Excavation of a 13Th-Century Church Near Vasilitsi

hesperia yy (2008) EXCAVATION OF A Pages497S37 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH NEAR VASILITSI, SOUTHERN MESSENIA

ABSTRACT

A small-scaleexcavation in the area ofVasilitsi, southern Messenia, revealed the remnantsof a previouslyunrecorded 13th-centurytriple-aisled cross- vaulted churchwith a series of burials along its northwall. In addition to ceramicsand a marblebasin, a small hoard of Venetian torneselliwas found. The authordiscusses the church'speriod of use and details of its architecture and construction,as well as the identityof its builders and the settlement pattern of this largely unknown area. Parallels from published histories, surfacesurveys, and excavations fromother regions of medieval Messenia and Greece are discussed. An osteological reporton the burials is presented as an appendix.

- In the past fewdecades, various regions of Messenia particularlytheir - Byzantine,Frankish, and Ottomanphases have attractedgreat interest amongarchaeologists, thereby providing a usefulbody of comparandafor currentwork in the area.1This report,which presents the results of exca- vationsin 2000 in southernMessenia, focuses on the remainsof a small 13th-centurychurch, probably built by a travelingguild of craftsmenfol- lowingLate Byzantineexamples in southernGreece. Architectural remains, alongwith skeletal, numismatic, and ceramicfinds, allow a glimpseof the dailylife of a smalllate medievalrural community.2

1. See,e.g., Nichoria III, pp. 353- tornesellihoard, while Stavroula Dou- Ephorateof Byzantine Antiquities, 434; Dimitrokallis1990; Hodgetts and bogianni,Thanos Katakos, and Giorgos Kalamata. Lock 1996;Davis et al. 1997;Davis Tsairiswere responsible for the con- LilianKarali examined burials 1-3 1998;Bennet, Davis, and Zarinebaf- servationof the finds. Marina Geor- in theLaboratory of Environmental Shahr2000; Davies2004; Zarinebaf, goutsouproduced the profile drawings Archaeology,Department of Archaeol- Bennet,and Davis 2005; see also ofthe ceramic vessels, and Giorgos ogyand Historyof Art, University of Sigalos2004, pp. 113-114. Maraveliasthe photographs. Final Athens.Her osteologicalreport, which 2. MariosMichailidis executed the changeson all artworkwere executed appearsas an appendixto thisarticle, church'splans and reconstruction,while byIrakleitos Antoniades, architect. was carriedout in cooperationwith IoannisPapamikroulis, architect, and Currentlythe finds are stored in the IsminiKavoura and DaisukeYamagu- IoannisHaritos, topographer, produced ArchaeologicalRepository of Pylos chi,both postgraduate students. Nia theoriginal drawings. Alan Stahland (ARP), at theFortress of Pylos, Giannakopouloscontributed to the JulianBaker identified the coins of the whilethe coins remain with the 26th palaeopathologicalstudy.

Figure1. Planof southern Messenia. Archiveof the Archaeological Receipts Fund,Athens

The churchruins stand isolated and nearlyburied on a hillsidebetween the modernvillage of Vasilitsiand the area knownas Selitza,3located at Messenia'ssouthern tip, Cape Akritas(Fig. 1). Althoughthe ruinsstill formthe center of local veneration of the Mother of God (Theotokos),the sitehas been ignored in thebibliography and untilrecently remained unex- ploredby archaeologists.4The church is builton a steepmountain decline, withits lengthwise axis (east-west) transverse to theslope. More thanhalf of the structurehad collapsedand lay buried.The survivingparts of the building,visible even beforeexcavation (Figs. 2-4), includedthe south aisle of the main naos,covered by a low,longitudinal vault resting on two piers,the intact dtakonikon, the central apse (bema)up to thespringing of its arch,and the walls of the rectangularnarthex to the springingof the barrelvault.

3. Selitzais a wordof Slavic origin existingbuilding (cf. the case ofthe cordingto theMinistry of Culture's thatsignifies "village." The sameplace- Panaktonchurches: Gerstel et al. 2003, archive),the Ephorate requested a nameis usedfor an areanortheast of p. 174). thorougharchitectural study and Kalamata. In 2000,the residents of Vasilitsi, restorationproject. The residents 4. The churchis notfound, e.g., in citingthe religious significance of the submitteda proposal to reconstruct Sigaloss listof 10th-to 19th-century churchruins, requested permission a newcross-in-square church. Field- churchesin Messenia(Sigalos 2004, fromthe 5th Ephorate of Byzantine workwas undertakenin November- appendixD, pp.234-236). I havebeen Antiquities(then responsible for the December2000, both to assessthe unableto determinefrom the local area)to rebuildit. Since the building proposedreconstruction and to record inhabitantswhether the Virgins vener- was previouslyrecorded as a likely survivingmaterial that would date the ationis a survivalfrom the medieval "earlymodern construction" (a "post- building. periodor a laterattribution to a pre- Byzantinedouble apse" church, ac- EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 499

Figure2. Generalview of the site beforeexcavation, from the north- When thesurface vegetation was cleared,it became apparent that the east. PhotoN. D. Kontogiannis downward-shiftingearth had createdthe unevennessof the site:the survivingparts of the south side ofthe church remained above ground, while thoseon the northernand easternsides were completely buried (Fig. 2). There was a pressingneed to address the instabilityobserved in the remainingparts of the masonry;therefore, it was decidedthat a limited excavationshould be conductedin orderto uncoverthe buildings north partand completeits plan, and thatimmediate measures should be taken to consolidatethe masonry.

THE EXCAVATION

Six trencheswere dug on thenorth and eastside of the church (Fig. 3).5In all trenches,under a thinsurface layer of darkbrown earth, roots, stones, and tiles,we excavatedthe building'sdestruction layer, which contained largequantities of stonesthat had fallenfrom the building's upper levels, as well as brokentiles from the roof. Some ofthe stones still bore traces of thelime mortarthat was used in thewall construction.We also collected manyfragments of the paintedplaster that once coated the buildings interior.There was no sign of plaster,however, on the exteriorsurfaces of the survivingwalls. The absence of tracesof fire,charred wood, and charcoalsuggested that the buildinghad collapsedfrom natural causes, 5. Bothin thefield notebooks such as or a afterthe church and forthe offinds in the erosion,earthquake, landslide,perhaps long recording had been abandoned. Ephoratestorerooms, the trenches werenumbered following the Greek Underneaththe destructionlayer, the foundationlayer of the church alphabet(A, B, T,A, E, It). Here I was excavatedjust above the softnatural bedrock. Signs of the original have theLatin adopted letteringA-F. flooringof the building were noted in twotrenches (A and B).The excava- The upperpart of a largeashlar stone tionfulfilled its of the entirenorth side of the church.The thathad remainedin situand servedas goal revealing easternside was freedfrom earth and theremains of all three of the lintelof the passage between the naos apses were withthe lower of two northern andthe narthex was usedas theleveling sanctuary recovered,together part pointfor all measurements. piers(Figs. 5, 6). 5OO NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Figure3. Plans showingthe church, trenches,and threeintact burials. M. Michailidis EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 5OI

Figure4. Churchremains, in longitudinal(above) and transverse The timeperiod during which the building functioned can be deter- section.M. Michailidis minedby the small finds and pottery. The earliest diagnostic ceramics, com- ingmainly from burials discovered along the church's north wall, can be attributedto themiddle or thesecond half of the 13thcentury, while late-18th- to 19th-centurypottery was foundin and abovethe destructionlayer, pointing to activityin thearea at thattime, probably after the collapseof the roof. 5O2 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Figure5. Generalview after excavation,from the northeast. Photo N. D. Kontogiannis

Figure6. Exteriorof apses after excavation,from the southeast. PhotoN. D. Kontogiannis

Trench A

TrenchA encloseda largesection of the church'seast end,including the sanctuary(Fig. 3). It extendedfrom the centralapse and the easternsur- vivingpier northward, covering the partof the churchthat lay buried in this direction.The trenchwas rectangular,with overalldimensions of 3.50 (L.) x 2.60 m (W.). The earththat covered this area slantednorth- ward,resulting in elevationdifferences in thetrench. The highestpart lay insidethe building, at a depthof ca. 1.73 m fromthe leveling point, with the lowest(northern) part of the trenchoutside the building,at a depth of ca. 2.38 m. Withintrench A, the survivingwalls of the churchs centralapse re- tainedparts of theoriginal plaster, with traces of color.Under the rectan- gulararched window, whose lower part survives at thecenter of the conch, EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 503

Figure7. Centralapse withthe remainsof the altar. Photo N. D. Kontogiannis

a low shelfwas revealed(p.H. ca. 0.40 m).The shelf,constructed of stone slabsand littleor no mortar,was not structurallybonded to the apse wall (Fig. 7). The discoveryof plasterbehind it indicatedthat the shelfwas added afterthe initialconstruction and decorationof the church.It can be interpretedas thebuilt-in altar of thechurch, a typicalfeature in small ecclesiasticalstructures. A similarfeature also survivesin the diakonikon. Part of the originalfloor of the churchwas uncoveredin the area betweenthe easternpier and the apse,under the archthat separates the bemafrom the diakonikon.It lies at a depthof ca. 2 m and consistsof a mixtureof mortarand earth.The flooris foundedon thebedrock with a substructureof smallstones and brokentiles. Moreover,the excavation of trench A revealedthe north exterior part of thecentral apse to itssurviving height (ca. 3.50 m). This wall was built with alternatingcourses of brickand stone;the bricksare set in single courses,with the lowest set directlyon bedrock(Fig. 6). The deviationof thewall fromthe vertical axis, toward the north (Fig. 3), mayplausibly be explainedby the settlingof the structure,but thisis uncertain. Masonrybelonging to theprothesis was unearthedin the area north ofthe central apse (Fig. 3). The lowerparts of this smaller apse surviveon the southand east sides;on the northside, only the foundationremains. The prothesiswas semicircularon theinterior, with the lower stones of the 504 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS semicirclestill preserved in situ,and three-sided on theexterior. It is thus identicalin form to the central apse. The church'sbuilders had consolidated theprothesis apse on theunderlying bedrock with a foundationof rough stonesand broken tiles set in mortar. Because the bedrock banks sharply on thisside, the foundation had to be extendedbeyond the line of the apse, in orderto establisha level surface on which to constructthe prothesis walls. The discoveryof a thirdprojecting apse was importantbecause it helpedto clarify the plan of the church (Figs. 3, 4); italso provided useful - - indicationsas tothe external still unearthed side of the southern apse. The excavationof the southern diakonikon apse (trench F) wasplanned in orderto observethe formal and structural details that would in turnhelp us reconstructthe lost upper part of the northern prothesis apse. No trace ofthe church's north wall was found in trenchA. The wallseastern end, whichshould connect to theprothesis conch, must have been completely destroyed.It is possible,however, based on thesize of the north conch, to reconstructitsposition in theplan (Fig. 3). Insidethe building, the bedrock was unearthed at a depthof 2.41 m, andwas quite soft and easy to crush. Outside the church, the bedrock de- scendedsharply, to a depthof 3.18 m. Datablefinds were confined to potsherds. Those from the foundation layerdated to the mid-13th- to mid-14th century (9, Fig. 16, below), while thosefrom the destruction and surface layers were attributed tothe 18 th- 19thcenturies (10, 13,14, 16, Figs. 15, 18, 20, below). Apart from these finds,trench A alsoproduced a handfulof plain glazed sherds, which I havenot included in the catalogue. Although these sherds cannot be dated withany precision, they are a signof intense activity during the period of thebuildings use.

Trench B

TrenchB wasplaced at thenorthwest part of the main naos, at thepoint ofits connection to thenarthex (Figs. 2, 3). Our aimwas to uncoverthe northwall of the naos, as wellas theremains of a thirdpier, whose traces werevisible in the ground. As in trenchA, thesloping ground resulted in significantdifferences inelevation, with the highest point on thesouth, at a depthof ca. 1.50m fromthe leveling point, and the lowest at 2.60 m. The destructionlayer in trenchB containedvery few sherds, none ofwhich could be datedwith precision. One ofthe stones in therubble retainedpart of the original plaster coating of the church, and so musthave originatedfrom the facing of the destroyed wall. The lowerportion of the north wall of the building was uncovered lengthwisealong the trench (Fig. 3). The highestsurviving point of the walllies close to thetransversal wall that divides narthex from naos. Parts ofthe plaster covering the walls survived at thecorner between the north andtransversal walls. The surfaceof theplaster is brownishyellow, but originallymust have been white. The tracesof walls observed in thein- teriorof the building before excavation were the upper surviving parts of thenorthwestern rectangular pier, identical in shapeand size to thetwo survivingpiers of the church. EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 505

Figure8. Trench B, burial2, from the east. PhotoN. D. Kontogiannis

Excavationeast of the northwestern pier revealed evidence of fire, most- lycharcoal, that was of modestdimensions, approximately 0.45 x 0.60 m, froma depthof ca. 2.05 m to 2.18 m. No such evidenceof burningwas observedin anyother part of thebuilding, so thisshould be viewedas an isolatedincident rather than a signof a firethat could havedestroyed the church. At a depthof ca. 2.23 m,just belowthe fire layer, a surfaceof mortar and earthwas revealed.Its survivingpart has a lengthof 0.38 m and a width of0.18 m,but it probablyextended beyond the limits of the trench. This is partof the church's original floor, and can be relatedto theone discovered in trenchA. These arethe only traces of the floor that were found, however; therest of thefragile surface seems to havebeen destroyed. In thenorthwestern corner of the naosy between the north wall and the transversewall, the excavationuncovered a child'sburial in a stone-lined and slab-coveredcist grave (burial 2, Figs. 3, 8).6The slabs thatcovered theburial were found at a depthof ca. 2.28 m,at a levelimmediately under thatof the mortarfloor noted in the easternpart of the trench.Under thecover slabs, an oblongformation of stonesset vertically to theground was unearthed.The tomb,with externaldimensions of 0.90 x 0.43 m, was parallelto and almostin contactwith the northwall. Apart from the skeleton,it includedearth, masses of lime mortar,and a fewpieces of charcoal. A horizontalgroove, or ridge, with a widthof ca. 0.05 m,was observed on theinternal side of thenorth wall. It extendedthe whole length of the wall,at a depthof ca. 2.46 m. In thispart of the trench, the earth was dark brown,but a differentzone nextto thewall, measuring 0.10 m,contained lightgray, softer earth. The coursesof stonein the northwall stoppedat a depthof ca. 2.78 m. The excavationcontinued up to ca. 2.87 m, but did not reachthe bedrock.The earthwas particularlyhard and compact, withoutlarge stones, and it is obviousthat at thispoint the north wall was 6. SeeAppendix, burial 2. foundednot on bedrockbut on solid ground.It is likelythat the groove 506 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Figure9. TrenchesB and D, with intactburials 1 (left)and 4, from the east. PhotoN. D. Kontogiannis at 2.46 m indicatesthe pointbelow which the foundationof thewall lay (ca. 0.30 m), and thatthe zone of light-coloredearth is the foundation ditchof thebuilding. There were no findsfrom this area. The excavationin the area outsidethe northwall was reducedto a space of 1.15 x 1.05 m. At a depthof ca. 3.07 m, a humanskull began to appear,and furtherexcavation within the limitsof trenchB revealedthe uppertorso (head and shoulders)of an undisturbedadult burial (burial I).7 The skeletonlay buriedalong the northwall; its head, pointingtoward the west,was supportedby two slabs thathad been set verticallyon the groundwith a rightangle between them (Figs. 9, left;12). The excavation stoppedat a depthof ca. 3.25 m. There were no otherfinds apart from numerousbones, which did not originatefrom burial 1 but fromother, obviouslydisturbed, earlier burials. The findsin trenchB led to furtherstudy of the area between trenches A and B, at the exteriorof the northwall (trenchD, see below).When trenchB was extendednorthward by ca. 0.30 m to facilitatethe movement ofworkers within the trench,we discovered,at the same levelas burial1, two moreskulls that must have belonged to disturbedburials, along with an undisturbedskeleton (burial 4) thatwas leftin situ(Fig. 9, right).We did notpursue work in thisarea, however, and conclusionsas to thenumber and positioningof theburials must await future research. 7. See Appendix,burial 1. EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 507

Figure10. Narthex, from the south. PhotoN. D. Kontogiannis

Trench C

TrenchC includedthe area outside the north wall of the narthex (Figs. 3, 10).The initialaim of the excavation was to recover the part of the church thatforms the continuation ofthe north wall of the naos (narthex). This wouldhelp us to ascertainthe sequence of possible building phases. Fur- thermore,we expected to locate the church's entrance, indicated by a break in themasonry before excavation. The trenchwas trapezoidal,measuring 3 x 1.50 m,and the removal ofthe surface layer started from a depthof ca. 1.95 m fromthe leveling point.At a depthof 2.30 m,a smallhoard of six Venetian torneselli was found(1-6), ca. 2.10 m fromthe northwest corner of the monument and 0.60 m fromthe exterior face of the narthex (Fig. 14, below). There was no signof a pouchor any other container; the hoard was probably hidden in theupper part of the church walls, and dropped to theground when thechurch was demolished. As expected,the excavation revealed the threshold of thenarthex portalat thebuildings north wall. The openinghas a widthof 0.72 m anda thicknessequal to thethickness of the wall at thispoint, ca. 0.56m (Fig.10). The doorstep,formed by a singleworked stone, was found at a depthof ca. 2 m.A seriesof slabs was found outside the doorway, in contactwith the north wall of the narthex. These either belonged to a pavement orformed built steps that led to the door. Their precise function, however, couldnot be determinedbecause of the poor quality of the construction. Afterclearing and recording,the slabs were partly removed to establish thedepth of the foundation of the narthex wall. Bedrock was recovered at a depthof 2.60 m in thewestern part of the trench. At thepoint of the north wall where the naos meets the narthex, no jointor anyother change in themasonry was observed.The masonryis uniformthroughout the north wall of thebuilding, indicating that the narthexbelongs to thesame building phase as therest of the structure. 508 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Figure11. View ofthe excavated northwall ofthe church, from the east.Trenches B-D, withburials 1, 3, and 4. PhotoN. D. Kontogiannis

Figure12. Trenches B and D, burial1. Reburiedskull and long bones ofan earlierburial over the lower part of theskeleton. Photo N. D. Kontogiannis EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 509

Figure13. TrenchD, burial3. Photo N. D. Kontogiannis

Trench D

TrenchD was placed outsidethe northwall, between trenches A and B, in orderto revealthe remaining part of the north wall and to completethe excavationof burial1, partof whichwas unearthedin trenchB (Fig. 3). It was a rectangulartrench measuring 1.90 x 1.30 m. The excavation began at a depthof ca. 2.50 m fromthe leveling point. Immediately after the removalof the surfacelayer, traces of the northwall were evident throughoutthe trench. At a depthof 3 m, excavationrevealed a largenumber of bones that belongedto severalburials, of which only two were undisturbed (burials 1 and 3, Figs. 11-13). The burialsprobably originally occupied a widerarea outsidethe north side ofthe church, far beyond the limits of the trenches. Our excavation,however, was confinedto a small area (0.80 x 3.16 m) outsidethe northwall. The workin trenchD completelyunearthed burial 1 (Figs. 11,12). The skeletonwas placedin an extendedposition with the forearms crossed over thechest. The bonesappeared at a depthof ca. 3.25 m.The areaoccupied by the skeletonwas 1.60 m long and 0.42 m wide. Aroundthe handsof theindividual were sherds from a small,unglazed cooking pot (15, Fig. 19, - below).Moreover, a skulland long bones probablycoming from an earlier, - disturbedburial layover the feet of the skeleton. The placementof these boneswas not the accidentalresult of erosionor earthmovements, but a preciseand consciousact by the people who performedburial 1 . Therewas also a slab setvertically to the northwall thatkept the secondskull in its place.This mustbe a reburialof an earlierskeleton, which occurred at the same timeas burial1. East ofburial 1, at thesame axis and virtuallyin contactwith its lower bones,another similar undisturbed burial was found,also parallelto the northwall (burial3, Figs. 11, 13).8The bonesappeared a littledeeper than thoseof burial 1, at a depthof ca. 3.35 m,set directlyabove bedrock. The skeletonoccupied an area 1.63 m long and 0.30 m wide. Bedrockwas 8. SeeAppendix, burial 3. unearthedat a depthof 3.65 m (lowestpoint). 5IO NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Burials1 and3 presentedmany similarities. Both skeletons were in an extendedposition, with the head propped up bystones and pointing towardthe west. The upper arms had been placed parallel to the body, while theforearms were crossed over the chest. Two stonesset vertically to the ground(parallel in burial3; witha rightangle between them in burial1) supportedthe head in an uprightposition. The factthat burial 1 wasnot setdirectly on bedrock,but slightly above it, may indicate that it slightly postdatesburial 3. The twoburials must belong to thesame time period, however,since the one did not disturb the other. It is alsoworth observing thata skullfrom another unidentified and disturbed burial was placed over thefeet of burial 3, againapparently a conscious act (a reburial),rather thanthe result of incidental earth movement. Afterthe burials were recorded and removed, the bedrock was exposed acrossthe entire length of the trench outside the north wall. The soilwas stony,gray, and moist, containing many chips of natural rock. Ceramic finds linkedwith the disturbed burials included the sherds of a proto-majolica glazedvessel (8, Fig. 15, below) and a nearlyintact Late Byzantine sgraffito glazedbowl decorated with concentric circles (11, Fig. 17, below), found at a depthof 3.25 m,1.05 m fromthe north wall and 1.20 m fromthe easternside of the trench.

Trench E

The discoveryof the northwestern pier in trenchB ledto theopening of a smalltrench (1.30 x 0.90 m) to uncoverthe remains of the fourth and finalnortheastern pier (Fig. 3). The diggingbegan at a depthof ca. 1.76m, which,due to thesloping earth, was significantlyhigher than the lowest point(2.26 m) ofthe trench near the north wall. The upperremaining parts of the pier were unearthed at a depthof 1.90m, immediately after the removal of the surface layer. We removed largestones that proved to haveno connectionto thewalls but probably camefrom the destruction ofthe roof. Trench E yieldeda fewsherds and numerouspieces of plaster. At a depthof ca. 2.35 m,the soil contained manypieces of lime mortar, either from the plastering ofthe walls or from thefloor of the church, which was not preserved inthis part of the building.The bedrockwas uncovered at a depthof ca. 2.85 m. No ceramicfinds wererecorded in thelower layers above bedrock.

Trench F

TrenchF (2.40 x 1.30 m) was placedoutside the sanctuary, in the area outsidethe central and south apses of the church (Figs. 3, 6). This area was expectedto providecritical information about the form of the lost upper partsof the north apse found in trenchA. Excavationbegan at a depthof ca. 0.83 m (1.20m atthe lowest point ofthe sloping surface). One ofthe roof tiles was preserved almost intact withinthe fill of the trench (17, Fig. 21, below). The triple-sidedapse of thediakonikon was uncovered perfectly preserved, its window blocked by verticalslabs. From a depthof 1.90 m,work in thenorthern part of the trench(i.e., the exterior of thecentral apse) was hinderedby the large EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 511

amountsof earththat had coveredthe monument from this side and presenteda constant danger of subsiding. Trench F yieldedonly a handful offinds, including a part of a marblebasin (18, Fig. 22, below), possibly a holywater font or a mortar.In thenorthern part of the trench, bedrock wasunearthed at a depthof ca. 2.37 m,while the excavation stopped at ca. 2.10 m.

CATALOGUE OF FINDS

The excavationproduced a number of ceramic items, connected either with thebuilding itself (as thecover tile, 17) andits use (7, 9, 10, 12-14,16) orwith the burials (8, 11,15). These are catalogued below, along with the hoardof torneselli (1-6)9 and the marble basin (18).

COIN HOARD 1 Venetianbillon tornesello Fig. 14 ArchaeologicalRepository of Pylos (ARP) no.Ml. TrenchC (layer1, group 1). Dim. 0.016 x 0.015 m. Obverse:cross pate. [+-ANTO']VENE[RIO-DVX-] Reverse:winged lion on its kneeswith the Gospel betweenits frontpaws. [+-]VEXI[LIFER-VENET]IA[M] Cf. Schlumberger1878, pl. XVIII:9; Stahl 1985,pp. 74-75, pls. 1,2, nos. 14- 17; Papadopoli-Aldobrandini[1893-1919] 1997,vol. 1, p. 231, no. 7, pl. Xfflill. Doge AntonioVenier (1382-1400).

2 Venetianbillon tornesello Fig. 14 ARP no. M2. TrenchC (layer1, group1). Dim. 0.016 x 0.015 m. Obverse:same as 1. [+-MICh]AEL-S[TEN'-]DV[X-] Reverse: same as 1. +[VEXILIFER-VENETIA]M- Cf. Stahl1985, p. 75,pl. 2, nos.18, 19; Papadopoli-Aldobrandini[1893-1919] 1997,vol. 1, p. 240, no. 7, pl. XIV:4. Doge Michele Steno (1400-1414). 9. The tornesellois probably the found mostabundant medieval coinage 3 Venetianbillon tornesello Fig. 14 in thePeloponnese (for finds of torne- ARP no. M3. TrenchC 1, 1). Dim. 0.016 x 0.016 m. selli,see Stahl1985, pp. 21-29; Davis (layer group Obverse:same as 1. et al. 1997,p. 481; Gerstelet al. 2003, pp.227-228). It was a pettycurrency +-ANTO'V[ENERI]O-DVX- designedto facilitateeveryday trans- Reverse:same as 1. actions(Stahl 1985, pp. 7-10). Minted +VEXI[LIF]ER-VEN[ETIA]M- in Venicein hugequantities, it was then For bibliography,see 1. shippedto thePeloponnese, Euboia, Doge AntonioVenier (1382-1400). and Creteto be usedin theVenetian colonies.Torneselli rilled the gap left 4 Venetianbillon tornesello Fig. 14 afterthe local Frankish mints ceased to ARP no. M4. TrenchC (layer1, group1). Dim. 0.015 x 0.015 m. producedeniers tournois in thefirst half Obverse:same as 1. ofthe 14th century. Production was initiatedin 1353 and thecoins circu- +-[ANDR']QTAR'DVX- latedin thePeloponnese until the fall Reverse:same as 1. ofVenetian rule in 1500. [VE]XI[LIFER-V]ENETI[AM] 512 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Figure14. Venetiantorneselli (1-6) Cf. Stahl1985, p. 74, pl. 1, nos.8-11; Papadopoli-Aldobrandini[1893-1919] foundin trenchC. Obverseto left vol. no. XIL14. 1997, 1, p. 217, 8, pl. foreach pair.Scale 2:1. Photos G. Tsairis Doge AndreaContarini (1368-1382); fromthe second part of his reign, since it reads Venetiaand not Veneciaon thereverse.

5 Venetianbillon tornesello Fig. 14 ARP no. M5. TrenchC (layer1, group1). Dim. 0.016 x 0.015 m. Obverse:same as 1. [+-ANTO']VENERIO[-D]VX- Reverse:same as 1. [+VEXILIFER-]VENETIA[M]- For bibliography,see 1. Doge AntonioVenier (1382-1400).

6 Imitationof Venetianbillon tornesello Fig. 14 ARP no. M6. TrenchC (layer1, group1). Dim. 0.018 x 0.016 m. Obverse:same as 1. +ANT DVX Reverse:same as 1. ...X E Cf. Stahl 1985, p. 76, pl. 2, nos. 26-28. Imitationtornesello in the name ofAntonio Venier (1382-1400). EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 513

Figure15. Ceramicfinds: proto- majolicaware (7, 8), Ottomanmar- bled ware(10), and late sgraffitoware (12). Scale 2:3 (7, 8); 1:1 (10, 12). Photos G. Maravelias

CERAMICS Painted Decoration 7 Proto-majolicavessel Fig. 15 ARP no. KAI.38/A.13.Trench C (layer1, group1). (a) L. 0.046, W. 0.026, (b) L. 0.040, W. 0.026, (c) L. 0.029, W. 0.018 m. Open shape,three fragments from rim and body(a-c). White clay(Munsell 10YR 8/2).On theinterior, painted decoration on opaque tinglaze runningacross therim: a band ofblue consecutivecircles (plait pattern) between groups of three manganeselines. Exterior is undecorated. An exampleof South Italian proto-majolicapottery. Similar 13th-century ceramicshave been excavatedat Corinth:CorinthXl, pp. 105-107, 251, nos. 802, 805,fig.84,pl.XXXIV:b. 13thcentury.

8 Proto-majolicavessel Fig. 15 ARP no. KAI.39/A.17.Trench D (layer3, group2), D. 3.09, distance0.95 fromthe northwall and 1.05 m fromthe easternside of the trench.L. 0.068, W. 0.058 m. Open shape,body fragment.White clay (Munsell 2.5YR 8/2). On the inside, painteddecoration above opaque tin glaze: a gridironpattern with bluish graycolor, with brown X-shaped motifsin the spaces.The browncolor strokes are coveringpart of the grid.Transparent, rather worn glaze coversthe surface. Exteriorundecorated. The fragmentbelongs to thegroup of gridiron proto-majolica. This warewas producedin severalworkshops of South Italy,and its presenceis well attestedat manysites in Greece:cf. Vroom 2003, pp. 167-169. Mid-13th to mid-14thcentury. 514 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

16. of 9 Proto-majolicavessel Fig.16 Figure Fragments proto- vessel foundin ARP no. KAI.37/A.5.Trench A L. W. majolica (9) (layer3, group3). (a) 0.070, 0.045, trenchA. PhotoG. Maravelias (b) L. 0.060,W. 0.045,(c) L. 0.050,W. 0.042,(d) L. 0.075,W. 0.060,(e) L. 0.050, W. 0.025,(f) L. 0.060,W. 0.050,(g) L. 0.040,W. 0.025m. Closedshape, seven fragments from neck and body. Fragments fand g, from theneck of the vessel, join (notshown mended in Fig. 16). Fragmentsa-c, also joining,belong to the body, as do theremaining two nonjoining fragments, d and e. Pinkishwhite clay (Munsell 7.5YR 8/4).Painted decoration on theexterior, overwhite slip. Around the upper part of the body, vertical green lines alternate withbrown spirals. Yellowish glaze covers the exterior surface. As is clearfrom sherdd, the glaze did not cover the whole surface of the vessel; it was not applied tothe lower part or the base, where only white slip is visible (sherd d is illustrated upsidedown). Althoughfragmentary, thevessel can be attributedtothe proto-majolica ware fromSouth Italy; see 7 above. Mid-13thto mid-14thcentury.

10 Ottomanmarbled ware Fig.15 ARP no.KAI.36/A.2. Trench A (layer1, group 1). L. 0.040,W. 0.026m. Openshape, rim fragment. Reddish yellow clay (Munsell 7.5 YR 7/8).White slipcovers both sides of the sherd. Decoration with spots of red color above slip. Transparentshiny glaze. The fragmentbelongs to a variantof marbled ware, a distinctivepottery that imitatedthe veins of marble and was quite popular from the 16th-17th century onward.Its productionwas originallyassociated with the workshops of Pisa in Italy,but it was alsowidely imitated in theOttoman empire. Vessels decorated withrandom spots of different colors on whiteslip seem to belongto thelater productionof the ware. For18th-century examples from Athens, see Waage 1933, p. 327,fig. 20:g; Frantz1942, p. 27,group 9, nos.15, 16, figs. 30, 31; Vavylopoulou-Charitonidou 1982,p. 64,no. 19. From Kos: Kontogiannis 2002, pp. 219-220, nos. 27, 29, 30. 18thcentury. EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 515

Figure17. Restoredand completed latesgraffito bowl (11) foundin trench D. PhotosG. Maravelias;drawing M. Georgoutsou

Sgraffito Decoration 11 Latesgraffito bowl with concentric circles Fig.17 ARP no. KAI.39/A.18.Trench D (layer4, group3). Diam. of rim0.135, Diam.of base 0.060, H. 0.060m. Threefragments from base and body. The vesselhas been restored and completed.It is a smallglobular bowl with a lowring base with a knotunderneath. Clayreddish yellow (Munsell 5YR 7/6).White slip covers both sides of the vessel, includingthe exterior of the base. Incised decoration on theinside: a pairof con- centriclines runs around the rim and the body, while a spiraloccupies the center ofthe base. Green-yellow glaze covers the whole vessel. Both the glaze and the slipare worn on theinside but well preserved on theexterior. The bowlbelongs to thecategory of late sgraffito pottery with concentric circles.Similar vessels have been found around the Aegean, and were originally identifiedas derivativesof Zeuxippusware: see Armstrong 1992; 1993, pp. 304, 307-309,313-314, 328-329, 332; Francois 1995, pp. 91-96.They are usually dated to themiddle or thesecond half of the 13th century, although their production continuedwell into the 15th century. Forsimilar specimens from Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus, and Italy, see Ni- choriaIII, pp.381-382, nos. P1708, P1710, figs. 10-32, 10-34, pls. 10-12, 10-14; 516 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Francis 1995,pp. 91-96,serie Ih, pl. 13:c;Spieser 1996, p. 51; Francis 1999, pp.110-132; Augusti and Saccardo 2002, p. 147;Kontogiannis 2002, pp. 226-227, no.48; Gerstelet al. 2003,pp. 151,158, no. 3, fig.8, pp. 170,181-183, nos. 44, 46,47, fig. 34; Vroom2003, pp. 164-165;2005, pp. 110-111;Dori, Velissariou, andMichaelidis 2003, pp. 111-116, nos. 1-15, pls. I, II; Bohlendorf-Arslan2004, pp.128-129. Middleor second half of the 13th century.

12 Latesgraffito ware Fig.15 ARP no.KAI.38/A.12. Trench C (layer1, group 1). L. 0.038,W. 0.030m. Openshape, body fragment. Reddish yellow clay (Munsell 5YR 6/8).On the inside,coating of white slip and incised decoration with curved lines, part of an unknownmotif. Yellow-green glaze. Exterior side undecorated. Forrelevant Late Byzantine examples, see Makropoulou 1995, p. 18,nos. 48, 49,pl. 26; Francois1995, pp. 90-91,serie Ig, pl. 13:a,b; Dori,Velissariou, and Michaelidis2003, pp. 122-123, no. 31, pl. IILa. 14th-15thcentury.

Plain Glazed 13 Open(?)vessel Fig.18 ARP no.KAI.36/A.1.2. Trench A (layer1, group1). Diam. ofbase 0.100, p.H.0.068 m. Fragments: (a) L. 0.100,W. 0.050,(b) L. 0.055,W. 0.025,(c) L. 0.105, W. 0.087m. Threejoining fragments from the bottom and the body of an openshape. Lightreddish brown clay (Munsell 5YR 6/4).On theinside, white slip and green glaze.Two tracesof a tripodstilt. On theexterior, traces of glaze set directly on theclay. Probablya later production of the 18th-19th century, a period not yet thor- oughlystudied.

14 Closed(?)vessel Fig.18 ARP no. KAI.36/A.1.1.Trench A (layer1, group1). Overalldim. (a-d): Diam.of base 0.098, p.H. 0.075 m. Fragments: (a) L. 0.110,W. 0.070,(b) L. 0.100, W. 0.055,(c) L. 0.100,W. 0.035,(d) L. 0.070,W. 0.040,(e) L. 0.070,W. 0.035, (f) L. 0.075,W. 0.035,(g) L. 0.050,W. 0.040m. Sevenfragments from bottom and body.Four of thesurviving fragments (a-d) join andcome from the bottom and the body of the vessel. Two (e, f) also joinand come from the body. Light reddish body (Munsell 5YR 7/4).Plain glaze coversboth sides. The exterior, apart from the bottom, iscovered with light greenish glazethat crackles. The interioris covered with shiny brown crackled glaze. Belongsto thesame category as 13. 18th-19thcentury.

Undecorated 15 Cookingpot Fig.19 ARP no.KAZ.39/A.19. Trench D (layer4, group 4). H. ofvessel 0.155, W. of handle0.045, Diam. of base 0.130, Diam. of rim 0.160 m. Basedon the surviving 21 fragments,the pot was restored and completed as a cookingpot with a flatbase, slightly globular body, vertical strap handle from rim tobody, and curved rim. It wasdecided to restore the vessel with only one handle, ratherthan two, since no evidence of a secondhandle was preserved. A two-handled shapecannot be excluded,however, and remains a strong possibility. EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 517

Figure18. Plain glazed ware:open(?) vessel(13) and closed(?)vessel (14) found in trench A. PhotosG. Marave- lias;drawings M. Georgoutsou 518 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Figure19. Restoredand completed foundin trenchD. Reddishbrown clay (Munsell 2.5YR 5/4) with manyinclusions and mica. cookingpot (15) PhotoG. Maravelias;drawing M. Geor- Signs of burningon the outside,probably from use in a hearth.No evidenceof goutsou decorationor glaze. If theone-handle restoration is correct,the vessel could belong to Bakirtziss groupA2, "potswith flat base and one handle"(1989, pp. 36-39, no. 6, pl. 3:6). Forthe two-handled shape, cf. 13th- to 14th-centurymaterial: Sanders 1993, pp. 278-279, no. 63, fig.13 (Sparta);Vroom 2003, p. 169 (Boiotia); Gerstelet al. 2003, pp. 161, 171, 184,nos. 9, 31, 32, 53, figs.9, 22, 37 (Panakton).For the forms of cookingpots in relationto thechange of diets,see Williams2003, p. 432. Mid-13th to mid-14thcentury.

16 Coarse vessel Fig. 20 ARP no. KAI.36/A.3.1.Trench A (layer2, group2). Diam. of base 0.110, p.H. 0.160 m. Closed shape, eightfragments, conserved and joined to formthe bottom and partof the body of a closed coarsevessel. White clay (Munsell 10YR 8/2). Undecorated. This vesselmust belong to the same groupas 13 and 14, sinceit also came 20. Coarse vessel found fromthe destruction layer of the church. Figure (16) in trenchA. PhotoG. 18th-19thcentury. Maravelias; drawingM. Georgoutsou EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 519

Figure21. Covertile (17) foundin trenchF, exterior (above) and interior views.Photos N. D. Kontogiannis

OTHER FINDS 17 Covertile Fig.21 ARP no.KAI.39/A.21. Trench F (layer2, group 1), D. 1.75,0.20 m from the easternwall of the church. P.L. 0.310, W. 0.225,Th. 0.020-0.030m. Largepart of a roofcover tile. Clay light red-pinkish (Munsell 2.5YR 8/3). Coarsefabric, with many holes from organic inclusions. The tileis curvilinear, andits long sides spread outward. On itsexterior side, circular finger marks. On theinterior, traces of white mortar used for positioning on theroof, on topof the pantiles. For covertiles with almost identical dimensions, see NichoriaIII, p. 385, no.P1761-2, figs. 10-81, 10-83, chapel phase 4 (Nichoria);Gerstel et al. 2003, p. 163,no. 22, fig. 11 (Panakton). 13thcentury. 52O NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Figure22. Marble basin (18) found 18 Marble basin Fig. 22 in trenchF. PhotoG. Maravelias;drawing ARP no. KAI.39/L.1. TrenchF (layer5, group4). P.H. 0.250, p.W. 0.155, M. Georgoutsou H. of base 0.090,Th. of body0.055 m. Open shape,part of base and body.The base is slightlyconical, the body ex- ternallyglobular and internallyconcave. The exteriorsurface is roughlyworked withmany small cavities, probably from the carvingtools. The interior,however, whichobviously served whatever use thisvessel had, is verysmooth and carefully worked. The basin could havebeen eithera holywater font or a mortar.Since it was foundjust above bedrockat the lowerlayer of the trench,near the foundations of the church,it mustbe linkedto its periodof constructionand use (13th-14th century). Stoneholy water fonts of various sizes dating from the Byzantine era are noted in a numberof churchesand monasterieswithin Greece; see Bouras and Boura 2002, p. 532. Most specimensremain unpublished, however, and it is difficultto distinguishbetween holy water fonts and baptismalfonts. In the few available photographs,the fontsappear in most cases to have no base; theyare usually circular,globular, or octagonal,and theybear decoration with crosses, inscriptions, or floralpatterns. For comparanda,see Millet 1906, pp. 459-462, fig.3 (Mistra); Xygopoulos1929, pp. 77-79, fig.74 (Ayioi Apostoloi,Athens); Sotiriou1935, pl. 138 (Cyprus);Orlandos 1939-1940, p. 103, fig.51 (Osios Meletios,Boiotia); and Loverdou-Tsigarida1994, pp. 355-366, figs.13-15 (castle of Platamona, Thessaly). Marble mortarsof the Late Byzantineor post-Byzantineperiod have been recordedin Thessaloniki,but theirshape differsfrom that of 18. They have no base, and the body has foursemicircular handles around the rim:see Papa- nikola-Bakirtzis2002, pp. 358-359, nos. 420, 421. A possibleceramic mortar has been publishedfrom Panakton: Gerstel et al. 2003, p. 167, no. 28, fig.17 (14th- early15th century).A mortarcannot be directlyrelated to the religiousfunc- tionor the foundationof the church;however, it mighthave servedthe agricul- turalor everydayactivities of the ruralcommunity that built and maintainedthe church. 13th-14thcentury. EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 52I

DATING OF THE CHURCH

The chronologyof the churchat Vasilitsiis determinedprimarily by the excavationfinds. The earliestdiagnostic ceramics, coming mainly from the burials,are dated by close parallelsfrom other sites in Greece,such as Corinth,10and can be attributedto the middleor the second halfof the 13thcentury. Since theburials were clearly placed nextto a standing building,it is logicalto date the erectionof the churchto the firsthalf or middleof the 13thcentury. All thepottery beneath the destructionlayer is datedto the 13th-14thcentury. The smallhoard of coinsfrom the end of the 14thcentury found in trenchC, a signof insecurity or imminent danger, indicates that the buildingwas stillstanding and functioningat thattime. The presenceof a hearth in thecentral part of the church may suggest that after a certainpoint the churchwent out of use orwas sporadicallyused, and thusserved the cooking or heatingneeds of a passerby.In anycase, the period of the churchs primaryuse can be securelyset between the mid-13thand theend of the 14thcentury. The existenceof later 18th- to 19th-centurypottery in and above the destructionlayer points to activityin the area, probablyafter the collapseof the roof.We cannotdetermine with certainty when the roof collapsed,but it maynot have occurreduntil sometime around the 18th century.

ARCHITECTURAL OBSERVATIONS

Takinginto accountthe resultsof the excavationand the standingparts of the church,we can deduce thatthe buildingconsisted of the sanctuary,the naoSyand the narthex.The threeaisles of the naoswere separated by two rows of two piers each (Figs. 3, 4). The side aisles were coveredwith low barrelvaults with an originalheight of ca. 2.25 m above the floor. The centralaisle had a similarvault, only higher, with an approximate interiorheight of 3.5 m. The centralspace of the naoswas coveredby a higher,transverse barrel vault (Figs. 4, 23). This is clearfrom the surviving piers:one can observethe springingof vaultsin all directionsexcept the centraltransept. The verticalsides of the piers on thisside can onlylead to theconclusion that there was a highervault bridging this area of the naos. The springingof thisvault would have been locatedjust abovethe key of thelower lengthwise vaults and thereforehas not survived. At theeast, the three aisles terminate in thesanctuary apses that would have servedas prothesis (north conch), bema (central conch), and diako- 10. In Corinth,for example, proto- nikon(south conch). From the outside,the apses appearedtriple-sided, wares to 7-9 were majolica comparable and fromthe interior,semicylindrical (Figs. 3, 6). Both the centraland importedonly after the middle of the the southconch bear a rectangularwindow, more of a lightslit, at 13thcentury (Williams 2003, pp. 429- simple the of their It is all but certainthat a similarslit existed 430),thus providing a terminus post midpoint height. quernfor Vasilitsi. in the now-destroyedprothesis. 522 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

23. architectural There are no otherextant openings in the naosyapart from the door Figure Proposed reconstructionof the church at thatleads to the narthex.It is thatthe walls of the trans- possible higher Vasilitsi. M. Michailidis versevault contained windows or simplelight slits that did notsurvive (as reconstructedin Fig. 23). Both thebema and thediakonikon niches had theirlower courses coveredby a shelfbuilt up to tableheight. This horizontalsurface served litur- gical functions;in the centralconch, it was the altar(Fig. 7). A similar constructionalmost certainly existed in the interiorof theprothesis. Such builtaltars are foundin manysmall-scale churches of the Byzantineand post-Byzantineperiod in Greece.11 The naoswas coveredwith a floorsurface of beaten earth and mortar, two smallsections of whichwere uncovered in trenchesA and B.12The factthat the floor found in thebema area (trenchA) was at a higherlevel thanthat in thenaos (trench B) stronglyindicates that the entire sanctuary was ca. 0.20 m higherthan the rest of the building. This discoverymade it to estimatethe interior ofthe side aislesat 2.25 m, possible original height 11. In see theMid- as mentionedabove. Messenia,e.g., dle Byzantinechapel at Nichoria The entranceto thenaos was theone locatedat the only west,through (NichoriaIII, pp. 370-371,figs. 9, 10), thenarthex, shown above in Figures2 (rightside), 3, and 5 (rightside). The AyiosGeorgios at Vlachopoulo(11th openingthat connects these two spaces is 0.80 m wide, and its original century,Dimitrokallis 1990, p. 46), Taxiarchisat Polichni heightwould have been ca. 2 m.Two longashlar stones of local provenance (10thcentury, formthe lintel. Dimitrokallis1990, p. 78,fig. 68), PanayiaGrivitsiani (12th-13th century, The entranceinto the narthex,on theother hand, was single-roomed Dimitrokallis1990, p. 101),and Meta- madethrough a narrowdoor (W. 0.72 m) on itsnorth side (Figs. 3, 10,23). morfosiMesochoriou (13th century, This designfeature was apparentlydictated by the landscape, as thisis the Dimitrokallis1990, p. 241). onlyside not covered by the sloping earth. The springingof the single barrel 12. Similarearth floors were found in theexcavation of the Nichoria vaultthat covered the narthexis stillvisible in theupper surviving stones chapel,phase 4, ca. 1300 (NichoriaIII, ofthe rooms western side (Figs. 4, 10,left). Since thereare no windowsin p. 372), as wellas thePanakton village thenarthex, the lighting of thisspace was providedsolely by the door. housesand centralchurch narthex Bearingin mindHanns Michael Kiipper'sassertion that cross-vaulted (Gerstelet al. 2003,pp. 154-155,167, churchesonly rarely had a narthex,and if theydid, it was usuallya later 169,178). EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 523

addition,13the crucialquestion for us is whetherthe narthexat Vasilitsi was builtalong with or laterthan the rest of thechurch. When we exam- inedboth sides of the building, the foundation level on thenorth side and the uppersurviving part on the southside, we saw no joint or anyother differentiationin the masonryof the naosand the narthex.The masonry appearscontinuous and unbrokenthroughout the walls. Furthermore, the transversewall separatingthese rooms is thinand uniform,which does not leave muchroom to postulatethe existenceof two separateconstruction periods.We can thereforeassert that the narthexwas partof the original plan and was constructedat the same timeas the naos. The churchis builtexclusively with roughly hewn stoneslabs set in courseswith lime mortar as bondingmaterial (Fig. 5). Structurallyimpor- tantfeatures, such as thearches and lintels, are constructed with finely hewn stones.The alternatingcourses of brick and stone appearing on thesurviving partof the eastwall withthe apses of the bemaand diakonikonconstitute an exception(Figs. 5, 6). The differentconstruction may well have been an attemptto distinguishthe most important part of the church. No other formof decoration has been observedon theexterior. The interiorsurfaces of the churchwere covered with a plastercoating made of whitemortar. The tracesof coloredplaster preserved on numerousstones indicate that thisplaster surface bore some form of painted decoration; no signof murals was seen,however, and it is possiblethat the churchnever had them. The buildingwas roofedwith slightly concave terracotta pan and cover tilesof trapezoidal shape, probably made locally. A considerablenumber of themwere found broken in thedestruction layer within the church or just outside.One covertile (17) was foundalmost intact (Fig. 21). The churchat Vasilitsishares all of the above-mentionedstructural features(masonry, roofing, decorated apse) with many other Late Byzantine religiousfoundations in Messenia,14and is thereforefully integrated in the localbuilding tradition. The locationchosen for the building of the church explainsnot onlyits designand construction,but also the deterioration and damage it ultimatelyunderwent. Having been erectedon a hillside, the buildingwas partlyfounded on bedrock(on the east side). A section ofthe north side of the building, however, was constructedon earthwith a shallowfoundation set in a footingtrench.15 Landslides and physicalpres- sureexerted on themasonry from the hill created the gradual bank on the northand eastside. The demolitionof the roof and thedestruction of the northpart of the church gradually resulted from these factors or from other naturaldisasters, such as earthquakes. The excavationled us to concludethat the churchwas not destroyed by some violentevent such as a fire',but insteadwas subjectto gradual 13.Kupperl990,p.57. abandonmentand to accelerated tectonic In all trenches, 14. Stefanosat Ramo- decay by activity. E.g.,Ayios the thatwas above the church'sfloor level and con- vouni(Dimitrokallis 1990, pp. 57-69), layer immediately accumulatedfrom the destructionof the PanayiaGrivitsiani (late 12th-13th tainedthe material upperparts century,Dimitrokallis 1990, p. 115), of the buildingshowed no sign of violenceor humanintervention. The AyiosVasileios, Petalidi (14th century, indicationsof fireobserved in a smallpart of trenchB did not appearin Dimitrokallis1990, 203). p. anyother trench. Their isolatedoccurrence can be interpretedonly as a 15.The samesituation (foundation localizedphenomenon; for example, they could be the remainsof a tem- partlyon bedrockand partlyon soil) was observedin house1 at Panakton poraryhearth left by squatters or local shepherdswho foundshelter in the (Gersteletal.2003,p.l57). alreadylong-abandoned building. 524 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Figure24. View and plan ofAyios Vasileiosat Paniperi.Photo G. Dimi- trokallis,courtesy Photographic Archive, BenakiMuseum, Athens; drawing Dimi- trokallis1990, p. 178,fig. 173 EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 525

As shownin the proposedreconstruction of thevaulting of the naos withthe threelongitudinal barrel vaults and a highertransept (Fig. 23), thebuilding is an exampleof a cross-vaultedchurch, and, more precisely, belongingto thequite uncommon triple-aisled group.16 According to the cataloguecompiled by Kiipper,17 there are eightother known examples of thistype in Greece,of which only four are dated to the 13thcentury.18 Of thesefour churches, two are foundin Epiros (AyiosDimitrios Tourko- paloukouat Kupseli19and AyiosIoannis at Kostaniani20).A thirdexample is locatedin Attica (Ayios Nikolaos at Kalamos,21mid-13th century), while thelast is less than30 km fromthe churchat Vasilitsi(Ayios Vasileios at Paniperi),22anddates to thebeginning of the 13thcentury (Figs. 1, 24). Comparisonbetween the churches at Vasilitsiand atAyios Vasileios at Paniperireveals numerous similarities both in plan and in morphological and constructionalfeatures. Both werebuilt with rubble masonry, using local materials,and thedimensions are almost identical. In bothcases, the divisionof the aisles is realizedby means of a double row of twinfree- standingpiers, with all spaces coveredwith barrel vaults. Both churches havethree protruding apses. In theVasilitsi church all threeapses are three- sided,while the central apse ofAyios Vasileios is triple-sidedand thelateral apses semicircular;all apses have a singlerectangular slit. These striking similaritiessuggest the existenceof a commonworkshop, to whichboth buildingsmaybe attributed. I would therefore suggest that the church near Vasilitsiwas builtnot by the members of the local community,23but rather bya travelingguild of craftsmen that followed the norms and trendsof Late Byzantinechurch architecture in centraland southernGreece.

VASILITSI: HISTORY AND TOPOGRAPHY

In orderto answerquestions about the builders of the churchat Vasilitsi or theidentity of those buried in it,we mustconsider the topography and habitationpattern of the area, which have changed very little since medieval times.Unfortunately, the historic record for the 13th-15thcenturies is of littleor no help,since there are no writtensources or referencesto thearea in anypublished archival record that I havebeen able to consult.24Further- more,archaeological or architecturaldata forthe habitationof thewider areaof Vasilitsi during the same period, which derive mainly from surface

16. Accordingto thestandard 19. Soustaland Koder1981, p. 140; forthe Nichoria chapel (Nichoria III, typologyof cross-vaulted churches Doris 1983; Kupper1990, vol. 2, p. 376). establishedby Orlandos, it belongs p. 160. 24. Such as thedeliberations of to theT2 category(Orlandos 1935, 20. Evangelidis1931, pp. 258-274; theVenetian Senate and Assemblies pp.49-50; see also Bouras2001, Soustaland Koder1981, p. 186; Kup- (Thiriet1958-1961, 1966-1971), the pp.415-418). It belongsto theC2 per1990, vol. 2, p. 150. documentsrelating to theAcciaiuoli categoryin Kuppers classification 21. Bouras,Kaloyeropoulou, and estatesin Messenia(Longnon and (1990,p. 24, pl. 3). Andreadi1970, pp. 360-362; Ginis- Topping1969, pp. 19-130,docs. I-VI), 17. Kupper1990, vol. 2. Tsofopoulou1982-1983, pp. 227-246; theaccounts of travelers, the Chronica 18.The dateof these churches Kupper1990, vol. 2, p. 126. byzantinabreviora (Schreiner 1975- derivesfrom dedicatory inscriptions, 22. Dimitrokallis1984; 1990, 1979),or thenotary documents from excavationdata, or stylisticcompari- pp. 179-199. Methoniand Koroni(Nanetti 1999). sons. 23. As seemsto havebeen the case 526 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Figure25. Remainsof a ruralhouse northeastof the area ofexcavation. PhotoN. D. Kontogiannis surveys,are almost nonexistent.25 Because I havebeen unable to determine thename of thechurch s locationunder Byzantine, Frankish, or Venetian domination(until 1500), I continueto use thatof the closest modern settlement,Vasilitsi, for the church, and thelocal place-nameSelitza for the widergeographic location of the monument.The earliestmention of the villageof Vasilitsi is in theGrimani inventory of 1700,where it is recorded as inhabitedby sevenfamilies, with 14 men and 10 women.26 In Byzantineand medievaltimes the area remainedin the shadowof nearbyKoroni and is consideredto have followedthe fateof its moreil- lustriousneighbor (Fig. 1). Yet,even for Koroni, the record for the period fromthe 7thto the end of the 12thcentury is extremelypoor.27 The only survivingmonument is a ruinedbasilica presently located within the castle and fromthe 7th-8th Historicinformation for 25. The areahas notbeen recorded probablydating century.28 in ofthe thatwere con- the before1204 is limitedto themention of a weak castle any surveys period Byzantine ductedin Messenia,e.g., McDonald at Koronithat was laterencountered and the Franks easilyoccupied by and Rapp 1972,pp. 264-321; Nichoria in 1205.29 I, pp. 108-112;Nichoria III, pp.354- In theLate Middle Ages (13th-15thcenturies), Koroni became a large 356; Davis et al. 1997,pp. 477-481. 26. andwell-known Venetian (Coron/Corone).However, the boundaries Panagiotopoulos1985, pp. 263, colony 300. of theVenetian-controlled area, and alongwith them the fateof the area 27.Sigalos2004,p.ll4. of are ill defined.30Historians believe that in the two centuries Vasilitsi, 28. Staboltzis1976-1978, pp. 268- afterthe Venetianoccupation (1206/7), the Venetianspossessed nothing 270. morethan the cityitself and its immediatesurroundings.31 Nevertheless, 29. XpoviKov tov Mopecog,lines trans. London thelandholding situation between the Venetians and theFranks is farfrom 1695-1710, J.Schmitt, clear.32The is thatin the ofthe 15th Ve- 1904,pp. 116-117;Bon 1969,p. 61. onlycertainty beginning century, 30. The Venetiansare said to netians thewhole area between Koroni and Methoni possess occupied (including, "thecastle of Koroni with its villages of course,Vasilitsi), on guardagainst the growing Ottoman menace.33 and theland around it" (Gerstel 1998, The excavatedchurch presently stands isolated in a semiabandoned p. 220). agriculturalarea mainly planted with olive trees. The nearestmodern settle- 31. See,e.g., Bon 1969,pp. 66-67. 32. and Lock ment,the village of Vasilitsi, lies at a distanceof more than 10 km(Fig. 1). Hodgetts 1996, pp. 77-78. Nevertheless,while travelingthe modernroads thatlead fromVasilitsi 33. Bon 1969,pp. 263-264, 274- to one encounters abandoned Selitza, occasionally isolated, houses,ly- 275,286-289, 291, 293; Panagiotopou- ing in ruinsamid the olivetrees, such as the remainsof two smallhouses los 1985,p. 20, plan2; Thiriet1959, ca. 200 m northeastof the excavation (Fig. 25). Bothare single-roomed and pp. 369-370; Gerstel1998, p. 225. EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 527

Figure26. Ayios Ioannis, from the stone-built,timber-roofed constructions that, northeast.Photo N. D. Kontogiannis single-storied, unfortunately, offerno hintas to theirchronology. They belongto the commontype of Greekrural longhouse known as monospito,34and wereprobably used by the familiesof the farmersor shepherdswho workedin the surrounding lands.The use ofstone rather than mudbrick may indicate that these were permanentinstallations, not temporary constructions for the harvest period. Farmersno longerneed to livein thearea; modern transportation enables themto reachtheir lands easily from the village of Vasilitsi. Close to thesehouses lies anothersmall church,dedicated to Ayios Ioannis(Fig. 26). The churchhas a singleaisle, a woodenroof, and an en- tranceon thenorth side. It is theonly building of the three that is currently in use;in fact,it seemsto haveundergone recent repairs and improvements - (new rooftiles and wall plaster).Yet, certain elements such as the form - of thethree semicircular protruding eastern apses indicatethat this may notbe a modernconstruction, but rather an olderbuilding (perhaps of the earlymodern period?) that still sporadically serves local religiousneeds. It is also interestingto notethat the interior arrangement of Ayios Ioannis's apses,with their semicircular arches and built-inshelves, closely resembles 34. Forthe ofthe mono- presence the structurein theexcavated church. One could even thatAyios in Messenia,see suggest spitotype Sigalos Ioannis is the modernsuccessor of the which 2004,pp. 118-131. early 13th-centurychurch, 35. When M. NatanValmin visited landslideshad made irreparablyunstable. thearea in thefirst half of the 20th The ruinsof a smallabandoned settlement are located ca. 1.5 kmeast century,he noticedales mines d'un of thisarea (Fig. 27). This settlementmust be identifiedwith Selitza,a villageappele Selitza, qui etaitassez name used to the area.It consistsof about et currently designate surrounding grand qui possedaitbeaucoup 20 smallhouses of the mentionedabove. Most ofthem have d'eglises,dont on voitencore les restes. monospitotype withthe wallsstill Some arecur- Le lieusert aujourd'hui de refuged'ete collapsedroofs, surrounding standing.35 auxbergers des villagesde Tinterieurn rentlyused and maintainedby a local shepherd.Several seem to havebeen (Valmin1930, p. 164). recentlyrebuilt, perhaps to be used as summerresidences. In anycase, this 528 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

27. Abandonedsettlement of seemsto havebeen the centerof thewider area in former Figure village periods, Selitza,from the south. Photo N. D. but thereis no evidencefor precise dating. Kontogiannis The settlementpattern for this area, then, includes large concentrations of houses(such as Vasilitsior Selitza) alongwith groups of isolatedresi- dencesin thecountryside. These residencesserved the agricultural activi- tiesof their tenants and couldhave been occupiedon a seasonalbasis, but weremore probably used year-round. The excavatedchurch, as well as the laterreligious building in thesame area(Ayios Ioannis), was builtto serve - the needsof the occupantsof such an isolatedgroup of houses perhaps evena singleextended family. This typeof regional habitation pattern has been identifiedelsewhere in Messenia,in the area of Nichoria.TheMid- dle Byzantineinstallation at Nichoriais thoughtto have been inhabited by membersof a singleextended family who wereresidents of thevillage (the termrefers to thelarger geographic entity) of Petalidhi,Kastania, or 36. NichoriaIII, pp. 377,423. and Karpofora/Karacasili.36 37. Longnon Topping1969, pp. 67-115; Gerstel1998, pp. 228-233. We are fortunateto possessa catalogueof all the inhabitantsof sev- 38. See Zarinebaf,Bennet, and eral settlementsin Messenia (1354)- such as 14th-century Kremmydi, Davis 2005,pp. 151-209,esp. pp. 174- - the of Grisi,Cosmina, Vbulkano, and Petoni knownthrough inventory 178.The cadastralsurvey (TT880) NicolasAcciaiuoli s holdings.37It is interestingto note,in lightof the set- containsan astonishingamount of tlementpattern described above, that all the inhabitantsof thesevillages informationthat enables one to recon- structa accurate ofthe area wereOrthodox, belonged to a handfulof extended families, and practiced fairly image in The as theirbasic This settlement and question. agriculturalproduction agriculture occupation. pattern(villages consistedof vines, olive trees, cloth, and isolated in Messenia until the agriculturalinstallations) persisted early wheat,as wellas livestock(sheep, goats, modernperiod, as shownin the recentanalysis of the Ottomancadastral pigs),and bees;see Zarinebaf,Bennet, surveyof the area ofAnavarin (Navarino), dated to 1716.38 and Davis 2005,pp. 179-197. EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 529

CONCLUSIONS

The settlementpattern that is describedabove may not have differed greatly fromthe one thatexisted in thewider area of Vasilitsi during the 13th-14th centuries,when the excavated church was erected.This was farmlandwith cultivatorsand shepherdsdwelling either in largersettlements (like Vasilitsi or Selitza) or in smallergroups with a handfulof houses,which probably servedthe needsof an extendedfamily or a clan. Such a smallcommunity seems to have existedin thelocation of the church,and mustbe creditedwith its erection. There is nothingto suggest thatit was the churchof a monastery(i.e., a standingprecinct, surviving documentsor archivalsources, remains of otherbuildings, etc.), and the discoveryof a childburial, as well as male and femaleadults, virtually ex- cludesthat possibility. The choiceof an intriguingarchitectural plan known in regionssuch as Atticaand Epiros in the same period(first half of the 13thcentury) shows that the community had themeans to commissiona workshop,one thatwas in close contactwith the ideas and trendsevolv- ing in remoteareas (by medievalstandards) and was competentenough to undertaketheir realization. This studydoes nottreat the question of the provenance of the cross- vaultedtype39 or its triple-aisledversion, but it is sufficientto note that 39. vol. 90-120. Kupper1990, 1,pp. nothingin the Vasilitsichurch suggests apprenticeship or uncertaintyin 40. Forthe process that led fromthe the executionof the The a familiarchurch extramuros Christiancemeteries plan. workshoprepeated type, Early executedor were about to executeat Pani- to burialsinside and aroundchurches one the buildershad already or alterations. fromthe 7th century onward, see peri,with no apparentdifferences significant Tritsaroli2006, pp. 25-28, 285-289; The use of the churchas a burialplace formembers of the commu- Voltiraki2006,p.ll50. nitywas a commonpractice in theLate Byzantineperiod throughout the 41. Tritsaroli similar - 2006,p. 40; formerByzantine empire.40 The typesobserved simpleinterments and stone-lined and inter- graves simple schist-lined - are familiarfrom other excavated sites.41 The details mentswere recorded in theNichoria graves ofthe suchas the ofthe extendedon itsback and chapel{Nichoria III, pp. 372,398-399) burials, positioning body and at Corinth{Corinth XVI, pp.29- facingeast, the stones set to propup thehead, the reuse of thegraves, the 31, 126-128),Panakton (Gerstel et al. placementof reburiedskulls and long bones overthe legs and feetof the Xironomi 2003,pp. 176,196-214), primaryburials, the placementof ceramics(bowls or cookingpots) next (Voltiraki2006, 1151),and Thebes p. to the dead, and so on, are standardelements of the funerarypractices of and 2006, 49, Spata(Tritsaroli pp. the All of thesefactors the of Vasilitsiwithin the 176-177,179). day.42 integrate people contextof medievalGreece. 42. See Tritsaroli2006, p. 28; Vol- broadcultural tiraki2006, pp. 1149-1150,1152. Ex- The examinationof the skeletal material (see Appendix),though lim- amplesfrom the 13th-15th centuries itedto theundisturbed primary burials, provides valuable information for comefrom the Frankish cemeteries at theidentification of the deceased. Observations concerning their physical Corinth(Barnes 2003, 436-437), pp. condition,such as the of dentalcaries and toothloss in the fromPanakton (Gerstel et al. 2003, presence only male find elsewhere.43The ofintense pp. 197-198,200-201, 206, 208, 210, burial, interestingparallels signs physi- 217-218),and fromThebes and Spata cal activitynoted on both adultskeletons can be interpretedas reflecting (Tritsaroli2006, pp. 52-56,60, 62-65, the hardshipsof a farmerslife.44 162-163,234-238). The findsfrom the church help to fillout our picture of daily life in this 43. E.g., at Corinth:Barnes 2003, areaof medieval Messenia. The smallhoard of Venetian torneselli from the p. 441. end ofthe 14th (1-6, 14) confirmsthat thistime Venetian 44. See also Barnes2003, p. 441; century Fig. by local issuesin transactions.45 Gerstelet al. 2003,pp. 149,215. coinagehad supplantedall previous everyday 45.Stahll985,p.29. The presenceof sherdsof South Italianorigin among the ceramicfinds 53° NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

(7-9, Figs. 15, 16) indicatesclose contactwith Italy, perhaps through the portof Koroni.Finally, the marblebasin foundjust outsidethe east part ofthe church (18, Fig. 22) couldbe interpretedeither as a holywater font or as a mortar,serving everyday religious or ruralactivities. The workat the churchof Vasilitsiprovided an opportunityto use a - varietyof data architecturaldetails, pottery, coins, skeletal material, and - otherfinds to reconstructthe life of a small ruralcommunity. In the intriguingperiod of the 13th-14th centuries, when the social and political structureof theByzantine empire gave way to fragmentationand thento the new orderof theFrankish states, this small church, located in an area thatwas keptin theshadow of urban centers and centralpolicies, embodies thementality of the people who constructedit and wereultimately buried insideand aroundit.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am gratefulto the followingindividuals for their support in the course of fieldwork:Nikos Zias, presidentof the Committeefor the Promotion, Restoration,and Preservationof the Pylia Castles; Aimilia Bakourou, for- merdirector of the 5th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities, then responsible forthe area of Messenia; and VirginiaAlbani, head archaeologistat the timeof the Kalamata division of the 5th Ephorate (now the 26th Ephorate of ByzantineAntiquities). KostasMarantos and IoannisBotsis, who had plannedto reconstruct thechurch and createa newreligious center for the local population,were responsiblefor initiating the excavation.They also helpedwith the daily transportand oftenthe feeding of theexcavation team. The resultsof the fieldwork,though scientifically important, prevented any reconstruction on the site. Invaluablehelp and supportin thecourse of this research were provided byNiobi Bouza andMarios Michailidis. I alsothank Sharon Gerstel,Tracey Cullen,and an anonymousHesperia reviewer for their useful comments and editorialassistance, as wellas JanHanos and Anna Christidoufor im- provingthe language. The excavationat Vasilitsiwas the workof DimitrisAngelopoulos, Tasos Georgakilas,Kostas Giannakopoulos,Kostas Mitsonis, and Nikos Softis,skilled workmen of the Greek Ministry of Culture. They conducted the excavationwith rareprofessionalism, a spirit of cooperation,and a genuinepassion for the preservationof the archaeologicalrecord. It was theirdedication and strengththat inspired me to bringthis material to publication.I would like to dedicatethis article to thesepure-hearted people ofMessenia, as a smalltoken of friendshipand appreciation. APPENDIX O5TEOLOGICAL REPORT

As discussedabove, excavation at Vasilitsiuncovered a seriesof disturbed and undisturbedburials that can be dated to the 13th-14thcenturies on the basis of the accompanyingpottery. Disturbed burials were foundin bothtrenches B and D, locatedin thearea outside the church's north wall (Fig. 3). Because thisarea was not fullyexcavated, apart from the narrow zone whereburials 1 and 3 were discovered,observations regarding the disturbedburials, which were probably scattered around a widerspace, are consideredtoo preliminaryto be includedin thisreport. Further study will haveto awaitfuture excavation of the site. The followingosteological report is limited,then, to skeletalremains from the three undisturbed burials.

Burial 1

The skeletonin burial1 (Figs. 9, 11, 12) was foundin a veryfragmentary condition,and the preservationof thebones is ratherpoor. It was conse- quentlyimpossible to studythe material in depth,though some conclusions werereached regarding its pathology.

Age and Sex Based on themorphological characteristics of the pelvis,46 which was bet- terpreserved than the cranium,one can surmisethat the deceasedwas female.According to thepubic symphyseal degeneration47 and thedental eruptionand attrition,48the individualis estimatedto have been 25-30 yearsold at death.

Condition The craniumis preservedin a veryfragmentary state, with manyparts missing.In contrast,the maxillaand mandibleare well preserved,with a considerablenumber of teethpresent. In the maxilla,the canines and the firstand secondpremolars of the leftand rightside are preserved,while on the leftside thereis also a second incisor.The second molaron the 46. Phenice1967. rightside is absent.In the mandible,the firstand secondmolars of both 47. Brooksand Suchey1990. sides are whilethe firstand second are observed 48. Bass 1971,pp. 212-213; Broth- present, premolars only well1981, pp. 64-67. on theleft side. 532 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Fromthe remaining bones, only fragments of the left and right clavicles and scapulassurvive, along with 32 fragmentsof ribs and 43 fragmentsof vertebrae.The upperlimbs preserve an adequatepercentage of the right humerus,while the leftone is completelydestroyed. Only a small per- centageof the left and rightradius and ulnais preserved,hindering further study. The pelvisis poorlypreserved, but we wereable to salvagethe basic partsnecessary for assessment of the sex of the individual.The lower limbs,though preserved in bettercondition than the upper ones, are also in a fragmentarystate. Finally, the right and leftbone ofthe calcaneus and talusare present,while the metatarsalsand metacarpalbones, along with theirphalanges, are almostcompletely missing.

Observations Despite the poor preservationof the skeletalremains, tentative observa- tionscould be madeabout the individuals pathological condition. We were unable,however, to discoverevidence concerning the cause of death. The studyof the craniumfragments was of particularinterest, since the leftand rightparietal bone, as well as the occipitalbone, presented indicationsof thickening.According to clinicaland palaeopathological research,this feature strongly indicates the presence of some sort of meta- bolicdisease, mainly anemia.49 The poorcondition of the skeleton and the absenceof other cranial bones prevented the diagnosis of the exact nature of thisdisease. Furtherdata were providedby the studyof the teeth.The canines and premolarsbore indications of enamelhypoplasia in theform of lines. This disorderin the developmentof teethis stillof unknownorigin, yet it is usuallyconnected to periodsof stress,starvation, or certaininfectious diseases.50 The examinationof the vertebral column revealed that the last thoracic and lumbarvertebrae presented concavities on the body of the vertebra. These concavities,referred to as Schmorrsnodes, occur when the intervertebraldisc decays, causing the nucleus pulposus to be imprintedon the body of the vertebra.The cause of this processremains undetermined, but Schmorlsnodes are usuallyconnected with serious injury or intense physicalactivity.51

Burial 2

Age and Sex The skeletonin burial2 belongsto a childof youngage (Fig. 8), which explainsthe poor preservation of the material. Based on themethods used forthe assessment of adult age, the child's age was fixedbetween four and eightyears. In thiscase we reliedon thefusion of epiphyses and thegrowth 49. Ortner2003, pp. 363-370. ofthe teeth; measurements of the long bones were not taken into account 50. Aufderheideand Rodrigues- forthe assessment,since the boneswere in a condition. age fragmentary Martin1998, pp. 400-415. becausethe Finally, skeletonbelongs to a minor,the determination of sex 51. See, e.g.,Aufderheide and is impossible. Rodrigues-Martin1998, pp. 96-110. EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 533

Condition In contrastto theother bones, the cranium is preservedalmost complete. The maxillaand mandible are, unfortunately, fragmented, and only a de- ciduousmolar, a deciduousincisor, and a deciduouscanine were found. Therewere 37 fragmentsofribs, yet there were no tracesof the vertebral column,the clavicles, the scapula, the tibia, or the fibula. The humeriare preservedin a fair,though fragmentary, state, while the radii were almost completelydestroyed. The leftand right ulnae are in thesame condition as theradii. Twosmall fragments were recovered from the pelvis, while the femurs weremodestly preserved. Finally, one fragment ofmetatarsal was identified. Eightysmall fragments were unrecognizable.

Observations The studyof this skeleton proved difficult. A large number of the bones weremissing, while the existing ones had sufferedmultiple damage due tothe burial conditions. It was impossible to determine the cause of death ofthis child.

Burial 3

The skeletonin burial 3 (Figs.11, 13) was found in a poorstate of preservation,comparable to that of burial l.The skeletonin burial 3 is substantially morecomplete, but here as well the bones were recovered in a fragmentary condition,while postmortem factors seem to haveaffected their structure andpreservation. Thus, the anthropological study could not recover sig- nificantinformation, apart from the age and sex of the individual.

Ageand Sex Basedon themorphological characteristics ofits pelvis,52 the skeleton is thatof a maleindividual of more than 25 yearsof age. The pubicsymphy- sealdegeneration53 andthe dental eruption and attrition54 were taken into considerationforthe age assessment. As inthe case of the skeleton in burial 1,the poor condition of this cranium made it impossible to determine the agemore precisely, while the ribs added no furtherinformation.

Condition The craniumis preservedin a fragmentarystate, with a fairpercentage of completeness.The maxillaand mandiblealso survivefragmentarily, preservingmost teeth. From the maxilla the first and second molar survive on bothsides. On theright side there is alsothe first incisor along with twopremolars. On themandible, two incisors are present, as wellas the firstand second premolars on bothsides, and the first and second molars on theleft side. A fairpercentage of both clavicles is preserved,though the bones are 52. See n. 46, above. The conditionof the andthe sternum is rather 53. See n. 47, above. fragmentary. scapula poor, whilethe ribs survive in In therewere 121 54. Bass 1971,pp. 218-219; Broth- mostly fragments.all, fragments well1981, pp. 51-54. ofribs and 57 fragmentsofvertebrae. 534 NIKOS D. KONTOGIANNIS

Fromthe upperlimbs, the humeriare preservedto a fairdegree of completeness,as are the rightulna and radius.The leftulna and radius had beencompletely destroyed. The pelvisis wellenough preserved to help definethe sex and age of the skeleton. Amongthe lower limbs, the femurs and theleft tibia are wholly preserved,though in a fragmentarystate. The righttibia and both fibulae, on the contrary,survive poorly. Finally, the leftand rightbones of the calcaneuswere recovered, along with the taluses, two carpal bones, 13 meta- carpalsand metatarsals,and fourphalanges. A totalof 270 fragmentswere unidentifiable.

Observations Unfortunately,only a smallpercentage of the bones was preserved,and theirdeterioration over time due to variouspostmortem factors did not allowtheir extended study. Therefore, it was impossibleto determinethe cause of death. Based on theobservation of the fairly well preserved mandible, it was - - determinedthat a considerablenumber of teeth allthe right molars were lost whilethe personwas stillalive. As a result,the alveolarbone of the mandiblebecame atrophied. Furthermore, all teethrevealed serious decay, as well as cariesin the formof a cavityat the contactpoint between the leftfirst molar and the secondpremolar. All theseelements are evidence ofpoor oral hygiene and couldimply that nourishment with incompletely processedfood was responsiblefor the dental condition. The decaycould also be relatedto an unknownrepeated activity. Furthermore,it is importantto note anotherpathological find, one probablyconnected to intensephysical activity. Despite the fragmentary conditionof thevertebral column, signs of a concavitywere observed on thebody of a thoracicvertebra. Schmorls nodes (see above) appearon the body of the vertebra,at thejoint withthe intervertebraldisc. As noted earlier,the interpretationof thispathological condition is stillbeing in- vestigated,although many scholars relate it to a seriousinjury or intense physicalactivity.

In conclusion,our currentevidence concerning the stateof health,nutri- tion,and lifefactors in the13th-14th centuries is verylimited. The results ofthe examination of thethree skeletons from Vasilitsi, therefore, despite thefragmentary condition of thebones, may be usefulfor future research effortsand serveas a basis forcomparison with similarmaterial from othersites.

LilianKarali University of Athens faculty of philosophy department of history and archaeology 157 84 zografou, athens GREECE [email protected] EXCAVATION OF A 13TH-CENTURY CHURCH 535

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NikosD. Kontogiannis 23RD Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities LEOFOROS ATHINON 24B 34 IOO CHALKIS GREECE [email protected]