Pistiros - Season 2007  

Excavation took part from August 8; it was delayed due to two days with heavy rain and was running until August 25. Jan Bouzek, Jiří Musil, our PhD student Martin Trefný and seven younger students participated: Stanislava Kučová, Barbora Weissová, Pavla Mašková, Marcela Mačková, Jan Pavlíček, Marian Matys and Anna Bouzková.

Subquare B 16 NW/A 20 NE (6005 upper and 6008 lower)

A small trench was opened at the edge of the previous deep excavations in the NE corner of the Tripartite house to check the evidence in the deeper levels here [6005]. Several fragments of tondo of late 5th century Attic cup and of two RF fragments with figures were revealed in the sounding, together with local ceramics, mainly of 4th century B.C., i.e. preceding the destruction ca 300 B.C. and mainly later that the destruction in the seventies. A pit inserted into the layer yielded similar material [6008].

Other excavations and cleanings were made mainly in Square B 11

The central part of B 11

In the SE subsquare heaps of the final destructions of 278 B.C. were excavated, and also those of ca. 300 B.C. catastrophe. On the paving in Square B 11 SW, upper heap of pithoi fragments was removed, [7005], as also a second debris north of it [7006]. The paving of a street here is similar in character to that excavated between House No. 1 and House No 2 north of the main street [7007]. At least two phases have been recognized; the last serving both before and after 300 B.C., the earlier used probably until the Philip`s conquest at the latest, and even earlier.

A coin of Amatokos I came from the debris, and also terracotta fragments of decorative architecture - of antefixes and perhaps even from a sima; this may suggest that a small sanctuary existed in the area at the gate. The probability of this interpretation can be enhanced by the fact that just SE of the tower gate a high concentration of glazed roof tiles was found: Corinthian pan-tiles with Laconian kalypteroi, all with the same reddish brown glaze. Their execution resembles the glazed tiles known from Vasil Levski; they may have come from the same workshop tradition. Scientific analysis of them will be necessary in the future. As even in the 4th century deposits the glazed tiled are preserved in small fragments only, they apparently came from the first urban phase of the emporion.

In the heap of deposit [7005, SW part] a number of fragments of pithoi were found, two of them with imprints on the upper edge of the rim: one with palmette and a second with ivy leaf. The fragments of bronze objects found here were too small to give safe evidence, but the deposit contained only 4th century B.C. items.. We reached here also the earlier phase of use of the area [7008]. After the 300 B.C. destruction apparently this debris was laid untouched and the new communication used here was running above this level.

Around remains of the paving close to the wall of the Tripartite house in [7007] there was another deposit of debris with big tiles and pottery. The lower part of the debris dates from later 4th century; apparently they represent the destruction of the end of 4th century; the reconstruction of the city was then running hastily, with less care, and much of the old debris was just levelled and left in place.

The Inner Gate area

Other debris was cleaned at the SW corner of the inner tower, which was partly excavated in the previous year [7004]. A coin of Alexander the Great was found between two stones of the monumental paving, pottery together with one loom weight and one big spindle whorl made of a sherd. Other coins unclassified as yet came also from this context.

The upper layer of stones inside and outside the tower gate seems to date from the final destruction of the city wall in 279/8, below there is another paving, apparently used during the 4th century and even earlier.

The foundation blocks of the inner gate here were partly displaced. This may suggest an earthquake, as also the welled surface of the last paving in the street east of the Tripartite house may speak in favour of this interpretation. We should remember that also sloping position of some altars in the sector of G. Lazov may suggest existence of an earthquake, even if not of one as serious as in Sborjanovo. But as there were nowhere traces of repairs, it is more likely that the earthquake happened only after the urban life here ceased; it thus might have been contemporary with the well-known mid 3rd century Sborjanovo earthquake.

The small black channel along the foundations [8003] may have been traces of the dugout for the construction of the gate foundations, as elsewhere along the defence wall. A large fragment of an Attic BG kantharos of the second half of the 4th century was also found here, along the wall, as was also a Macedonian coin.

Two big canal branches from the Main Street running towards SE were uncovered, filled with small stones in two layers. A small sounding of part of the southern branch yielded two bronze coins and also Greek pottery. The general situation shows two or three phases of paving in two streets or footpaths, suggesting the same general story as in the Main Street excavated earlier. Of the two main canals, the southern branch is probably later than the northern one. A small drain was also uncovered following the paved pathway running from the gate tower SE: it probably served for bringing surface water out from the gate foundations.

B 11 NE, Sounding 2007 [8001,8002]

A new trench was laid east of the last year’s excavations between the area excavated in the previous year and the old excavations at the bastion to dismantle the remains of debris above the SE corner of the gate and to clear the situation just east of the inner gate. The upper layers consisting of debris from mud bricks of the city wall brought usual deposits, including slag in the top layers, fragments of tile (both Laconian and Corinthian pan-tiles, Laconian kalypteroi) and pottery, among them Grey Ware of its late “baroque” phase. Among the iron objects found here were a number of nails and one or two iron arrowheads. Underlying the upper destruction deposits [8001] were the deposits from the second half of the 4th century [8002]. The level of the paving was reached her, too. From Vth spit the material found belongs to the Gold Age of Pistiros (K/3079, K/3077, K/3073, third to last quarter of 4th century). A heap of tiles was overlying the 4th century deposit.

The corner of the gate and other areas of Square B 11 were drawn, photographed and the levelling (nivelation) accomplished in the whole area.

A 15 SE/NE

The remaining debris above this small part of the main street paving not cleared before was cleaned, photographed and drawn, as were the remains of the IIIrd phase of the paving here. A post-urban pit which destroyed the paving here was partly excavated [9002]; it yielded nothing typical – only small fragments of common pottery, as did two other post-urban pits in the Tripartite House, too. The drawing of the paving here completed the picture of this section of the main E-W street.

Conclusions

The main goal of this season was to clear the situation around the inner tower, to uncover the canal running SE from the main road, its two branches as well as of the drain leading from the tower and the two streets in the area: one close to the city wall and a second along the Tripartite house. In the latter, we also uncovered fragments of an earlier paving, apparently of earlier 4th century with traces of the original paving of late 5th century B.C. In its late use, some part of it at the Tripartite House may have been roofed and used as a shelter for some activities.

Only small part remains now unexcavated of the city centre planned for the archaeological park, and the results of this year also helped much in clearing the system of canals at Pistiros. Equally important results are possible traces of monumental building at the gate covered with glazed tiles with antefixes of the Phase I and the fact that the restoration of the area of the city after 300 B.C. was only provisional and of relatively modest character.

Other works

The final redaction of the proofs of the IIIrd volume of excavation report was made together with all its authors while staying in Septemvri. In the scientific session of the participants of the project the plan was established for the next year of excavations and studies. The documentation of individual categories of finds in the museum continued, with invaluable help of the museum staff, the director and the members of the Bulgarian team of the project and of our students, who especially contributed in drawing of pottery, trade amphorae, loom-weights and other minor finds. To all of them we would like to express our particular gratitude.

Authors: Jan Bouzek, Jiří Musil a Martin Trefný

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