KAZI SONUÇLARI TOPLANTISI 1. CİLT - kulturvarliklari.gov.tr

The study of the water supply system of the western sector of the agoramade it possible to survey the numerous clay pipes of the imperial phasewhich, coming from the aqueduct, distributed the water by branching out orrunning along the stylobate, and the decidedly earlier (late archaic-classical)the spring within the open area of the agora. It was enclosed in a smallrectangular basin oriented north-south, and on the south side opened in achannel with a marked gradient (about 20 cm in one 5-m stretch!) (Fig. 5).The basin is of masonry and has the bottom covered with limestone slabsand well fitted. The canalization too, <strong>1.</strong>08 m deep and 0.55 m wide, is facedwith slabs on bottom and sides, with smaller slabs on top, these with frequentgaps to allow inspection. We know nothing of how the basin was covered,but, since it had to be protected from all kinds of pollution, it could only havebeen made to isolate the underlying space from the outside. The groundwatercoming up through the joins of the bottom filled the basin and ran throughthe canalization, as occurs even today, depositing lime. The lime whichleft sediment in the canalization until it filled it (as observed in the stretchthat was opened and cleaned) appeared associated with potsherds only onthe bottom and beneath the cover. From the point of view of typology andchronology, the pottery fragments (Fig. 6) found at lower and higher levelsseem quite homogeneous. Thus the spring must not have been active forvery long: not, I believe, beyond the proto-classical period, when the agoraitself may have been taking shape. Through the channel, the system probablyincluded a second collecting basin at a lower level; even though it has beenonly partially brought to light, it appears truly sophisticated. One final andgeneral observation: whether it was a question of catching groundwater witha resurgence or else with wells, this sector of the peninsula was one of themost suitable, as the repeated related activities of the inhabitants documentover a long period (from the late archaic spring to the Byzantine wells).In addition to the field research presented, the season included such otheractivities as the study of different kinds of material and restoration, but I willleave the details for the written report.Francesca Curti (a researcher the Department of Sciences of Antiquity at theUniversity of Florence) completed, with the photographer, the documentation225