Ανασκαφική έρευνα στην Πέλλα το 2005

Part of : Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στη Μακεδονία και στη Θράκη ; Vol.19, No.1, 2005, pages 391-406

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391-406
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Excavation at Pella in 2005
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Abstract:
In a plot of land in Edessa in the area of the ancient city’s east cemetery, a hewn chamber tomb was discovered early in 2005 that had been in use for a long time, from the early 3rd c. BC until just after the mid-2nd c. BC.The tomb has a long dromos, uncovered and with roughly hewn steps for a distance of 8.75 m and barrel-vaulted and stepped for a distance of 7.50 m. The central chamber is surrounded by seven more chambers, one on the north side, three on the east side, and three on the west side. The entrances were sealed with externally plastered stones that were found collapsed in front of them. The most meticulously decorated chamber was the north one, with rows of colour. In three of the chambers the klines were on built pedestals and in two they were on stone blocks. The tomb had been looted in the ancient period, so most of the grave goods were found strewn in front of the chamber entrances. They included a very large number of vessels and figurines, a few items of gold jewellery, parts of wreaths, and bronze coins of Alexander III, Antigonos Gonatas, and Philip V. Most notable among the finds were a large inscribed relief stela from the fill of the dromos, a small inscribed altar from west chamber 1, and part of an inscribed stela that had been re-used to seal up the entrance from the stepped section of the dromos.The uniform carving and the symmetry and regularity of its architectural features show that this new tomb, in an area of the east cemetery with other monumental sepulchral structures, must have been built in a single phase. It is the largest hewn chamber tomb in Greece, while the layout of the chambers reflects the influence of sepulchral monuments with recesses in the walls, which are widely encountered in Egypt and in areas under its influence, such as Cyprus.Another important find made in 2005 is the discovery of a fortifying wall, which surrounded the buildings of what were probably military installations, which have been excavated in recent years in the area of Fakos, the fortified island in the lagoon south of Pella, confirming the reports of ancient writers (Livy, Strabo). Also in 2005, trial investigations in the area of the new Pella by-pass, which will serve the developed archaeological site, located the site of the west and, probably, the east wall of the ancient city.
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Keywords:
Πέλλα, συνέδρια
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