626 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION H. 
piece of one of these was found, and two little reliefs representing such a 
pair of lions. 
To the next hundred years (600-500 B.c.) belongs a further mass of votive 
offerings, found south, west, and north of the sixth-century temple. These 
comprise the terra-cotta mass, nearly all of which belong to this time, in 
pottery Laconian III and IV, which embraces nearly all the vases hitherto 
called Cyrenaic, and a great number of lead votive figurines. The earlier 
ivory carvings have now given way to work in bone, and the style is not 
so good. This century marks the beginning of the decline of Laconian art, 
which is still more marked in the Laconian V and VI, which carry us down 
to the middle of the fourth century. The greater number of finds of these 
periods (Lac. V and VI) were from the houses which le east of the altar, 
and themselves may be fifth century. 
After this the finds are very few: some Hellenistic objects and some 
Roman terra-cottas. A great many probably were removed when the 
foundations of the Roman theatre were cut down. 
The further history of the site consists of the rebuilding of the temple 
in Hellenistic times, relics of which are the numerous tiles stamped with 
the name of the goddess, and finally the building of the Roman amphi- 
theatre in late Roman times for the convenience of spectators. Built into 
its remains were the inscribed slabs to which were fastened the iron sickles 
which were the prizes of the victors. The Roman altar stood directly above 
the earlier ones, and the Roman arena corresponded very well with the old 
hollow which had seen the beginning of the cult in the very earliest times. 
(b) The Meneleum.—This site had been already partially excavated, 
first by Ross, and afterwards by Mr. Castriotis. Our attention was drawn 
to it by a handful of objects found by some shepherds and brought to us. 
The bunding, supposed to have been the sanctuary of Menelaos and Helen, 
stands on a hill which rises steeply from the left bank of the Hurotas a 
couple of miles south of the site of Sparta. The building, as now uncovered, 
shows itself as a platform surmounted by an oblong structure, which may 
have been an altar or the base for some conspicuous monument. A ramp 
gave access to this platform. The structure may be assigned to the fifth 
century. At a somewhat later date a terrace was added on two sides. In 
excavating this building some finds were made of Laconian and geometric 
pottery, and, more important, well below these and below the foundations 
of the building late Mycenean sherds were found. The chief finds, however, 
were fovnd on the steep slopes of the hill a little below the building itself. 
They had clearly got into the position in which we found them from having 
been thrown down the hill. They comprised pottery of the second Laconian 
style, badly represented at the Orthia sanctuary, many lead figurines, and 
a few objects in bone and ivory like those from the Orthia and bronzes. 
Below these finds, which date from the late seventh century, there was 
a layer cf geometric pottery. 
In a field near by we found the remains of a late Mycenean house with 
painted plaster and pottery, and all about on these hills late Mycenean 
sherds are to be found. This suggests that the Mycenean Sparta was 
probably in this region, and it is probably not without significance that 
the shrine of Menelaos is here rather than on the site of the later city. 
9. Report on the Excavation of Neolithic Sites in Northern Greece. 
See Reports, p. 293. 
