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The
OSU Excavations at Isthmia - 1997 Preliminary Report
With a permit
from the Ministry of Culture and the assistance of the Fourth Ephoreia
of Classical and Prehistoric Antiquities (Nafplion) and the Sixth
Ephoreia of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Antiquities (Patras), The
Ohio State University Excavations at Isthmia carried out a program
of study and research at Isthmia for the American
School of Classical Studies at Athens, from June23 to August
2, 1997. Funding was supplied by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation,
the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, The Ohio State University, and many
private donors. Special thanks are due to Ms. Zoe Aslamatzidou of
the Fourth Ephoreia, Ms. Konstantina Skarmoutzou of the Sixth Ephoreia,
and Ms. Maria Pilali and Professors W.D.E. Coulson and James Muhly
of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.
The primary
goal of the 1997 season was the reorganization and consolidation
of existing projects and programs. Key to this was the fundamental
overhaul and updating of our computer-based information systems.
Design and coding of several modules was completed in Microsoft
Visual Basic and Access, including ceramics processing, excavation
unit recording, inventory, as well as the all-important basic semantic
structure of the information system. The design philosophy and actual
modules will be shared with colleagues, demonstrated at the AIA
meetings this coming December, and modified as a result of ongoing
discussion. All of this will be made available to the Archaeological
Service at the earliest possible moment. Research continued in the
Roman Bath in 1997, led by …mŸr Harmansah (University of Pennsylvania),
who worked on the architectural documentation of the building, Jayni
Phillip (University of Minnesota), who gathered further information
on the marble used in decoration, and Robert A. Seelinger (Westminster
College), who is studying the window glass and miscellaneous finds
from the building. Mr. Harmansah revised and completed the 12 section-elevation
drawings, illustrating nearly all aspects of construction of the
Roman Bath. He also completed drawings of the pool at the southeast
corner of Room XIII and a series of drawings that illustrate features
that seem to date from an earlier phase of construction of the building:
these include the door between Rooms III and X, that between Rooms
III and VI, and the brick structure that lies under the statue base
at the east end of Room VI. Ms. Phillip discovered many new decorative
elements in the Roman Bath, including the remains of a marble basin
which must have been set up in the apse of Room IX of the building.
She refined the categories of marbles removed from the building
and made progress in her understanding of the overall decorative
scheme. Professor Seelinger has essentially completed his study
of the window glass from the Roman Bath and he has now done preliminary
work on the some 80 small finds from the structure.
The Hexamilion
Spolia Project continued research begun in 1996 to locate, record,
describe, photograph, and draw all reused architectural blocks built
into the Hexamilion Wall. Progress this year consisted primarily
in improving recording techniques, building a sophisticated database,
and photographing and drawing many of the blocks discovered last
year. Field work was concentrated in the area from the Roman Bath
eastward to Tower 15 of the Byzantine Fortress. To date 83 blocks
in this area have been fully recorded, photographed, and drawn.
Internet and
Electronic materials continued to be developed by Samuel B. Fee.
These included the educational program Isthmia 3.0 already
being used by many universities and schools, the regular OSU Isthmia
web site (http://isthmia.ohio-state.edu/),
and information to be used by schools. In addition, he has been
developing interactive versions of much of the Isthmia database,
including the so-called Isthmia electronic notebook, available early
in 1998.
A program of
geophysical exploration was undertaken in conjunction with the Foundation
for Research and Technology of the University of Crete and the University
of Chicago Excavations at Isthmia. This project utilized electrical
resistance, magnetometry, and electromagnetometry in the exploration
of the East Field and the unexcavated area southeast of the Roman
Bath. In the latter area the resistivity data indicate the presence
of several linear anomalies, the most pronounced of which is just
southeast of Room XII. Full analysis of the data from this research
is being carried out by Apostolos Sarris of the University of Crete.
A preliminary
geomorphological survey in the eastern Korinthia was carried out
by Professors Jay Noller and Lisa Wells (Vanderbilt University).
They were able to gather the essential topographic and geological
information necessary to begin the creation of a geomorphological
map of the Korinthian coast of the Saronic Gulf, from the Korinth
Canal south to Korfos. They made regional observations of natural
and agricultural soils (e.g., type, depth, distribution, and relative
age), hillslopes (e.g., agricultural terraces, landslides and slumps,
soil vs bedrock), In addition, they made important preliminary observations
on the evidence for seismically active faults in the region that
should have bearing on the pace and location of rapid landscape
change.
Research also
continued in the area of the so-called East Field, east of the Temple
of Poseidon, partially excavated by Professor Paul Clement for UCLA
in 1970-1972. It is still not possible to elucidate the precise
function of the buildings in this area and their relationship to
the sanctuary itself, although progress toward this end has clearly
been made and we are in the process of compiling a preliminary report
on the excavations in the East Field.
Limited conservation
was carried out on the mosaic in Room VI of the Roman Bath under
the supervision of Panagiotis Elias This consisted in continued
consolidation of the border of the mosaic. In the meantime negotiation
was carried out with the Department of Conservation of the Ministry
of Culture for construction of a roof to cover and protect the mosaic.
Preliminary agreement on this plan was made and we hope that work
on construction of the roof can begin as quickly as possible.
Among specialists
working at the site this year were Joesph Rife (University of Michigan:
human burials), Liane Houghtalin (Mary Washington College: numismatics),
and Michael Mills (University of New Brunswick: stamped tiles).
Expansion of the excavation's educational program was carried out
by the development of a web site for schools in Greece and the US.
Timothy E. Gregory
7 October 1997
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