7/4 - Agora, Acropolis North Slope, Fourth of July Party

Woke up to a very early alarm and Skyped the family, who are currently on vacation in the Caymans. I hadn't seen them in a couple weeks and it's always good to catch up. Then it was breakfast and down to the Agora. We were greeted first by Rex, the titanic floof of a dog that hangs out at the site and then by Dr. John Camp who directs the whole Agora excavation.

Rex! Probably my favorite dog on the trip.

We started off in a small depression just north of the area open to the public where we looked at the Royal Stoa, a building for the man who essentially was the Vice President of the Athenian democracy. Nearby there are indications that the Athenian the cavalry officers had some sort of administrative building, thanks to lead strips with the color and owner of the horses on them that were found in the well. To be in the cavalry, you supplied your own horse but the state would reimburse you for its worth if it were to be killed in battle. John also told us a story about excavating under the railroad tracks that cut across the site. This story and everything else we did was punctuated by a train in each direction every four minutes.

The railroad was built before the site was granted to the American School to excavate, but in 2010 part of the rail bed had to be repaired. The Greek Archaeological Service conducted rescue excavations and was given a two month time limit to do so. They found the main area of the Altar of the Twelve Gods but were going to have to shut down the dig so the rail line could go back through. Then a neo-pagan group, the Followers of the Twelve Gods, got wind of the find and sued the railroad on religious grounds to prevent them from covering up what they claimed as an extremely holy place. To prevent the railroad from sneaking in and burying everything in a hurry, they posted a 24 hour vigil and even, according to John, had at least one pitched battle with the police. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where the pagans lost, but the 4 months they bought were invaluable for the excavation. A corner of the shrine is still visible in the Agora proper.

We also looked at the tholoss, which served as the nerve center of the Athenian democracy. Each month, one of 10 Athenian tribes sent 50 men there to essentially be the executive committee of the full assembly. Every night, at least 17 members of the delegation had to sleep in the Tholoss to respond to any messenger coming in to the city late at night with urgent news.

Sculpture/tripod base from the Monument of the Eponymous Heroes.

After a quick break in the Stoa of Attila, which houses the modern research staff for the Agora project, we met Dr. Laura Gawlinski, an Agora researcher and expert on the North Slope of the Acropolis. The main feature on that part of the hill are the caves. There are at least four caves for which we have literary attestation, to Pan, Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite. While much of the rocks the caves have since collapsed, there are still a few hollows worth scrabbling into. Some fantastic views too.

Looking out over the city from the cave.

After we descended the Acropolis it was time to head for home. I stopped at the local bakery to buy a tasty cake for the party tonight. Then I took a nap for a little longer than I intended (naps are great, take more of them) and woke up to head to the library to do work. I got a lot of work done! Handout for the Olympia treasuries is finished, so I'm just working on the actual presentation script now.

After some hard work, it was time for a break. I showered, grabbed my cake out of the fridge, and walked over to the garden for the Fourth of July party. The food was incredible. Everyone brought their own dishes and we had a great time. Song choices included American Pie and lots of country music. The cake was delicious and I talked to so many cool people! The Agora diggers are awesome and both the stuff they pull out of the ground and their personal interests are fascinating. After the party wrapped up, we headed out back to hang out and shoot the shit.

Had a good time today, stoked for a day trip to Eleusis tomorrow. Maybe we'll figure out the Eleusinian mysteries after all these years.