433-441

Excavation of the early christian Basilica at Kepia on mount Pangaion

• Μπακιρτζής, Χαράλαμπος

An early Christian basilica was discovered at the foothills of Mt. Pangaion, southeast from the Kepia Community of the Kavala district. The basilica was built near a fountain called «The water of the church» in the ruins of the Hellenistic and Roman sanctuary of Hero Auloneites. The ancient «Southern Road» traversing the Pieris valley between Mt. Pangaion and Symbolon and connecting Amphipolis to Philippipassed by this location. It is a three-aisled basilica with a narthex. Graves were found below the floor of the church, and the inscribed names of hurried priests were found in three of them. The church was destroyed by an earthquake in the second half of the 6th century B.C. The basilica was reused: the colonnades and the tribelon were replaced by walls, the destroyed northeastern corner was repaired, a new roof was built and the liturgy took place in the nave, whose floor was covered with fragments of marble slabs. However, anew earthquake destroyed the church about 615-620 A.D. and afterwards a chapel occupied the area of the Berna. The excavation yielded pottery comprising basically sherds of cooking pans:1) pots with flat base and without handles, made of clay with impurities, either handmade or with a slow wheel, or finally with a quick one, and 2) pots with flat base and one handle, made of clay without impurities, with a quick wheel. The first layer yielded sherds of Early Christian advanced pottery (amphorae and other storage and transportation pots) together with sherds of handmade (or made with a slow wheel) cooking pans. The lack of enamelled pottery suggests that the chapel was not used after the 9thor 10th century A.D.

• History and Archaeology

• Ανασκαφές (Αρχαιολογία)
• Χριστιανικές αρχαιότητες

Παλαιοχριστιανική εποχή, Καβάλα, συνέδρια

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