Excavations at Aixonidai Halai (Voula): cya January 9–23, 2017 Instructor: Dr. John Karavas Fee: $700 Students who have a serious interest in archaeology are invited to come to Athens two weeks before the start of the semester to participate in the excavation of a site associated with Aixonides Halai, one of the ten demes of ancient Attica. This will be offered as a short, INTENSIVE course with a total of 20 classroom contact hours plus 45 hours of supervised participation on-site. Excavation Director & Lecturer The excavation will be directed by archaeologist Eftychia Lygouri and her colleagues Maria Giamalidi and Anna- Maria Anagnostopoulou of the Piraeus Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities. The course lectures will be conducted by Dr. Karavas, a CYA professor and the Director of excavations at the sites of Halmyris and Gratiana (Hellenistic/Roman/Byzantine military and civilian sites). He is also the Co-director of excavations at Drajna de Sus (early Roman site/legionary fort). The Importance of Aixonides Halai The importance of Aixonides Halai, derived from its proximity to the city of Aixone (modern day Glyfada) and the valuable salt flats that existed along the coast. The site is located in the modern town of Voula, a coastal suburb some 20 kilometers from the center of Athens, known for its splendid sea-views and low pine hills. The site, near the church of “Aghios Nikolaos Pallon,” is a block from the sea and close to the recently discovered Agora. Excavated for the first time in January 2008 by CYA students under the direction of the Greek Archeological Service, it contains ruins of large ancient blocks, suggesting the presence of a large and significant public building. Excavations to date have unearthed material from the Byzantine, Roman, Hellenistic and Classical periods, including a sarcophagus, three Roman kilns and a marble lion of as yet unknown date or purpose. Schedule, Fees & Applying In order to take part in the Voula excavation, students should plan to arrive on Monday, January 9. An orientation is scheduled for Monday and classes begin on Tuesday, January 10. Participation will require a serious commitment: students will be expected to devote ten full days to the excavation, and to attend lectures on the history of the ancient municipality of Aixonides Halai, on what has been learned from previous excavations, and on fieldwork methodology. A fee of $700 is required for participation, which will cover the cost of the archaeological fieldwork, lectures, visits to related archaeological sites, and housing in CYA apartments. Students will be responsible for their own food, and will use public transportation (metro/buses) between the center of Athens, where CYA apartments are located, and the excavation site in Voula. The commute takes approximately 40 minutes each way. Weekends will be free. Students interested in participating in the course should contact the Vice Presidenet of Academic Affairs, Ms. Theoni Scourta, at [email protected] as soon as possible. They must then confirm their participation by sending a check for $700 postmarked within four days of receiving an email from Ms. Scourta acknowledging their participation. Checks should be made out to College Year in Athens, with “Voula excavation” on the memo line, and sent to the College Year in Athens office in Cambridge (by USPS: P.O. Box 390890, Cambridge, MA 02139; by courier: 1035 Cambridge Street, 21D, Cambridge MA 02141). Payment will NOT be accepted without prior sign-up email to: [email protected]. Space is limited and will be assigned in the order that payment is received. The fee is non- refundable after October 14. Other discoveries in Voula: the ancient Agora and related sites Aixonides Halai was one of the ancient municipalities situated outside the city of Athens and it participated in the Athenian parliament with six members. Other excavations have identified two main settlements and the temple of Apollo Zostiras, a major religious center located on the modern site of Laimos in Vouliagmeni, next to Voula. The acropolis has been traced (but not yet excavated) on a hill, not far from the recently discovered market, commanding panoramic views of the sea-routes of the Saronic Gulf and the road that connected the area with the neighboring municipalities of Anargyrounton and Aixone, in the modern towns of Vari and Glyfada. The ancient cemetery of the municipality has been excavated at the site of Pigadakia where sarcophagi and cremations have been found. In 2006 another burial enclosure was discovered with six sarcophagi, six cremations and six child-burials in pots. The market (agora) of the ancient municipality of Aixonides Halai came to light in 2005 during a rescue excavation of a plot of land that the Sklavenitis Company, a supermarket chain, intended to build on. The excavation was conducted by archaeologists Yannos Kourayos and Mary Giamalidi and a six-person team under the auspices of the Greek Archaeological Service, which is responsible for investigating the existence of archaeological finds before any new construction can take place. The team discovered a complex dating to the 5th-4th century B.C. built around an open courtyard with a cistern cut into the natural bedrock. Twelve rooms are situated around the courtyard, two of which are divided into two inner spaces. Another room has a prodomos (fore-court) and a sekos (main cella), suggesting a small shrine. A smaller square room with many pots in situ could have served as the temple’s kitchen. To the south of the temple the excavations revealed a square altar enclosed by a semicircular construction (peribolos). North of the main building stands a rectangular peribolos measuring 25x25 meters. The complex is defined to the east and south by strong protecting walls built of huge local stones. These walls also protect a well of fine masonry with a monumental mouth that measures 2x2 meters. The excavations unearthed three female figurines (one depicts a kourotrofos, or nursing deity, and another a pregnant woman), 40 bronze coins and 2 silver ones, 42 lead weights and 45 weaving weights. The discovery of the coins is very important for the history of the area, as it is the first time that such a large quantity of coins comes to light; what is more, it attests to the public character of the building complex. Another significant find is a bronze plate with the inscription ΔΙΟΝΥΣΙ ΑΛΑΕ, which testifies to the area’s identification with the ancient municipality of Aixonides Halai. The discovery of this building complex -- most probably the ancient market -- is also significant because until now only private complexes had been found in the area. It provides a more complete picture of the way ancient municipalities were organized. Their Agora was a place of gathering and socializing, of economic transactions and of religious activity. Following the rescue excavation the ancient agora, comprising only 1,500 square meters of the 5,500 square meter plot, remains visible and intact. The 2016 season During the 2016 season, the CYA team, under the supervision of Dr. E. Lygouri, Ms. M. Giamalidi and Dr. John Karavas continued the scientific investigation of the central section of the Agora, uncovering the emainsr of an 8th century Christian basilica (chapel) and yielding a plethora of material finds datable between the Late Roman and Early/Mid Byzantine periods; without doubt, highlighting the importance of this particular area in the social and religious life of the ancient Athenians and ascertaining its long standing and uninterrupted occupation throughout antiquity. The 2017 session will continue to focus in the area of the Agora and will hopefully contribute to improving our understanding of the configuration and orientation of the remaining edifices within their archaeological context. For more information or to apply please contact: Ms. Theoni Scourta, Vice President of Academic Affairs, at [email protected].