Elizabeth R. Gebhard, Director
The year was devoted to study of objects in the Isthmia Museum on the part of colleagues preparing volumes for the final publications in the Isthmia series.
Rachi Settlement
Virginia Anderson-Stojanovic from February to June writing her book on the archaeology and history of the early shrine and Hellenistic settlement on the Rachi. The study places the objects within their architectural context and explores the settlement’s role in the life of Poseidon’s festival and sanctuary.
Arms and armor
Alastar Jackson devoted March and April to his study of arms, armor and weapons, with a concentration this year on the extremely fragmented limb armor. Close collaboration with conservator Stella Bouzaki resulted in the recovery of a helmet and several other pieces of armor that would otherwise have remained unrecognizable.
Roman Inscriptions
Daniel Geagan with the assistance of James Cako completed in June and July the final season of a three-year project to update for publication his earlier study of inscriptions from the Roman period. Stones discovered since 1970, including two large victor stelai, were added to the catalogue. Transcriptions were made of lists of names that had been scratched on wall-plaster from the South Building next to the Palaimonion.. In the course of cleaning the plaster Stella Bouzaki detected painted decoration on a number of fragments. The stratigraphic information recovered in the 1989 excavations enabled Geagan to define more clearly the context in which the inscriptions had been buried.
Classical and early Hellenistic Pottery, ca. 550-300 B.C.
Martha Risser, continuing the work of Julie Bentz, progressed in the examination of Classical and early Hellenistic ceramics in the boxes of context sherds. Many new pieces were added to the inventory, including a work of the Round Rump Painter who was active in 4th century Corinth.
Palaimonion
Jim Hanges returned after a nine year absence to the study of deposits and objects in the shrine of the hero Palaimon. Through relating deposits from all trenches of the area he is preparing a consolidated account of the material excavated in 1956-58. An important topic is the distribution of Palaimonion lamps and other vessels belonging to the cult. Another is identification of the pre-Antonine adyton.
Conservation
Stella Bouzakis and Nikos Didaskalos replaced plaster from the reservoir of the West Waterworks. Plans to fill the area with clean sand in order to prevent further destruction from ground water were delayed in order to complete repairs of the plaster.
Studies were carried out on the mounting of two large fragments of the twin marble arches that probably framed the entrances to the South Building.
Metals, ceramics, stone and plaster were conserved with the help of the archaeologists working on the material, as noted above.
Project Office
Jean Perras added the catalogue of Mycenaean and early Iron Age pottery and the context lots containing this material to the computerized records of the excavations. She also worked closely with all staff members to ensure that the site records were kept up to date and newly inventoried objects were added to the data base.
Fritz Hemans, Associate director, supervised work in the Isthmia Museum as well as Activities connected with the Eastern Korinthia Survey
Publication of Catherine Morgan’s book on the Mycenaean Settlement and Early Iron Age Sanctuary at Isthmia (Isthmia, VIII) is expected before the end of this year.
We note with deep sadness the death of Professor Anton Raubitschek. For many years a faithful and devoted member of the Isthmia staff, Tony carried out the museum work for his wife Isabelle’s volume on the metal objects from the sanctuary (Isthmia VII) and after her death he worked tirelessly to see the book through the press. He will be sorely missed.
Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth R. Gebhard Director
October 23, 1999
