Sparta Excavation 1924-1927 Season 1926
Excavation: Research excavation
Our main activities were again devoted to the Theatre and the Acropolis. At the former we have now completed the uncovering of the stage-region, and have cleared a wide strip in front of the E. Parodos-wall as far east as the foot of the exterior staircase mentioned in the last Report. On the Acropolis, where Mr. Tait was in charge of the work, we almost completed the excavation of the votive deposit in the area between the Chalkioikos Sanctuary-wall and the back wall of the cavea,; and there only remain undug a narrow strip along the centre, left as a barrow-track, and a rather larger piece at the south-west corner of the deposit, where the clay layer attains a formidable depth above the richer layers below. The principal discovery of the season was that of another building, to the south of the area concerned, of which we have now cleared portions of the north and west walls for a length of nine and two-and-a-half metres respectively. Extensive trials were also made east of the Chalkioikos, with a view to testing the presence (I) of an entrance to the centre of the cavea direct from the Acropolis,and (2) of votive deposits or other indications of another sanctuary adjacent. Our results were mostly negative, but shewed that this region had been occupied in later Imperial times by a mass of houses, which had mostly destroyed the earlier levels, and had encroached even on the uppermost seats of the Theatre; and we found that a small (domestic ?) bath was built up against its back wall, near the centre. Further east, Mr. Cuttle successfully elucidated the plan of the Byzantine church (H. Nikon?) which he had partly cleared in 1925. He found that it was a Basilica, the roof having been carried on two rows of six columns each; two of the bases, which looked like re-used Roman work of fairly good period, were in position on the north side, and a fallen column belonging to the south side was also identified.
Active in 1926.
Woodward, Mr Arthur Maurice
De Jong, Mr Piet
Alexopoulos, Dr Georgios
[Journal] The Annual of the British School at Athens, no. 27 (1925/1926).