303-310

A roman cemetery at Stavros, prefecture of Thessaloniki

• Σισμανίδης, Κώστας Λ.
• Βιολατζής, Μιχαήλ

At Stavros (Prefecture of Thessaloniki), in 1999, 2002, and 2005, within the framework of excavations for house construction, parts of what appears to have been a large Roman cemetery were explored at the border of the village with Ano Stavros, on an inclined site known as “Agios Theodoras”.In 2007, rescue excavation was conducted on the Malamoudis property, over a surface area of approximately 300 m2. A total of 65 graves were investigated, 35 of which are of the tile-covered hut-grave type, while the other 30 belong to the category of brick- or stone-built cist graves with marble or slate coverings.As regards the funerary offerings, these were abundant and interesting, the greatest number, naturally, being unglazed clay vases (oinochoes and oinoc- hoiskoi, one-handled vases shaped like cups, plates, basins, unguentaria, and either simple or relief-deco- rated lamps). There were also glass vases, chiefly oinochoes. In the female burials, jewelry (gold, silver, bronze, glass) was also common. The rings and earrings comprise special categories; the bracelets, a smaller one; noteworthy is the collection of (primarily) glass beads from necklaces in various shapes, sizes and colors.There were coins in nearly all the graves. In all, 77 coins were found, bronze for the most part, though there were also quite a number of silver coins found. Many were found alone, but there were also coins grouped together in the form of hoards. Their dating confirms the other excavation data for the cemetery’s two chronological periods. Thus, in accordance with coins of Trajan, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius found in the excavation, the first period of the cemetery’s use dates back to the 2nd century A.D. The second phase may be clearly dated to the 4th century on the basis of coins of Constantius, Valentinian I, and Valens.A noteworthy find was that of three marble but poorly-preserved funerary stelae, of which two preserve illegible inscriptions. On the first, which measures 0.30x0.38 m., may be made out the busts of four persons, evidently a couple and their two children. The smaller stele, measuring 0.25x0.37 m., depicts the bust of a bearded male. On the largest and most important stele, of which only the lower part (0.33 x 0.48 m.) was found, there is an interesting scene of two male figures in a sailboat. The scene very much recalls a similar one on the well known relief of Aurelius Asclepius in the Museum of Thessaloniki, and most probably is making a reference to the profession of the deceased for whom the stele served as grave marker.Finally, also worth mentioning is a clay water-pipe found crossing the entire width of the property and running south-north, i.e., from the mountains south of Stavros towards the sea to the north, which, it should be noted, is less than one kilometer distant from the excavation site. This water-pipe, uncovered to a length of 13.00 m., was composed of 14 clay pipes in a row, with a diameter greater than 0.20 m., which means that a large amount of water was being channeled through it. On the other hand, since the pipe has been destroyed by the construction of tombs at a considerable number of points as it passes through the property, it was natural for us to conclude that it pre-dated the cemetery, and to hypothesize that during the era in which it was functioning, it supplied water to an unknown coastal settlement, most likely a large one, in the vicinity of Stavros.

• History and Archaeology

• Ανασκαφές (Αρχαιολογία)

Θεσσαλονίκη, νεκροταφεία, ρωμαϊκή περίοδος

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