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Excavations by the New York University on Geronisos
island
The New York University Geronisos Island Excavations, under the direction of
Professor Joan Breton Connelly, Lillian Vernon Chair for Teaching Excellence at
NYU, has concluded seven weeks of work on the island off the coast of Agios
Georgios tis Peyias, Paphos District.
Work began on May 17 in the area
along the southern coast of the Island, designated as the Central South Complex.
All trenches excavated in this area during the 1992-1996 seasons were
un-backfilled and all remaining baulks were removed. A continuous ground plan of
the Central South Complex can now be observed. It shows a series of roughly
square rooms and an open courtyard stretching across an area measuring 19.50m.
by 14m. Substantial rubble walls uncovered here are oriented along north/south
and east/west axes and define a series of rooms measuring 5 by 5m. square. Two
of these rooms are equipped with built rubble platforms rising some 0.40m. above
floor level. Another room shows two substantial stone slabs inscribed with the
monogram HG. Along the south side of the complex, a diagonal wall seems to
represent a slightly later addition or renovation of the existing
structure.
Material recovered from the Central South Complex during
previous seasons can be comfortably dated within the years 80-30 B.C. An even
narrower chronology is likely and it is during the third quarter of the 1st
century B.C. that the island enjoyed its most robust period of
activity.
The most significant result of this season's work was the
recovery of the full architectural plan of the South Central Complex. Finds were
relatively few and include pottery, glass, and small bronze and lead objects.
The ceramic sequence is of particular interest as it shows a wide repertory of
shapes and fabrics dated to the middle of the first century B.C. These include
Cypriote Sigillata fabric, Eastern Sigillata A fabric, imported moulded relief
bowls and our own pink powdery local color coated ware.
This season also
saw the rebuilding of our ascent up the southern cliff of the island. This
enterprise resulted in the discovery of a shallow grave at the base of the
island where an adolescent or young teenager was buried. The skeleton awaits
Carbon 14 analysis to determine its date.
One of the major enterprises of
this busy season was the consolidation of all walls and architectural features
in the Central South Complex, part of an ongoing program of in situ
conservation. Rubble walls were consolidated with a mortar of lime, sand and
cement. Structures were covered with a geo-textile at the close of the season
and buried in a light backfilling of earth.
The 2004 season on Geronisos
included the participation of a number of eminent scholars engaged in the study
of material excavated from the Island. Scholars included Prof. Dimitris Plantzos
of the University of Peloponnese, Prof. Jolanta Mlynarczak of the University of
Warsaw, Dr. Mariusz Burdajewicz of the Warsaw Museum, Dr. Paul Croft of the
Lemba Archaeological Research Center, Dr. Carole McCartney of the Lemba
Archaealogical Research Center and East Anglia University, and Dr. Richard
Anderson of the Agora Excavations, Athens.
2004-07-12
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