ARCHEOLOGY — AMERICAN SCHOOLS OF CLASSICAL STUDIES. I75 



ARCHEOLOGY. 



American School of Classical Studies at Athens. James R. Wheeler, 

 Chairman of Managing Committee, Columbia University, New York, 

 New York. Grant No. 485. (a) Excavations at Corinth, $1,500. 

 (b) Maintenance of a fellozvship in architecture at Athens, $1,000, 

 (For previous reports see Year Books Nos. 4, 5, and 6.) $2,500. 



(a) Bxcavations at Corinth. — The grant for excavation has as usual been 

 expended at Corinth. Some digging was done about the already uncovered 

 fountain of Pirene, and further study was given to the ruins. Two of the 

 four large water-storage chambers which exist behind the fountain were 

 cleared out, and the early structure, dating at least from the sixth century 

 B. c, was thus made plainer. The limits of the first Roman court in front of 

 the spring were determined, with the water channels which led to the basin. 

 This work made clear the structure of the so-called "open-air fountain" 

 mentioned by Pausanias. Excavations were made also on the west side of 

 the "market place," and a row of early Roman shops was uncovered. These 

 rest on the line of a Greek terrace. One of the temples (Roman) mentioned 

 by Pausanias as "on the Agora" was discovered, a fact which makes it cer- 

 tain that a number of other structures mentioned by him lie under a mass of 

 earth in the northwest part of the market place. The uncovering of the end 

 of the so-called "northwest stoa" (third century b. c.) revealed the perhaps 

 unique use (for this date) of cement in the setting of the stones. Cramps, 

 however, were also used in the wall, so that the cement was apparently 

 intended to check the infiltration of water. The limits of the precinct of the 

 great Temple of Apollo are now fixed by these excavations in the market 

 place. 



A small excavation at the theater has established the size of the building. 

 The radius of the cavea measures 65 meters. There are indications of some 

 interesting and unusual features in the structure, but the great cost of work 

 at this point prevented further digging. 



Some Roman sculpture was unearthed in the course of the excavations. 

 A few pieces are interesting, but most of it is of little artistic merit. On 

 the other hand, much good pottery was found, including Geometric, Proto- 

 Corinthian, Corinthian, and Attic black-figured vases. One excellent "Fikel- 

 lura" vase also was unearthed ; this is of great interest, since it is a visible 

 evidence of early trade relations between Ionia and Corinth. Terra-cottas 

 also occurred, dating from the earliest times down, and an interesting and 

 well-preserved mold of a head of the Athena Parthenos type was found. 

 This is from the remains of the Greek theater which lie under the Roman 

 theater already mentioned, and it is important both artistically and as an 

 indication of the date of the stratum in which it was found. 



