The I992 -994 Field Seasons
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HESPERIA 68.3, I999 HALAI THE I992 -994 FIELD SEASONS This is the secondpreliminary report on excavationsat Halai in Lokris, which arebeing carriedout by a team from CornellUniversity. Our first two excavationseasons were summarizedin the first preliminaryreport along with earlierwork at the site and its environs,including that of an expeditionof Goldmanand Walker(Kosmopoulos) from 1911 to 1935.1 A third seasonof excavationswas carriedout at Halai in the summerof 1992.Nearly fifty archaeologists and archaeologists-in-training from North Americaand Europetook part.2Digging took place on the acropolisin 1. Coleman 1992a. Since the earlier Merriman,Michele Miller, Helen formerseasons, Eleni Zachou oversaw report,all surveyand architecturalplans Papademetriou,Edmund Pedersen,Tina the excavationson behalf of the Greek have been digitized by means of the Petrihou,Alison Sandman,and Sonya ArchaeologicalService. The excavations Autocad program(Release 12). The Wolff, field archaeologists;Christina were carriedout under the general architecturaldrawings illustrating the Contis, architect;Paul R. Stremple, auspicesof the American School of currentreport were printed from these architecturalrecording; Devin Cheema, Classical Studies at Athens and the electronicrecords with a LaserJet4m registrar;Eric A. Nordgren,object Cornell Halai and East Lokris Project printer.Figure 1 gives an impressionof conservation;Julia F. Rounds, pottery (CHELP), and they were supportedin the present state of the overalldigitized sorting;Mark Bock, photographer;Peter part by grants from the National architecturalrecords. The data files De Staeblerand Matthew Drake, Endowment for the Humanities, the include much more informationthan balloon photography;Julie K. Near, Townsend Fund of the Department of can be displayedin black and white palaeobotanist;Wendy Yielding, Classics at Cornell University,and the or at a scale appropriatehere. The zooarchaeologist;and ValerieWoelfel, Institute for Aegean Prehistoryas well as digitized plans availableat the draftsperson.Lois Berkowitz,Damian by privatedonations. project'sWorld Wide Web site (http:// Carr,and KarenE. Carrwere also Preliminarynotices and abstractsof halai.fac.cornell.edu)show the remains present for part of the season.The oral paperson the currentexcavations of each period in a differentcolor. following student traineesalso partici- include the following: 1990 season:AJA 2. Work took place fromJune 22 to pated (from Cornell Universityexcept as 95 (1991), p. 327; BCH 115 (1991), pp. July 31. Thirteen local workers(includ- indicated):Vanessa Avery (McGill 885-886; AR 1990-1991, p. 45; ArchDelt ing three pot-washers)were employed. Univ.), Christi Baker,Karen F. Byrne, 45 (1990), Chron., pp. 184-185; 1991 In addition to Coleman, Director,full- TreskaM. Cole (Brown Univ.), Michelle season:AJA 96 (1992), p. 346; BCH 116 time staff membersincluded Mary Eliot, Maxine Ensey (CentralWashington (1992), p. 885;AR 1991-1992, p. 40; Associate Director and Area F supervi- Univ.), Celina L. Gray (VassarCollege), ArchDelt46 (1991), Chron., pp. 198- sor;Jason H. Coleman, Peter Danner, Megan Katz (PrincetonHigh School), 199; 1992 and subsequentstudy seasons: Curtis L. Ellett, Kerill O'Neill, Melanie LauraKellogg (Univ. of Rhode Island), AJA 98 (1994), p. 287; BCH 117 (1993), Pomeroy,Demetrios E. Sagias,Julia L. Todd Reed, CarrieA. Shea (Mount pp. 824, 826; AR 1992-1993, pp. 49-50; Shear,Greg Smith, and PatriciaS. Holyoke College), JeannetteL. Stach AR 1993-1994, p. 49. For a summaryof Wren, trench supervisors;Jackie (OaklandUniv.), and JeremyYielding. the currentexcavations, see also Ettlinger,Denise McCoskey,Ann JohannaEliot was camp manager.As in Papademetriou1994. American School of Classical Studies at Athens is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to Hesperia ® www.jstor.org 286 J. E. COLEMAN, P. S. WREN, AND K. M. QUINN Areas A, C, F, G, and H (Figs. 1, 2). Architecture, stratigraphy,and finds were further studied in the summers of 1993 and 1994 in anticipation of renewed excavation in 1996.3 The current excavations at Halai are a key part of the Cornell Halai and East Lokris Project (CHELP), an interdisciplinary project of survey and excavation initiated in 1986.4 The survey area, roughly 185 km2, was chosen to include the maximum area that could conceivably have belonged to the Graeco-Roman town of Halai.5The overall aim of the project is to record and study the archaeological and environmental evidence for hu- man activity within this area from the beginning of the Neolithic period until Byzantine times. The project is essentially scientific and does not rely on any particular theoretical approach.6Surface survey activities of 1988 and 1989 produced evidence that the probable maximum extent of the town of Halai itself was about 15 ha and suggested that in the Hellenistic period there may have been an outer ring of fortifications, now almost completely lost, in addition to those of the acropolis.7The 280 tombs of Archaic through Roman date excavatedby Goldman and Walker and other recently excavatedtombs8 seem to have been grouped in cemeteries around the periphery of the town. Starting in 1990, CHELP has focused on excavations on the acropo- lis of Halai. The aims of the excavations are to extend our knowledge of Halai and to set the resultsof the earlierexpedition of Goldman and Walker into a more precise chronological and cultural context. Eventually, when surfacesurvey is resumed, the results of our excavationswill also be brought to bear on broader questions about the town's geographical situation, po- litical boundaries, and economic life. As in earlier years the system of balloon photography developed by Andrew Heafitz for the use of our expedition9 continued to be of great 3. Study in 1993 took place from E. Allen, photography,Neolithic 4. We expressour heartfelt thanks to June 21 to July 30. Twenty-one people pottery;D. le Berrurier,Late Roman the 14th Ephoreia of Prehistoricand took part on a long-term basis.They levels and finds; Megan Battey, ClassicalAntiquities at Lamia and included, in addition to Coleman and inventory;Max Kallhammer,Autocad, particularlyto PhanouriaDakoronia and Eliot, VanessaAvery, draftsperson; drawing;ScottJ. McDonough, Autocad, Pantos Pantos for much help and advice JacquelynCollins-Clinton, Hellenistic dBase;E. A. Nordgren,object conserva- during and since the third campaignof and Roman pottery;M. Miller, Neo- tion; K. O'Neill (Colby College), excavation.For their advice and kindness lithic beads;J. K. Near, palaeobotanist; chipped stone tools; W. Yielding, on many occasions,we also thank Eleni E. A. Nordgren,object conservation; zooarchaeologist;J. F. Rounds, Hellenis- Zachou and Sonia Demaki, archaeolo- W. Yielding, zooarchaeologist;V. Woel- tic levels and pottery;Emmanuelle Van gists of the 14th Ephoreia;conservator fel, draftsperson;J. Yielding, chipped Rutten, Autocad;Bryan Williams, Christos Vapourakis;former archaio- stone tools; C. Baker,J.H. Coleman, architecturaland stratigraphicrecording; phylakasNikos Psarras;and the many feronique E. Dupont, C. L. Ellett, K. and P. S. Wren, Archaic levels and other friends of the projectin Malesina, O'Neill, H. Papademetriou,T. Petrihou, pottery.Present for a shortertime were too numerousto mention here by name. KathleenM. Quinn, J. F. Rounds, M. J. K. Near, palaeobotanist,and Nicholas 5. Coleman 1992a, fig. 1. Pomeroy,D. E. Sagias,and P. S. Wren. Nicastro,video photography.The study 6. The word "scientific"is of course Diane le Berrurier(Carleton Univ.), seasonswere supportedin part by the somewhat problematic;for a brief Late Roman levels and finds, was Townsend Fund of the Department of discussion,see J. E. Coleman, in presentfor a shortertime. Classics at Cornell Universityand the Coleman et al. 1996, pp. vi-vii. Study in 1994 took place fromJune Institute for Aegean Prehistoryas well 7. Coleman 1992a, p. 268 and fig. 2. 27 to August 8. Fourteenpeople took as by privatedonations. The excavations 8. For the location of one group of part on a long-term basis, including (in of 1996, the subjectof a futurereport, tombs see Coleman 1992a, fig. 2 at G. addition to Coleman and Eliot) Susan concentratedon Neolithic levels. 9. Heafitz 1992. El1O E120 E130 E140 E150 E160 E170 E180 E190 E200 E210 E220 E230 E240 E250 E260 I I I I I I I I I I I I N260 -N260 N250 0 -5m N250 2 ' N ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0 1J 5'm N240- 0 0 WN240 N230 - -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~N230 N220- -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~N220 N210- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dc~N21 0 Figure 1. Plan of the acropolis of Halai showing the presentstateofcomputerrecordsN190 Ni180- N180 N170- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ni170 E30 E4 20 E6 N200 lO E2N10 E40 E5210 E70 E80l0 E00 E1020 Ni160- N160j N150- -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~K~N150 N140- -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ni140 E110 E120 E130 E140 E150 E160 E170 E180 E190 E200 E210 E220 E230 E240 E250 E260 Figure 1. Plan of the acropolis of Halai showing the present state of computer records N260- oo N250 0 15m A "North' Gate * N240 C N230-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A3ia N220- F A2~~~~~~~~~~~~~c Churche C N21 0- teet ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~C4 C~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~C3 N200 g >ew;) '< Gra------\ ' \ 0S i v Grve V i 4/ ~~~GraveV R\ t - < 4 G 1 S' ' )No Late ma n Gl N190~~~~~~ E1 E120[ 1 E130 E140 El 50 E160 E170 E180 El 90 E200 Figure 2. Plan of the northwest end of the acropolis HALAI 289 value in recording architectureand horizontal exposures of finds. Balloon photographs