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The "Pyramids" of Argolis

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The THE "PYRAMIDS" OF ARGOLIS This is a report of a brief investigation of three structures in Argolis, financed by The Archaeological Institute of America and conducted under the auspices of The Ameri- can School of Classical Studies at Athens, August 2-11, 1937.1 The three sites examined were: (I) A structure which may, for convenience, be called a blockhouse situated near the head of a valley which leads down from the hills near Nemea (the ancient town, not the railroad station) toward Mycenae. This valley is crossed by the modern road about two kilometres north of the villagfe of Plhvchtia. The blockhouse lies about three kilometres from the road from which it may, with difficulty, be seeni. (II) The so-called Pyramid of Cephalaria on the south slope of Mt. Chaon, about five kilometres from Ar- gos along the ancient road from Argos to Tegea, two kilometres beyond the source of the Erasinus at Cephalaria. (III) A structure with pyramidal walls lying near the church of Haffia Marina about a kilometre west of Ligurio to the left of the modern road from Nauplia to the Sanctuary of Aesculapius at Epidaurus. The excavations of the blockhouse and the Pyramid of Cephalaria were conducted for me under the supervision of Mr. Robert Ehrich and Mrs. Ann Hoskin Ehrich, and the digging at Ligurio was undertaken by Mr. Robert Scranton, Fellow of The American School of Classical Studies at Athens. In writing this report, I have constantly used their careful notes,2 often quoting extensively from them. They are not, however, to be held responsible for any inferences I may draw from their reports or for the general conclusions at which I have arrived. I have asked Mr. Scranton to examine critically the pottery and the lesser finds and have added his report in extenso. The architectural drawings are the work of Mr. L. Lands, whose services Mr. B. H. Hill courteously placed at my disposal. I The Blockhouse The location of the blockhouse is shown on the sketch map of Argolis (Fig. 1). It lies on the west side of a small stream that has cut for itself a rather deep channel. It commands an extensive view toward Mycenae and the east (Fig. 2) but no great out- look toward the west and north, i. e., the direction of Nemea. Its weathered brown stone fades into the background so that it is not a conspicuous object (Fig. 3). I About a day's work was done niear Ligtloio, December 18, 19, 1936. 2 The origiinal notes are deposited witlh the American School of Classical Sttidies at Atlhens. 32 American School of Classical Studies at Athens is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to Hesperia ® www.jstor.org * /X ld 2- -w A-kX ~~~~~~~~~~- - 9 S*'k S l X +- t >zz/,-2t XZ 9 ARGOS ~ ~ %~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WI I// XXll.\ k\\0~X 7'8 X>\ !~~~~~~~~~~~i.1.|Map of a9Potio o N'Aigo4lislll /lil;'/''tt/?g i {~~~k\ WaLocklyoui \S\\\L~ ~~~~~~~~Fg 1. Mao?, a Poto of Argolis THE "PYRAMIDS" OF ARGOLIS 483 Excavations were conducted here August 10 and 11. No dirt was moved about the exterior except a small amount to uncover the "ramp" leading to the entrance. The interior was badly overgrown with thorns and underbrush. It was also encumbered with stones, which had fallen from the partitions and a few from the outer walls. These Fig. 2. View toward Mlycenae from the Blockhouse stones were especially numerous in the southeast corner. The primary purpose of the investigation being to determine the interior arrangement of the structure, these stones were not moved. The structure is almost a square, the dimensions being, inside, 9 m, X 9.20 m. The walls are 1.30 m. in thicekness. It is oriented almost exactly withi the points of the compass (Fig. 4). It is built entirely of conglomerate and the blocks are fairly large (e. g., 1.30 m. X 1.08 in.). The style is polygronaltending to ashlar (Figs. 5, 6, 7). On a founda- tion of one or two courses (best seen on the south side) the polygonal masonry rises in five or six roughi courses to a height of three metres. This is topped withi a course of 32* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-- ----- l~~~~~~~~~~~~~i.3 eea View of te Blocko-is dradn P L 5 E cTI ON 0 1 Z 3 4 ? 6 7 10to 3SCALE OF METIE,3 Fig. 4. Ground Plan and Section of the Blockhotuse 'I.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~5 - 'w-o Se- . se* S.,s#sR- 4 l8w Fig. 5. Noith Side of Blockhouse _=S__~~~~A J&n er_;;s~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0 e^~~i. 6. East Sieo Blckose 41~* Fig. 7. South Side of Blockhlouse "4 -F,f A- AL~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I _ _ | 1 _ I l _ | I I 111 11 _ _ , sl4~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tg | _ A~~~~~~~~ | ~- _ Fig 8 West Sidei of Blockhous ( l,,!X,;'A 41~ ~~~~~~ , Fig. C . o f.Blockhou- s- w - ~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Av PR1- 0K_,m1S -ft l Fig. 9. Coping of Blockhouse '9 A,~~~~~ Fig . 1. Co BjrnerofSvv< Coig fBlchos THIE "PYRAMIDS" OF ARGOLIS 489 slabs 0.35 m. in thickness, laid horizontally. The entrance is at the south 'end of the west side, i.e., toward Nemea (Fig. 8). Since there never was a modern village near this structure, it has suffered very little. The exterior walls are almost complete. The blocks that are lacking are almost all on the ground about, and could be replaced with a minimum of trouble. The most serious damage is on the northwest corner where the coping and two courses are lacking. 4~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~4 _~~~ 2 - .Pe ai%w kP'e . ?w>b 7 4i AL. Fig. 11. Bonding of Interior Wall iito Exterior Wall of tle Blockhouse Tfhe slabs of the coping, with onie exception, all lie transversely across the wall (Fig. 9). They are 1.30 m. in length. Three stones are fitted togrether to form the corner (Fig. 10). On the south side two of these lateral stones are replaced by two laid longitudinally. Immediately below these two stonies a course of the interior cross wall was bonded in (Fig. 11). The long longitudinal stone would, therefore, more securely hold the bonding stone of the wall than would two lateral stones whose joint would necessarily be directly over this stone. There is no evidence that the walls went higher nor are there cuttings for roof beams except a doubtful one in the west wall. On the upper side of the lintel slab (1.68 m. long, 0.50 m. thick) of the doorway are two cuttings running transversely across the slab just above the door jambs. They are 490 LOUIS E. LORD 0.06 ni. wide and 0.03 m. deep. These may be the bedding for the base of two stones which were set up vertically and leaned together at the top to form the familiar re- lieving triangle. This hypothesis would, however, postulate a second story, or, at least, some sort of wall above that now standing. Other considerations indicate there was no such wall. The coping slabs are not broad enough to support a wall of sun-dried brick and still leave room on the coping behind the wall for a fighting man. A floor for a second o; ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A ' ' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~' Fig. 12. Entrance Corridor of Blocklhouse from Withiin story may have been built on beams, which rested on these flat coping stones and the tops of the interior partitions. A wall of mud bricks might then have been superimposed on the stone walls. But there is no trace of cuttings for such beams and Mr. Scrantoni points out that the debris about the blockhouse wouild show clear indications of suich a wall, hlad there been one. Within, the blockhouse is divided almost exactly in half by a north-south wall (see Fig. 4). The western half consists of an entrance corridor (4.40 m. X 1.40 m.) and two northwest rooms (4.05 m. X 3.48 m. and 4.05 m. X 3.90 m.). At the outer doorway there are cuttings on the south side for the door jamb-of wood-and in the lintel block a THE "PYRAMIDS" OF ARGOLIS 491 cutting (0.15 m. square) for the door post (Fig. 12). The door opened inward and could be fastened by a bar, the openings for which appear between the courses of the door frame. The floor level was slightly below the threshold. A few lamp fragments and sherds were found here. The earth below was reddish, containing a few fragments of coarse roof tile. This layer seemed to represent an artificial leveling about 0.20 m. in ' -~~ s9- - te _-_ _,' l_W i e i 's '4 bts* 4;~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _r ~~~~~~~~~~M r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~b_ s' _ p~~Fg 13 East En of th east-West?*Ineo CrosW al ofthei Blockhose;,E,|ii thcnes Beo tiw as redis earth miedwit buldn chips. Therewasno evidenceof a seon buldng Attees n of the corridraorwy one mer -wide,-lad's lef int thjis and~Fgsmale wsErnt room ofthe cuttingstfoIthedoorosWl post and pivckotuaepeevd There is also a square cutting in the centre of the threshold. This can not indicate double doors-the space is too narrow-and must consequently be a mortice to receive a vertical fastening bolt, or a brace. This door also opened inward. Only the lowest 492 LOUIS E. LORD course of the wall between the two west rooms is preserved. It is impossible to locate the position of the door in this wall. On the west wall of the northwest room, near the north end, there is onle cutting that might have held a roof beam, the only such cutting, found.
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