f - The American School of Classical Studies at Athens

378 MARIO IOZZO
space; in this space and over the innermost ridges a
ribbon-lug handle is applied. Residual traces of dark
red are visible on the central and outermost articula-
tions of the handle and on the lowermost ridge in
each group; the lower band reaches the underside of
the lip.
Findspot: West Cemetery.85 The fragments were
sporadic finds, therefore undatable by context.
5th or 4th century B.C.
43. Bowl fragment Fig. 2, P1. 69
C-68-344. H. 0.069, W. 0.425, rest. D. 0.642, Th.
0.02.
Impure, pink clay (7.5YR 7/4) with predominantly
red inclusions and large air bubbles which
have warped the outer surface in places; fine, reddish
yellow slip (7.5YR 7/6) confined to the rim
and to the edge of the interior; the rest of the inner
surface is covered with a layer of pinkish gray
grains (5YR 7/2). About one fifth of the original
circumference is preserved in two joining fragments;
surface abraded and chipped. The lower
part of the lip is missing.
Overhanging rim, articulated with pendulous, inward
slanting lip; slightly convex top. The side of the
lip is modeled with two groups of ridges of varying
height; the first group is composed of three ridges,
the second group of at least two, and they are separated
by a central space. Wide bands alternately of
brown and dark red cover the ridges; the uppermost
brown band reaches the outer edge of the rim top.
The ridges are very haphazardly painted with colors
often running into the intervening spaces.
Findspot: the Sacred Spring,86 in levels excavated
down to the 6th century. No levels were excavated in
this area between the Geometric and Archaic periods;
there was an almost total absence of Protocorinthian
and Corinthian material to the end of the 6th
century. Therefore, the first half of the 5th century
can be safely considered the terminus post quem
for 43.
5th or 4th century B.C.
44. Bowl fragment Fig. 2, P1. 69
C-70-596. H. 0.05, W. 0.165, rest. D. 0.596, Th.
0.014.
Porous, impure, very pale yellow clay (1OYR
8/4) with fine gray inclusions; fine, reddish yellow
slip (5YR 7/8) confined to the outer surface.
A small part of the original circumference is preserved
in two joining fragments; eroded surface
with chipped edges.
Overhanging rim, articulated with pendulous, inward
slanting lip; slightly convex top. The side of the
lip is modeled with two groups of three ridges of
varying height, separated by a central space. Wide,
irregularly painted bands of alternately dark red and
brown cover the ridges, leaving the central one in the
first group unpainted; the uppermost brown band
reaches the outer edge of the rim top. On the top remains
a portion of a counterclockwise graffito
scratched with a fine point (maximum height of letters:
0.031 m.). Only a short straight stroke is preserved
of the first letter; the second letter can be considered
to be the lower part of a nu with detached
strokes, as is frequently encountered in scratched inscriptions,
owing to the normal difficulties of execution
in comparison to painting or incising fresh clay.
Of the last two letters, one of which is almost entirely
preserved, we can make out the characteristic Corinthian
sign used to express the "short e" sound (epsilon)
and the "long, closed e" (eta).87 The inscription,
obviously written in the local Corinthian alphabet,
can be restored as av v[0][KE](v) in which the sign
g equals epsilon in the first instance and eta in the
second instance. The absence of any trace of theta
between the two vowels should not pose.any difficulty
inasmuch as such a letter, like certain others
85 P. A. Clement, "Isthmia," ZX\7r 24, 1969, B'1 (1970), p. 119.
86 For the Sacred Spring directly to the south of the foundations of the Captive's Facade and for the eight
architectural phases related to this complex, dating between the end of the 8th century and the destruction of
Corinth in 146 B.C., see Williams, 1969, pp. 36-63; Williams, 1970, pp. 21-39, esp. pp. 21-31; Williams and
Fisher, 1971, pp. 10-34; Williams and Fisher, 1973, pp. 27-44; Corinth VII, iv, pp. 21-22, no. 6.
87 Jeffery (footnote 81 above), pp. 114-132; M. Guarducci, Epigrafia greca I, Rome 1967, pp. 169-180.