Delion (Antiquity)
1. Geographical location and name
According to ancient sources, the ancient Delion was on the east coast of Boeotia, in the region of ancient Tanagra and a short distance from the ancient borders of Boeotia and Attica and Oropus. In ancient Delion the sanctuary of Delian Apollo, afidryma the large sanctuary of Apollo on Delos. Today, the ancient Delion placed with certainty in modern coastal settlement Dilessi, whose toponym is the brainchild of former Albanian residents of the region and is derived from the ancient name Delion.
2. History and excavations
Delion belonged to ancient Tanagraiki and was one of the most important ports in the city of Tanagra.
The coastal settlement developed in this position, it flourished in the Classical period due to the sanctuary, but mainly from the 1st to the 6th AD century, according to testimony on recent archaeological residues (Fig. 1).
The first archaeological investigations in the area were made by A. Brown in 1905-1906. According to the brief mention of the use of ancient architectural construction for modern quay length of 30 m, indicates the origin of an ancient building, which was located nearby.
2.1. The sanctuary of Delian Apollo
The recent research conducted by the I 'Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities in the form of excavations. Specifically, the years 1982-1983 were discovered along the beach, shallow, only 0.40 cm from the soil surface, the large elongated limestone foundations of an ancient building, in length and 72.5 meters in width 11,30 m (fig. 2). The foundations of the building continued in the sea, in length about 25 meters, but was strongly eroded, almost dissolved. The total length of the building is estimated at 106-111 meters and width of 15.80 meters and a coincides with the one of the great galleries of the Sanctuary of Delian Apollo, one that defined the north side. The foundation date of this sanctuary dates back to the middle of the 5th BC century. The duration of use but continues at least until the 6th century AD constructed rock fills 5m width and length of 37 m in the west gallery, with time V.-N. to protect against rising sea.
In the sanctuary of Delian Apollo games are held in honor of the god, which was established by the Boeotians after the battle of Delion, 424 BC The latest match report is an inscription of the 3rd AD century, which was a list of teenagers and found in 2001 on the hill Agrileza, reused as capping shaft grave early Christian period.
The celebrations in the sanctuary of Delian Apollo had great religious and political importance for the Boeotians and especially for Tanagra, which mainly belonged to the management, and attracts a large crowd of pilgrims.
In 1983 it was revealed at foundation level, on the occasion of a disaster caused by arbitrary operations at central plot of the modern village, a circular structure of limestone blocks, internal diameter of 7.40 m (Fig. 3). In the rubble found six illegal excavation marble bathtubs dimensions 1.22 X 0.71 X 0.58 (fig. 4).
The construction is identical to public bathing facilities, the dating of which date back to the Byzantine period but mainly on the parallel and on the minimum pottery that was left after the destruction.
Another excavation was carried out in the years 1992-1993, on the occasion of the erection works building OTE within the Private Land, on the corner of Odysseus and Hecuba, within walking distance of the beach where they had excavated the stoa.
The excavations brought to light a large complex of shops and commercial warehouses, with a large number of fitted architectural and an inscription of the second century BC, which was a agonothetes accountability, responsible for organizing matches of Delians. The ruins of this excavation dating from the 2nd until the 4th AD century, according to the monetary testimony. A very small then the specific residues revealed the years 2001-2004 in an adjacent plot.
2.2. Cemeteries
Cemeteries Roman and Late Roman times have been found on the coast of the settlement, in the Plate in 2001, in the Church of the Transfiguration, and the hill Agrileza 1972 and 2000-2002, in response to an illegal excavations in the area (fig. 5).
The excavations revealed a cemetery with life from classical times until the 7th century AD However, the greatest number of tombs belonging to the period from the 4th to the 7th century AD
The tombs are classified topologically in built-cist, tile, pit, enchytrismous hives and vaulted, which occur only in the later Roman period. Of the 48 tombs excavated in Agrileza, the 34 was kterismenoi or residues contained grave goods after looting them. Akteristoi was 14. Multiple burials contained 19 cist graves (between 2 and 12 dead). These graves seem to have been used for several generations. The pit, the tile and enchytrismoi contained a dead. The pottery shows the great variety of shapes mainly of closed small vessels (jugs, uguentaria, lekythoi, amphorae, bowls, lamps) and is probably the product of a local workshop.
In 1996, during the operations of OTE for the installation of underground cables, revealed a depth of 1 m from the surface of the pavement of the street Odysseus, large rectangular ceramic kiln, Late Roman period (fig. 6). The furnace chamber has external dimensions of 4.25 x 3 m and consisted of an arched entrance width 0.85 m and height 1.15 m had a total height of 1.40 m and was formed in two tunnels, width 0.75 m ., made of seven arches each. The ends of the bow rested on the exterior longitudinal walls of the chamber and a central wall in the middle of the chamber. At the ends of the chamber created across two lanes, which communicated with the tunnels. The whole construction was brick. The entrance to the chamber was in the east and covered with transverse arch to the third row of double arches. The floor of the furnace were made of clay and brought audible traces of burning. The total height of the chamber was 1.40 m
2.3. Ceramic Furnaces
On the same road, on private land, revealed the years 2006-2009, 5 more kilns, a well for water supply, and clay deposition room which was probably used as storage space. These demonstrate the use of space as extensive pottery workshop manufacturing commercial amphorae, according to the findings of the excavation. Part of this workshop was also the first kiln was found in 1996.
One of the furnaces of the land, the furnace I was similar in construction to the first found during furnace but slightly larger (5.45 m X 5.50 m). The entrance opening width was 1.22 m and the combustion chamber consisted also of two tunnels roofed with arches. As grid holes seem to serve all these kilns gaps between the arcs. To the south of the oven I found the second rectangular furnace, the IV, smaller dimensions 3.30 x 3.60 m and 1.12 m inlet opening The third furnace, the V, orthogonal he had dimensions 6.20 X 1.60 and the continuity lies beneath the pavement of Odysseus. All modern rectangular kilns dating from products manufactured them in 4th-5th century AD (Fig. 7). From the abundance of crushed pottery excavation glued several Pointed Trade amphorae.
The amphorae belong to different variations of the formula LR2. One of these variants is the karotoschimos amphora, which occurs in Africa and dates back to the 4th AD century. The other variants found in Dilessi mainly dating from the 5th century AD They were used for storing and marketing of oil and, in some variants of models with a wider mouth, seems stored and dried fruits.
The other two furnaces found in the same plot was horseshoe-shaped and based on the findings date back to the Hellenistic period. The products produced in them were consistent with the findings of small vessels, probably figurines.
The lifesaving research to complement Dilessi largely topography of ancient Deleon giving important information about it, as large commercial center construction amphorae and large commercial port with strong growth, particularly in late antiquity.
The ancient port facilities should have been covered by the sea due to rising levels, from the classical period to the present day, by 1.5 meters, while the ancient shoreline should be spaced 40 to 50 meters north of today.
