Riley Stockton
Sadly, there will no longer be a five o’clock Zorbas run to fuel for working the morning away any longer this summer. As digging has concluded for the season, it is time for fabulous, final trench updates! EU 36 has closed this season with a bang, but let me start at the beginning (actually the middle).
Last week, Mason’s trench report concluded with us venturing to the western side of our unit in hopes of reaching a floor surface. While we thankfully did not have to navigate through the boulder-strewn ground of wall collapse like before, we instead met a happy surprise. While digging, on top of the south wall mentioned in Mason’s report, we found a wall coming out of the western baulk, confirmed the wall in the middle of the trench, and discovered a small wall dividing the unit from east to west. Upon this new discovery, we concluded that we had two new rooms, making a grand total of three!

Once we identified the wall and distinction between rooms, we began new units: one in the northern room and one in the south. Mason and I worked away at the southern room, while Matt braved the north. While we were excavating, a colossal amount of pottery, particularly amphorae, was popping up out of the trench. What is this? We asked. Multiple entire handles just sitting and waiting for us? But wait, it gets better.
Since we figured that we would eventually dig to the floor surface, we kept any pottery found in its place unless it was very loose in the ground. We eventually found an entire pottery deposit; amphora sherds galore! For a few days, Mason and I articulated around each piece in order to take photos for photogrammetry (creation of a 3d model from pictures of an area in all sorts of angles).

The deposit mainly consisted of amphorae, mainly basket-handle (the loopy handles seen in the above photos), but we did find one Rhodian amphora as well. This particular amphora even had a stamped handle, and the classicists who REALLY love amphorae, REALLY love stamped Rhodians.

After collecting all the pottery from the deposit, three (!) crates worth, we did some last digging and called the unit closed for the 2025 season. We found and learned so much from this experience – especially how annoying it is to bag and record every. single. find. as a supervisor. But I am so grateful I was able to come back to this project, and I had such an amazing time. Bye-bye, Cyprus!!!
