South Street: August 5-12, 2008

Excavations in the main North-South Colonnaded Street of Sagalassos focussed on the northern end of the street section excavated during previous years. The presence of a heart-shaped corner pillar at this location made it possible this had once been the position of a Hellenistic stoa-complex or peristylium. Excavations have uncovered an ashlar wall with east-west orientation. In the prolongation of the portico of the street this contained a staircase leading up to the continuation of the portico on a higher level. Both wall and staircase in their present condition appear to be late antique in date. In between the ashlar wall and a rubble wall belonging to one of the shops behind the portico, a side street of the colonnaded street was uncovered. This year's excavations have also encountered a portico paving, consisting of large limestone slabs. Ceramics retrieved from the substratum underneath indicated that this floor was only laid out in the 6th c. AD. The excavated area was also crossed by a waterpipe, in all likelihood late in date, which was protected by brick and rubble stone walls and covered by bricks. It ended up in a water distributor located just to the north of the portico back wall.

Three smaller soundings were opened in order to check the presence of Hellenistic remains. A first was located just to the east of the ashlar wall, a second just to the east of the stylobate of the street, under which a row of stones with different orientation was visible, a third to the east of the heart-shaped pillar. In the first two bedrock was encountered fairly quickly, excavations in the third had to be halted as they were crossed by water pipes. Remains which could stratigraphically be attributed to the Hellenistic period have not been found.