63-68

Edessa 2007 : at the crossroads of the South By-pass

• Χρυσοστόμου, Αναστασία

Excavations continued in 2007 at the two intersects which in the form of level junctions (nos. 1 and 2) will link Edessa’s South By-Pass with the National Highway leading from Thessaloniki to Fiorina.At the level junction no. 2, at the site of “Psili Vry- si”, 2,000 m. from the ancient acropolis, a Late Byzantine building complex (PI. 1, A) was discovered. Architectural members from older buildings of the Roman (Pi. 2) and Early Christian periods were employed in its construction. In addition, a Roman farming settlement (PI. 1, B; PI. 3) was uncovered; finds from this were limited. Finally, in two test trenches at the southeastern edge of the Byzantine complex, the existence of a Neolithic settlement was confirmed.In the excavation of the flat junction no. 1, situated 1,350-1,500 m. from the lower city of ancient Edessa, remains from storage spaces belonging to a rural settlement were initially discovered. Coins dating from the 3rd to the 6th c. A.D. establish the period during which it was inhabited, together with its small number of other finds.The cemetery with its 64 graves that was later found and explored was the most important discovery in the South By-Pass. From its finds, T56 maydefinitely be linked to the neighboring Early Christian settlement. The other graves are earlier, and date from the Late Archaic to the Hellenistic period. On the basis of coins of Cassander - Demetrius, ten graves with adult burials and a child cremation are datable to the Hellenistic period. They are accompanied by jewelry, a strigli bearing its maker’s name (“Hermon”), and vases.The majority of the graves date to the Classical Age and contained adult burials and child cremations. Two iron spears with a small sickle-shaped dagger or strigli normally formed the grave offerings in male burials. Swords and a helmet with the name “Mêlas” on its frontispiece were found in only two graves. Coins, jewelry (Pi. 4), and imported and local pottery formed the other categories of grave goods for both sexes.The most important grave in the cemetery was the Archaic T25, since it belongs to the rare class of “warriors’ graves”, where the Argive shield was added to the rest of the armor in the tomb. From its shield- band are preserved fragments of two metopes featuring warrior pairs and a third with a scene of a couple holding a necklace (PL 5). The most significant jewelry from the tomb included a large mouthpiece and two eyepieces-substitutes for a gold mask.

• History and Archaeology

• Ανασκαφές (Αρχαιολογία)
• Αρχαιολογία

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