307-315

Galerian infrastructure works

• Καραμπέρη, Μαριάννα
• Χριστοδουλίδου, Ε.

During the archaeological investigation of a 450 m2 building plot at the junction of Palama St. and Navarinou Square, in the wider area of Galerius’ palace, we uncovered a ceremonial way running NW-SE, which essentially marks the SW boundary of the complex. A 28 m stretch of the road, paved with marble slabs of unequal size, was uncovered, while the sides of the 10 m wide road were defined by strong masonry. Angled symmetrical pier-like structures of brick would have borne arches for stoas lining the way. A 15 cm high footing differentiated the roadway from a kerb 40 cm wide. Vertical sections revealed a large waste pipe along the central axis (W. 0.60 m; max. H. 1.40 m) connected to a dense network of superficial and deeper conduits; while along the surface of the road ran a water pipe of clay 0.10 m in diameter in a bed of hydraulic mortar. The portable finds from the deeper sections corresponded to the main Roman phase (Arretine Ware, t.s. of known workshops, figurines, imported lamps with stamps, and coins of the lst-3rd cc. AD). The way would have led from the imperial harbour to the central nucleus of the palace.At the same time, we continued excavating under the S. stoa of the palace, where spaces with mosaics and a spandrel with a fresco of suspended hareskins had been uncovered in the past. We have now fully excavated rooms with a shared wall, with mosaic floors decorated with geometrical and marine motifs and spandrels plastered with imitation marble revetment (a purple register and panels with geometrical motifs in off-white), as also the fresco with the hareskins (max. pres. H. 1.40 m), which also continued around the lateral walls. The spaces were covered by a destruction layer, which has been dated to the mid-3rd century AD.

• History and Archaeology

• Αρχαιολογία

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