Two Recent Finds from the Corinthia

The Googlebots are proving less reliable than they once were. Here are two news stories from the last week or so that I just learned about via FB. These should be of obvious interest to Roman history and archaeology folk.

First, another Roman chamber tomb has been found in Corinth. This tomb, like the Roman tomb found last year, comes from the plain north of the urban center which was always a principal area of burial for the Greek and Roman cities of Corinth.  Initial reports evidently suggest a slightly earlier date (1st-2nd AD or earlier) than the 3rd century tomb discovered last year. An excerpt from the article (“Roman chamber tomb found in Ancient Corinth”, Nov. 14, 2013) via the Archaeology News Network:

Measuring 3.30m by 2.63m., the tomb has been initially dated to between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, but may be earlier. It was entered from the south through a staircase decorated on either side with two ceramic tiles in deep relief, one showing a quadriga (four-horse chariot), and the other depicting a chariot pulled by dolphins next to a sea creature.  Inside, there were vaults over niches where ash urns were placed, and three larnaces (terracotta coffins) containing bones, oil lamps, bronze coins and pottery shards. One of the coffins was painted to depict bed covers. The interior of the tomb also contained very well-preserved wall paintings, depicting garlants, fruit and three figures, two men and a woman.

The second news piece from the Greek Report is the discovery of an “Ancient Roman Villa and SPA Discovered by Archaeologists in Greece” (Nov. 12, 2013) near the neighborhood known as Katounistra in Loutraki on the western side of the Isthmus. Not sure where this is and what relation it has to another important Late Roman villa excavated by the Greek Archaeological Service in Katounistra in the 1990s.