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III. —Thalamae: 1.—Excavations
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 October 2013
Extract
Trial excavations were conducted last spring near the village of Koutiphari in Laconia, with the object of testing the theory which located the town of Thalamae and the dream-oracle of Ino-Pasiphae in its vicinity. Koutiphari is situated on the high plateau of West Maina, which overlooks the gulf of Kalamata, at a distance of about thirty-five miles from Kalamata itself and about ten from the small port of Oetylus (mod. Vitylo). The topographical reasons which led Mr. Forster to suppose that the oracle and sacred spring of Ino were to be found near Koutiphari are discussed by him in B.S.A. x. p. 161. The inscription which he publishes on p. 174 of the same volume, with its dedication by the citizens of Thalamae, gave further probability to the view, and it may be stated at once that sufficient evidence was brought to light by excavation and exploration of the surrounding countrv to confirm his opinion.
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- Laconia
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- Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 1905
References
page 124 note 1 Cf. B.S.A. x. p. 161. For the older views cf. Leake, Peloponnesus, p. 178 (Platsa is the chief town of the district, about ij miles north of Koutiphari); Boblaye, Recherches géographiques, p. 93; Bursian, , Geog. von Griechenland, ii. p. 153Google Scholar; Curtius, , Peloponnesus, ii. 284Google Scholar; Fraser, , Paus. vol. iii. p. 400.Google Scholar
page 124 note 2 For a description of the geography and geology of the Maina country, cf. philippson, Peloponnes, i. pp. 199 foll.
page 125 note 1 Two fragments of a pilaster were discovered near the poros wall, which proved to fit together. In the church of Hagios Johannes, in the village of Koutiphari, part of another is used as a cross-holder. This piece retains its capital and gives the following measurements:—Size of abacus: height 3·7c., width 23 c., depth from back to front 28 c.; echinus (diam.), width at top 23 c., at bottom 20 c., height (including anuli) 5·5c.; height of remaining shaft 42 c., 9 flutes measuring 3 c at top, 3·1c. at bottom. Applied against a marble slab 7·5c thick. The pilaster forms slightly less than half a true column. If these pilasters belonged to the sanctuary, they would probably form part of the interior architecture, perhaps supporting the roof above a lower line of columns.
page 126 note 1 We found here a large coarse pithos, similar to the one with inscr. No. 16 in Mr. Forster's paper, probably of late Roman date, containing the lower part of a pouring vessel, part of a stone handmill of dice-box shape, the head of an iron pickaxe (26·5c. long), a bronze pin (8c long), part of a Byzantine lamp, half a stone-hammer of Neolithic date, fragments of coarse pottery, and a little Hellenic black glazed ware.
page 127 note 1 Cf. Wide, Lakonische Kulte, pp. 246 foll.
page 127 note 2 The larger capital measures: abacus, 70 c. x 68 c., 9·5c. in height; echinus (diam.), 68c. at top, 41 c at bottom, height 8 c Height of neck 7·5c. diam. 39·5c. At the bottom is a ring 41 c. in diam. 2c. in height. The smaller capital measures 2c. less in length and breadth of abacus, and the other measurements vary in proportion.
page 129 note 1 A Byzantine roof tile, fragments of a glass vase, fragments of Roman lamps, an elliptical column probably from the church, an imperial coin, and rough pottery fragments.