321-330

A burial complex and a small church in the west necropolis of Thessaloniki

• Μαρκή, Ευτέρπη

On a plot of land measuring just 16x8 m at the junction of Agathonos and Leonida Spartiati Streets in Ambelokipi, we have excavated an interesting burial complex of six barrel-vaulted tombs of the 4th century, another barrel-vaulted tomb of the 6th-7th century, parts of two later cisterns, and a later funeral chapel, under the floor of which was found an infant’s pit-grave. An infant’s tile-grave covered with bricks was excavated outside and to the N of the chapel.The burial complex forms an area 5 m square, within which are six barrel-vaulted tombs with shared walls, three on either side of a passageway. The passageway runs N-S, is 5 m long, and terminates in a blind arch at either end. Only one of the six tombs had marble revetment on the lower part of the walls, which was removed later. The rest of it is painted with imitation marble revetment and rose petals in the vault, in the centre of which is a red Christogram in a circle. The complex represents the architectural type of the tribune with two triclinia and is connected with the economic prosperity of a powerful urban class and the desire of some of its members to be buried in the same place and to perform together the necessary rites associated with the cult of the dead.A 2.6 m stretch of the N perimeter wall of the complex was used later on (probably in the 8th-9th century) to build an aisleless funeral chapel measuring 3.8 x 2.8 m without the apse, which was uncovered in contact with its N side. The little church, which must have been built as a cemetery chapel for child burials, and typo- logically and structurally resembles the little aisleless churches built out of spolia on the ruins of Early Christian churches and in the naves of basilicas (the Octagon at Philippi, basilica Γ at Amphipolis, and the basilicas at Kefalos on the Ambracian Gulf and Kipia on Mount Pangaion), was destroyed when a nearby stream burst its banks.The excavation produced the following findings.1. Thessaloniki’s necropolis was not abandoned for good after the raids of the 7th century. When the period of insecurity was over, a considerable number of Thessa- lonians apparently returned to the ancient necropolises. At the same time, other citizens apparently continued to be buried in unoccupied parts of the city or in church courtyards.2. The increase in child mortality in the Dark Ages and the Orthodox belief that children are angels until the age of seven led the popular faith to build funeral chapels for a special purpose, around which children’s cemeteries were created.

• History and Archaeology

• Ανασκαφές (Αρχαιολογία)

νεκροταφεία, Θεσσαλονίκη

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