439-453

Observations regarding the topography and urban organisation of the area south-west of the rotunda on the basis of three new excavations of building plots

• Καρύδας, Νάρκισσος

The recent excavation of three plots of land south-west of the Rotunda andnorth of Egnatia St. has produced interesting data about the topography and theurban organisation of this area, which was part of the expansion of the city thattook place after the mid-third century and was closely connected with the Galerianbuilding programme. The plots are at 27, Konstandinou Palaiologou St., 22,Patriarhou Ioakeim St., and 2, Iasonidou St. (on the corner of Egnatia St.), andtheir successive phases revealed the following facts.The area was used as a cemetery and a workshop until the mid-third century.When the city was extended eastwards, the area was then rebuilt, following the preexistingHippodamean grid plan. These buildings were destroyed in the second halfof the fourth century (probably by an earthquake), and were replaced between theend of the fourth and the middle of the fifth century by imposing, more massivestructures. There is evidence of large-scale renovations and extensions until the firsthalf of the sixth century, but the decline had already set in, with several familiesnow living under the same roof. The rooms were divided by partition walls until thefirst half of the seventh century, when they were destroyed once and for all by theviolent earthquakes of that period. The area came back to life only very slowly. Afew areas in the piles of rubble were partially cleared and rebuilt using the abundantmaterial scattered round about. The rest was levelled and remained open or, later,housed light industrial activities. The finds from the middle and late Byzantineperiod are fragmentary here, as almost everywhere else in Thessaloniki. However,we do know of the existence of an important monastery to which belonged theChurch of St Panteleimon, which stands only a few metres away from the excavatedplots. We may also mention the existence in the post-Byzantine period of aglazed-pottery workshop.One important detail in the urban organisation of the area is the discovery of anobliquely positioned building on the Iasonidou St. site. The oblique position atteststhat the via Regia followed an oblique course from this point on in order to passunder the triumphal arch. The building’s previous phase indicates that this obliquecourse was part of the road’s original route.Lastly, we must point out the great significance of a hitherto unknown perpendicularroad that has been located on the same site to the west of the ceremonialway and whose existence had been completely forgotten over the centuries. Theroad is especially important, because if it is prolonged southwards it leads directlyto the unpublished ancient structure on Ioannou Mihail St., and also passes directlyin front of the palace itself, thus linking the Emperor's part of the city with that ofthe ordinary people.

• History and Archaeology

• Ανασκαφές (Αρχαιολογία)

πολεοδομία, τοπογραφία, Θεσσαλονίκη, συνέδρια

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