Research: Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project

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Day by Day Blog

Week One
June 26, 2006

Week Two
July 3, 2006

Week Three
July 10, 2006

Week Four
July 17, 2006

Week Five
July 24, 2006

Week Six
July 31, 2006

Week Five - July 24, 2006

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Our trenches are proceeding at a rapid rate and to a great depth. The amount of earth that is being moved is quite impressive and we are reaching our logistical limit in terms of the removal of earth, as the workmen are having a hard time lifting the earth out of the bottom of the trenches (fig. 1). Much of what we are digging is fill that has been brought in for the bedding for the track for the modern Lykaion Games. The excavators typically stop to examine some of the interesting pottery that is being found in their trenches (fig. 2). Section drawings are begun during this week as a way of analyzing the systematic excavation that has occurred (fig. 3) Susan Mentzer, our micromorphologist from the University of Arizona, is beginning her work of examining the ancient soils from aspects of several of the trenches (fig. 4). The area of the seats to the north of the stoa is being cleaned and reveals an interesting series of blocks that is being studied and drawn (fig. 5).

We have many visitors to the site this week and last following the festival of Aghios Elias on July 20. Some are interested villagers and others are from neighboring villages or from the general region of Arcadia or Messenia. Many have heard of the new excavation and are eager to see for themselves what we are doing and we are always happy to show them around. We also have a number of EU tourists who come to visit during the week. Earlier in the summer Mary Voyatzis and I welcomed one of the Summer Sessions of the American School of Classical Studies, led by Dr. William Hutton, and we have also had visits from a number of other colleagues from the American School of Classical Studies. This week we have a visit by family members of Mary Voyatzis, including her mother Angel from Rion and her sister Louise and niece Nikki from Portsmouth, England (fig. 6).

Three or four times during the week we have a running club, unofficially the ‘Mt. Lykaion Striders,’ that meets at the hippodrome (and modern track) for afternoon runs. This summer the regulars have included Jonathon Lee, Miranda Gardiner, Ximena Valle, Terri Moreno, Mary Voyatzis, Alexis Belis and myself (fig. 7).

In terms of wildlife at the site we have the typical morning rush hour scene of goats approaching the excavation (fig. 8) and during this week we also have the added attraction of several horses grazing on the floor of the ancient hippodrome (fig. 9)

Our Sunday excursion is to the nearby sites of Berekla, Eira and the beach at Kalo Nero on the Ionian Sea. There are the remains of a sanctuary of Pan at Berekla, on the western slopes of Mt. Lykaion and we take a 30 minute hike from the town of Neda to find the site (fig. 10 ). Further to the southwest is the ancient Messenian City of Eira, to the south of the Neda River and in a very strategic location, next to the Arcadian border.

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