with the remains of several horses were revealed in 16th century fills. No architecture is associate with the fills which indicate that the area was a dumping ground outside of the inhabited area. Byzantine pottery started to emerge by the end of the season. No walls were reached but was seen in the scarps. In the eastern part of section ΒΘ, rubble walls, presumably of modest houses of the 10th century A.D., were uncovered. In the walls some worked blocks of limestone and marble were reused, perhaps coming even from the Stoa Poikile which ΒΘ overlies. Various other features were found, such as pithoi and pits. In section ΒΗ, most of the 10th century A.D. house walls were removed and more remains of the back wall and two interior columns of the Stoa Poikile were exposed. The rubble walls dividing the stoa into rooms were also removed. These rooms were built in the 5th and 6th centuries, and were probably used as shops. The building went out use in the late 6th century. Behind the back wall, two terracotta pipelines were uncovered. The lower one is temporary with the stoa (2nd quarter of the 5th century B.C.) and has also been traced further west. In section ΒΖ, the exploration of the Classical Commercial Building continued. It became clear that it was a building with a least six adjacent rooms in a row opening on to the street in front. Most of the work was concentrated on two rooms. In one, while clearing the area of a presumed collapsed cistern, an intact Mycenaean alabastron was found, indicating that the collapse is a Mycenaean chamber tomb. Two more pyres were uncovered within the building. Excavations took place in three sections, two north of Hadrian Street (ΒΗ and ΒΘ) and one in the old area south of the Tholos (Γ). In Section ΒΗ, layers in, over and behind the building identified as the Painted Stoa were excavated to down below the middle Byzantine walls. The back wall and the interior colonnade were explored and detailed information about the building construction were gained. Behind the back wall a small fragment of a large terra cotta pipe was found in situ in middle Byzantine layers. Layers contemporary with the Stoa were not reached this season. A rubble wall may represent a late blocking of the interior colonnade, relatively common in the late Roman period. In Section ΒΘ, a new section was opened up after the demolition of two houses. Mostly late fills were dug but the top of Byzantine walls came to sight in some places, as was large worked blocks that may have come from one or several Classical buildings. In Section Γ, the exploration of some small buildings of the Classical period continued. The aim was to try to determine if these buildings were public or private. A tile-lined well was found and its location should indicate that the area was an open courtyard surrounded by buildings. The well went probably out of use in the 4th century B.C. Elsewhere various floor levels and pits were dug, most of them dating to the 4th century B.C. Some fill contained pottery of the 8th and 7th centuries B.C., perhaps indicative of earlier houses or disturbed burials. Agora:Image:2008.15.0129::/Agora/2008/2008.15/2008.15.0129.tif::639::851 Agora:Report:2008 Excavations 10 Jun-1 Aug 2008 Agora John McK. Camp II Report Preliminary Report on the 2008 Excavation Season 2008 Excavations Excavation continued this year in the sections ΒΖ, ΒΗ and Γ. In Section ΒΖ South, two areas were investigated: the north-south road and the areas west of the road. In the road, hard-packed gravel surfaces were taken out, and the later water supply lines, one of terracotta and two of lead, were fully exposed. More of the deep street drain and another subsidiary channel entering it from the west, were cleared. All these channels were in use in the 4th or 5th centuries A.D. To the west, Hellenistic and Classical levels were excavated, and a pyre buried under a floor was exposed, dating to the late 4th or early 3rd century B.C. In Section ΒΖ North, mostly Classical and Hellenistic levels in and behind the Classical commercial building were excavated. More of its eastern back wall was exposed, along with several cross-walls. It seems to have been a building of at least six rooms/shops set side-by-side along the street. A draw-shaft and part of the tunnel of a Hellenistic cistern complex was found outside the building to the east. The tunnel may lead to a collapsed cistern located within the building itself. In Section Γ, the excavation of the building identified as the Strategeion continued. Well preserved floor levels in the eastern part of the building were excavated, including a pit full of marble chips overlying a pit filled with several amphorae. Excavation in other fills went down to late 8th and early 7th centuries B.C. Further east, the exploration of a series of small irregular buildings started. In Section BH, the last of the 10th/11th century walls and other Byzantine installations were cleared and excavation continued into late Roman fills. More of the back wall of the presumed Stoa Poikile was found. The new parts consist of two adjacent orthostate blocks from the outer face of the back wall of the building and a limestone unfluted column shaft in the interior Ionic column of the stoa. Agora:Report:2007 Excavations 13 Jun-3 Aug 2007 Agora John McK. Camp II Agora:Image:2008.01.0487::/Agora/2008/2008.01/2008.01.0487.tif::2850::2266 Preliminary Report on the 2007 Excavation Season 2007 Excavations Report 2006 Excavations Preliminary Report on the 2006 Excavation Season Report 13 Jun-4 Aug 2006 Agora:Report:2006 Excavations Agora John McK. Camp II Agora:Image:2008.01.0168::/Agora/2008/2008.01/2008.01.0168.tif::4080::3756 This summer the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the excavations and the 50th anniversary of the reconstruction of the Stoa of Attalos were celebrated. Excavation were concentrated on two areas: northwest of the Agora (sections ΒΖ and ΒΗ) and in the old excavations at the southwest corner of the square (section Γ). In section Γ work continued in the building identified as the Strategeion. Considerable new information about the building plan emerged and evidence gathered suggest that the use of the building was commercial rather than public. The 5th century B.C. as a construction date was confirmed. In Section ΒΖ excavation continued in the north-south road and in the buildings to the east and west of it. A large round tile-floored cistern was removed and revealed a smaller one immediately below, both dating to the 10th century A.D. Fills associated with the bath from the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D., were excavated, and more of a pebble mosaic floor, Hellenistic in date, was cleared. In deeper layers, a pyre of early Hellenistic date was found. Within the road itself, more of the hydraulic installations were cleared, including a second lead pipe and the drain along the side of the road. East of the road, earlier walls came to light, indicating that the Classical commercial building continued. Two pyres buried beneath the floors of the building were found. More evidence that terracotta figurine production took place in the area were recovered. A remarkable find was a small cooking-pot buried near the Classical commercial building, with the remains of the head and feet of a chicken inside, and lines of lightly-incised letters on the outside. Section ΒΗ was expanded to the east, following the demolition of modern buildings. Walls, pithoi, pits, a burial, and two wells were revealed, dating to the years around 1000 A.D. The buildings were presumably houses in a domestic area. A poros block, incorporated in a pit, can perhaps be associated with the eastern part of the Stoa Poikile, just within its northern wall. John McK. Camp II 13 Jun-5 Aug 2005 Agora Agora:Report:2005 Excavations Agora:Image:2005.02.0006::/Agora/2005/2005.02/2005.02.0006.tif::3432::2274 2005 Excavations Preliminary Report on the 2005 Excavation Season Report Excavations were carried out in three sections in the summer of 2005: BZ, BH and Γ. In section BZ, mostly Roman levels were excavated, dating from the 1st to the 5th centuries A.D. Much more of the north-south street was excavated, revealing a series of hydraulic installations, and the large drain along its east side was further exposed. West of the street evidence of a Roman bath was found. Eeast of the street, areas in line with the northern continuation of the commercial building to the south, were excavated. In section BH, the last of the Byzantine remains were cleared down to 10th century A.D. level. In section Γ, the area of the Strategeion, a large mid-5th century B.C. building, was re-opened for excavation with the intention to clarify its plan and to gather more information about its function. A large hoard of Athenian silver coins was discovered within the building. All the work during the season 2004 was concentrated on the northwest corner of the Agora north of the Panathenaic Way. In BZ North, the last remains of Byzantine fills and walls were removed and Hellenistic, early Roman and late Roman fills were explored. A gap in the archaeological record between the late Hellenistic/early Roman to late Roman periods was discovered. It appears that the area was abandoned after the attack by the Slavs and was left in ruins for two to three hundred years. In Section BZ South, work continued in the North-South Road and in the building along its west side. In the building, further cleaning took place, revealing more of an early Roman structure. Along the west side of the street a terracotta pipeline for fresh water was traced for much of the length of the excavated area. In Section ΒΗ, excavation of the Byzantine remains behind the Painted Stoa continued. Various walls representing several buildings and phases were exposed. Τhe character of the remains suggest that this area was more industrial than domestic. Agora:Image:2004.06.0016::/Agora/2004/2004.06/2004.06.0016.tif::5673::2590 Agora John McK. Camp II Agora:Report:2004 Excavations 7 Jun-16 Jul 2004 Report Preliminary Report on the 2004 Excavation Season 2004 Excavations Report 2003 Excavations Preliminary Report on the 2003 Excavation Season Agora:Image:2003.08.0021::/Agora/2003/2003.08/2003.08.0021.tif::1894::2868 13 Jun-25 Jul 2003 Agora John McK. Camp II Agora:Report:2003 Excavations Excavations in 2003 were carried out largely in the northwest corner of the Agora known as Section BZ. The area was divided into two parts: the north-south road and areas to the west, and east of the road. After several years of exploring the Byzantine houses of the 10th century A.D. which overlay the area, the foundations were stripped away and substantial progress into the underlying Roman remains were made. Much of what was exposed dated from the 3rd to the 6th centuries A.D. The main topographical feature was the north-south street which divided the area in two parts with late Roman walls on both sides of the street. West of the road, remains of a bath built in the 3rd century A.D. were excavated. East of the road, further evidence of occupation in the area were discovered, as well as of activity by coroplasts. A new area of excavation was opened up to the east (north part of Section ΒΗ) and medieval walls were revealed. The work in the Eleusinon area was completed this season with the excavation of two wells. Report A Portrait of an Imperial Priest 2002 A Portrait of an Imperial Priest Agora:Image:2002.09.0028::/Agora/2002/2002.09/2002.09.0028.tif::1860::2319 Agora:Report:2002 A Portrait of an Imperial Priest Agora John McK. Camp II 19-20 Jun 2002 A Roman portrait head was found on the north slopes of the Acropolis. The crown on his head indicate that the man was a priest of the imperial cult. Imperial worship in Athens is attested as early as the beginning of the empire, and small altars, statue bases and epigraphical evidence suggest such an active cult, but there has been little sculptural evidence until the discovery of this head. Its find-spot however does not give any suggestions to where in the city the center of this cult was located. Excavations continued in the northwest corner of the Agora (sections ΒΕ and ΒΖ) and in the Eleusinion area (ΕΛ), and a trial trench was opened up in the Panathenaic Way (Σ). In section ΒΖ, the exploration of the Byzantine settlement and the late Roman remains underneath them continued. Within the Byzantine walls some ancient blocks were found, several of them probably coming from funerary monuments. A large coarse ware jar with the skeletal remains of an infant was found buried in the corner of one room. As in the adjacent areas, small terracotta reliefs and figurines were collected, but no sign of industrial activity was found to suggest a production in the vicinity. At the end of the season, a Roman statue head appeared. In section ΒΕ, various levels in, around and under the Classical Commercial Building were explored. This area was affected by a heavy rain fall which made work difficult. However, a shaft of a Protogeometric or early Geometric well was partially excavated. In the Panathenaic Way, a trial trench was opened up with the hope of finding the edge of the road on its east side. In the Eleusinion area there are no surviving architectural remains. A well from the late 6th to early 5th century B.C. was excavated, and while scraping bedrock, a marble portrait head was discovered. Report Preliminary Report on the 2002 Excavation Season 2002 Excavations Agora:Image:2002.09.0021::/Agora/2002/2002.09/2002.09.0021.tif::2235::1532 10 Jun-2 Aug 2002 Agora:Report:2002 Excavations John McK. Camp II Agora Excavations were carried out at the northwest of the Agora in sections ΒΖ and ΒΕ, and in the area of the Eleusinion in section ΕΛ. In Section ΒΖ, the investigation of the settlement of the 11th century settlement continued. The lowest floor levels of the buildings were excavated down into layers of the 7th to 9th centuries, exposing the Byzantine walls to their full depth and the upper parts of the late Roman walls beneath. A well was partially excavated, a stone-lined cesspit was uncovered and a large plaster-lined pit was discovered. The last of a modern basement was successfully cleared out. Fragments of herms and terracotta figurines came to light in disturbed fills. In section ΒΕ, the work in the Classical shop building continued. Another Hellenistic pyre was found beneath the floor of one of the rooms. Further work was done in both of the two Mycenaean chamber tombs, dated to the 14th century B.C. A third chamber tomb was partially uncovered. It seems to be from the 15th century B.C. In section ΕΛ, the area just south of and uphill from the Eleusinion was excavated, along the east face of the late Roman fortification wall. Some pottery fragments from the time of the wall's construction were found, but for most part a thick layer filled with fragmentary pottery from the late 3rd and early second centuries B.C. was excavated. This material lay directly on bedrock leaving no sign of earlier activity in the area. A well with upper fill of the Hellenistic period was found, as was some irregularly placed post-holes. Report Preliminary Report on the 2001 Excavation Season 2001 Excavations Agora:Image:2001.04.0001::/Agora/2001/2001.04/2001.04.0001.tif::2067::2111 Agora 11 Jun-3 Aug 2001 John McK. Camp II Agora:Report:2001 Excavations Excavations were carried out in three sections, two to the northwest, (ΒΖ and ΒΕ) and one to the southeast of the Agora square (ΕΛ). In Section ΒΖ the investigation of the remains of the 11th century settlement continued. The plans and stratigraphy of the houses were clarified. Several pithoi were more fully exposed and one tile-lined well was uncovered and partially excavated. A large amount of late Roman coins were recovered. The evidence of the excavations give a picture of an neighborhood with close-packed houses with no open space between and with considerable subterranean storage. In Section ΒΕ the explorations of early levels in and around the Classical shop building continued. Further cleaning of the two Mycenaean tombs were carried out. The last of the fill containing ostraka was cleared adding another dozen or so to the total number of ostraka found, and the excavation of the 5th century B.C. well was completed. In Section ΕΛ, in the area of Eleusinion, bedrock was cleared in several trenches to determine where it would be safe to found wooden walkways. The bedrock lies high in this area and the fills were shallow. Preliminary Report on the 2000 Excavation Season 2000 Excavations Report 6 Jun-28 Jul 2000 Agora John McK. Camp II Agora:Report:2000 Excavations Agora:Image:2000.04.0014::/Agora/2000/2000.04/2000.04.0014.tif::1842::1217 Agora:Image:1999.01.0001::/Agora/1999/1999.01/1999.01.0001.tif::2126::1401 Agora Agora:Report:1999 Excavations John McK. Camp II 7 Jun-30 Jul 1999 Report 1999 Excavations Preliminary Report on the 1999 Excavation Season Most of the work this season was concentrated in the northern half of Section ΒΖ where the Byzantine levels were further explored. Street walls along both sides of the north-south road were revealed and part of three houses were uncovered. Several built pithoi were found within the houses, representing impressive storage capacity. A small hoard of copper coins dates the houses to the 11th century A.D. when the area after two centuries of abandonment became densely populated. In Section ΒΕ excavation continued in the Classical commercial building where another pyre was discovered. A well was uncovered and was partly dug. It was filled with debris dating to the 2nd and 3rd quarter of the 5th c. B.C. More work was also done on two Mycenaean tombs. Agora:Image:2000.03.0022::/Agora/2000/2000.03/2000.03.0022.tif::3000::1972 Agora John McK. Camp II Agora:Report:1998 Excavations 8 Jun-31 Jul 1998 Report 1998 Excavations Preliminary Report on the 1998 Excavation Season Most work this year was concentrated to a new area at the extreme northwest, where a modern building had been demolished. Fill from modern to Byzantine times were excavated. The principal feature uncovered was the north-south road which runs through the area. The work in and around the Classical commercial building behind the Painted Stoa also continued. A Mycenaean chamber tomb was found under the floor of one of the rooms. The date of the tomb seems to be 14th century B.C. A second chamber tomb was found a bit further north, rich in finds, including two bronze daggers and one knife blade. During the summer a more active use of computers for the excavation and archives was initiated. Report 1997 Excavations Agora Excavations 1997 Season Preliminary Report Agora:Image:1997.06.0045::/Agora/1997/1997.06/1997.06.0045.tif::1193::1150 Agora 10 Jun-1 Aug 1997 Agora:Report:1997 Excavations John McK. Camp II Excavations were carried out in two separate areas: under the Middle Stoa in the Agora square, and just north of the northwest entrance of the Agora. The excavations produced material covering a wide chronological span, from the earliest Iron Age to the beginning of the Hellenistic period. The early material was particularly abundant, for example an iron age burial, and a disturbed grave and two wells from the eighth century B.C. Over hundred pieces of ostraka were recovered from the late Archaic period. In the Classical commercial building, more evidence of the manufacture and sale of miniature works of art were found, as was another pyre. The demolition of a recently required property was begun. Excavations were carried out in two areas: in early levels underneath the west end of the Middle Stoa, and in and around the Classical commercial building north of the Stoa Poikile. The result of the 1996 season showed a variety both in material recovered and in chronological range, covering the time period from the early Iron Age to Hellenistic times. Agora:Image:2012.82.1138::/Agora/2012/2012.82/2012.82.1138.jpg::2048::1360 10 Jun-2 Aug 1996 Agora John McK. Camp II Agora:Report:1996 Excavations Report 1996 Excavations 1996 Excavation Summary Excavations continued in the areas of the Panathenaic Way, west of the Stoa Poikile, and in and around the Classical commercial building north of the Stoa Poikile. In the Panathenaic way the exploration of the Classical levels continued. It became clear that the composition of the road fills changed drastically over time. In the second half of the 5th century B.C. the road surfaces were carefully prepared, perhaps to then serve as a race track. The exploration of the levels overlying the Classical commercial building continued and more of the walls of the third room from the south were found along with a cement lined basin. Many fragments of terracotta figurines were found which indicate that such were sold and produced in the area. West of Stoa Poikile, the clearing of a late Archaic well was completed. It produced pottery for domestic use, dating to 510-480 B.C. 12 Jun-4 Aug 1995 Agora:Report:1995 Excavations Agora John McK. Camp II Agora:Image:2007.01.2083::/Agora/2007/2007.01/2007.01.2083.tif::2084::1478 1995 Excavations Agora Excavations 1995 Preliminary Report Report This is a report on the archaeological excavations in the Athenian Agora during 1992. The investigations continued in two areas: on the south side of Hastings Street and along the north side of Hadrian Street. In ancient times the latter area lay at the northwest corner of the Agora; the former lay north of the market square along the street leading out of the Agora. In the northernmost section Byzantine levels were dug, revealing a complex of two rooms and a courtyard bounded by streets. Three large pithoi were found in one of the rooms. A well, first used in the Roman period and then reused in the Byzantine period ,was dug and produced a large number of finds, amongst them a herm head from the Classical period. Further southeast along the street, the remains of a small Byzantine chapel was uncovered. In the southeast corner of the excavated area, the badly preserved foundations of the church of Aghios Nikolaos were investigated and removed. The great double channel of the Eridanos River was thoroughly investigated. A series of poros Doric column drums used in the north wall of the channel were partly uncovered. The drums were probably taken down from the Stoa Poikile to be reused in the channel. Report on Excavations in the Athenian Agora 1992 1992 Excavations Report T. Leslie Shear, Jr. Agora 8 Jun-7 Aug 1992 Agora:Report:1992 Excavations Agora:ReportPage:1992-Excavations-1::/Agora/Reports/1992 Excavations/1992 Excavations 001.jpg::1545::2048 This is a report on the archaeological field work conducted in the Athenian Agora during the period from December 1990 to December 1991. The actual excavation period was preceded by the demolition of a newly acquired building. Excavations continued in the areas along the north side of Hadrian Street (sections ΒΖ and ΒΗ) and was started in the new area on Hastings Street (section ΒΕ). The most important results of the season's field work concern the topography on the north side of the Agora. It was possible to explore a section of the Eridanos River which passes through the Agora in a great masonry tunnel covered by large slabs. It became clear that the Stoa Poikile was laid out to follow the coarse of the river. The close relation of the two structures suggest that the river was canalized at the same time as the foundation of the stoa was laid. Work continued west of the Stoa Poikile in the area of the early Roman temple which was added to the Sanctuary of Aphrodite Ourania in the Augustan period. South of the sanctuary, at the edge of the Panathenaic Way, two complete stelai, used as cover slabs over a small drain, were discovered. The third mayor area excavated was just north of the Stoa Poikile. This new area revealed the Byzantine phases of a building just behind the stoa. The walls of the building follow the orientation of the Classical commercial building on the site. Report 1991 Excavations Report on Excavations in the Athenian Agora 1991 Agora:ReportPage:1991-Excavations-1::/Agora/Reports/1991 Excavations/1991 Excavations 001.jpg::1530::2048 Agora Agora:Report:1991 Excavations 10 Jun-9 Aug 1991 T. Leslie Shear, Jr. 4 Jun-3 Aug 1990 Agora:Report:1990 Excavations Agora T. Leslie Shear, Jr. Agora:ReportPage:1990-Excavations-1::/Agora/Reports/1990 Excavations/1990 Excavations 001.jpg::1486::2048 1990 Excavations Report on Excavations in the Athenian Agora 1990 Report This is a report on the archaeological field work conducted in the Athenian Agora during the period from December 1989 to December 1990. The actual excavation period was preceded by preparatory operations including the demolition of a newly acquired building. Excavations were carried out during nine summer weeks in two sections along the north side of Hadrian Street: ΒΖ (divided into north and south) and ΒΗ. In section ΒΖ, Byzantine and and Roman fills were excavated. Three structures, already visible in Section ΒΕ, were revealed which led to a better understanding of these monuments. A well was dug and produced a large amount of pottery. In Section ΒΗ mostly modern fills were excavated. The remains of a church was found as was some walls and cover slabs overlying the Eridanos River. Agora:ReportPage:1972-ΒΔ-1::/Agora/Reports/1972 ΒΔ/1972 ΒΔ 001.jpg::1587::2048 22 Mar-20 Jun 1972 Agora:Report:1972 ΒΔ Stephen G. Miller Agora Report 1972 ΒΔ Excavation Summary Section ΒΔ: 1972 With the exception of the removal of certain modern intrusions, the recovery of a few layers of a late Roman road, and the discovery of the westward continuation of the southern foundation of Roman Building β, the work in Section ΒΔ during the 1972 season was concentrated on the exploration of the lower levels in the western area of the section. Significant new information was revealed regarding the topographical outlines of this area in Prehistoric, late Geometric, Archaic and Classical times. There are two copies of the report, both scanned, one is annotated. Two monuments, a milestone and a large poros base, discovered during earlier excavations, are discussed in an attempt to understand their purpose, history and original location. 1971 Topographical Notes Topographical Notes: Northeast Corner of the Agora Report Agora Agora:Report:1971 Topographical Notes S. G. Miller Agora:ReportPage:1971-Topographical-Notes-1::/Agora/Reports/1971 Topographical Notes/1971 Topographical Notes 001.jpg::1590::2048 Agora:ReportPage:1971-ΒΔ-1::/Agora/Reports/1971 ΒΔ/1971 ΒΔ 001.jpg::1588::2048 22 Mar-21 Sep 1971 Agora:Report:1971 ΒΔ Agora Stephen G. Miller Report Excavation Summary Section ΒΔ: 1971 1971 ΒΔ This season's work in Section ΒΔ was confined to the eastern half of the section. The area was somehow disturbed, partly by a trench dug by Koumanoudes in 1890. Remains of roads, drains and buildings were explored, in some places down to the Geometric period. A large number of deposits were excavated, amongst them a chamber tomb, several pyres, pits, pithoi etc. Agora:ReportPage:1971-Ω-1::/Agora/Reports/1971 Ω/1971 Ω 001.jpg::1589::2048 Agora Agora:Report:1971 Ω 22 Mar-27 May 1971 John McK. Camp II Report 1971 Ω Excavation Summary Section Ω: 1971 Roman House H was fully exposed and the underlying Early Roman and Greek remains were explored. Excavation Summary. Section ΒΔ: 1970 1970 ΒΔ Report 6 Mar-15 Aug 1970 Stephen G. Miller Agora Agora:Report:1970 ΒΔ Agora:ReportPage:1970-ΒΔ-1::/Agora/Reports/1970 ΒΔ/1970 ΒΔ 001.jpg::1589::2048 This is a report of the first year of excavation in Section ΒΔ, a problematic area due to its limitation by the railroad on the south and the Hadrian Street on the north, and to the disturbances made by the activities of the inhabitants in the area while digging for wells, pits, holes, foundations, etc. These disturbances had as a result that a significant quantity of earlier material had been destroyed. Despite that, many features were explored, spanning from the Turkish to the Archaic period, such as roads, walls, water works and buildings. Excavations were centered around a large late Roman complex know as the Roman House H. In addition, a late Hellenistic cistern was dug under the northwest corner of the house. Agora:Report:1970 Ω 24 May-22 Aug 1970 John McK. Camp II Agora Agora:ReportPage:1970-Ω-1::/Agora/Reports/1970 Ω/1970 Ω 001.jpg::1592::2048 1970 Ω Excavation Summary Section Ω: 1970 Report