After a few days of logistics and bureaucracy we eventually started the excavation campaign. Today prof. Zanini and Cioschi joined the team with some days of delay due to Cioschi’s graduation. This year our epoptria is Maria Mavritsaki.

When we were done with the general surface cleaning we focused on the area of the sondage and started removing the topsoil. The entire area of the Byzantine District is covered with a thick layer of soil coming from Federico Halbherr’s excavation of the Pythion temple at the beginning of the 20th century.

We are trying hard to pursue a zero-km excavation: thanks to some old test pits that need to be filled we can focus our energies on actual excavation work, instead of moving soil 50 m away from the digging area.

Starting from either tomorrow or Monday we are starting the planned extension on the northern side. Unlike what we had planned, we will follow a strategy mixing test pits and a trench, to get an idea of the overall extension of the monumental building and of its internal spaces.