Sparta Excavation 1906-1910 Season 1908
Excavation: Research excavation
During this third season of excavation by the British School at Athens, the primary focus was on the Orthia site. Work began at the Orthia site by removing such parts of the Roman amphitheatre. A series of 5th or 4th century BC houses were discovered to the east of the altar, probably laying outside the Archaic sanctuary temenos. Roman masonry was removed in the area between the 6th century temple and the river. Here the archaic strata yielded many objects of importance, including a large number of ivories, a series of small sixth-century reliefs in soft stone, some bearing inscriptions, and some fine 'Cyrenaic' pottery. A primitive early temple was found south of the temple, contemporary with the earliest altar. This Archaic temple was constructed of mud brick resting on a foundation of undressed stones, held together with a framework of wooden beams; a row of wooden columns ran down the centre of the building. Traces were found of a small cella. Finds associated with this building included a great number of votive offerings: ivory figurines, lead figurines and vases of the Geometric period. The excavation of the site of Athena Chalkioikos was also completed with some additiona fragments of Geometric pottery and more fragments of the Panathenaic amphora. A small excavation on the northern bank of the Eurotas, at a spot just above the modern bridge, led to a find of a hoard of coins. In a jar was discovered 86 silver tetradrachms, half were Athenian coins, but the rest belonged to various dynasties of the Hellenistic age.
Active in 1908.
Dawkins, Mr Richard McGillivray
Wace, Mr Alan John Bayard
Droop, Professor John Percival
Farrell, Mr J.
Thompson, Mr Maurice S. O.B.E.
Harvey, Mr William
Evans, Sir Arthur John
[Journal] The Annual of the British School at Athens, no. 14 (1907/1908).
Dawkins, Richard M., et al. 1908. Laconia. I. Excavations at Sparta, 1908. BSA 14: 1-160. Direct link