Greece Vacation #5: An Athens subway filled with ancient artifacts

 In today's blog you'll see a subway station in Athens that's unlike any subway you've likely visited. This one contains archaeological finds, shows the layers of soil from present-day down to the surface from thousands of years, and even has a skeleton!  When researching this station, I learned there are three others on the subway line with similar archaeological displays... really cool!! Here's the story

(Photo: Ancient artifacts displayed in the Syntagma Metro station)

HISTORY OF THE DISPLAYS  - According to the Attiko Metpo, the most significant archaeological excavations were performed during the first phase of the subway Project’s construction in four Metro stations located in the Historic Center of the city of Athens:

SYNTAGMA, KERAMIKOS, MONASTIRAKI and AKROPOLI Stations. 

   There were more than 20 archeological excavations in stations and ventilation shafts were carried out in total. The depth of the archaeological “layers” varied between 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) m to 7.0 meters (23 feet); however, certain “hydraulic” structures, such as wells, ducts, reservoirs and aqueducts were revealed at greater depths, i.e. from 15.0 m (49 feet) to 45 m (148 feet)!  

(Photo: Behind glass- Skeleton in an ancient grave uncovered in the dig at the Syntagma Metro Station)

WHERE IS THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISPLAY WE SAW? Syntagma Metro Station, located at the square of the same name in Athens, Greece is filled with artifacts from ancient Greece. It's the same station used to get to the Parliament building we saw in yesterday's blog.

In SYNTAGMA Station, a sculpture foundry dating from the Classic Era, a cemetery dating back to the sub-Mycenaean and the Byzantine times (that includes a Skeleton they left alone!) , baths complex dating back to the roman times, a section of the Peisistranian Aqueduct, the bed of Iridanos River and the ancient road leading from the gates of the wall to the municipalities of Messogaia.

JUGS WITH POINTED BOTTOMS - There were many large clay casks with pointed bottoms. We learned that they were filled with wine or olive oil and the points were put into the openings and stacked on top of each other in ships for transport. Fascinating. 

OTHER METRO STATIONS WITH FINDINGS

Ametro.GR says:  The excavation survey in ACROPOLIS Station carried out over an area of 2500 m2 showed that this area had been used since the end of the 3rd millennium BC up to the Byzantine times. A few graves of the Middle-Helladic and Post-Helladic Era, houses, workshops, roads and baths were also revealed.

Near KERAMIKOS Station, a section was revealed of the most significant cemetery of the ancient city of Athens. 1200 graves dating back to the beginning of 7th century BC up to roman times were examined. Moreover, the two burial grounds, dating back to the beginning of the Peloponnesian War, constitute a significant archaeological find. The western surrounding wall of the cemetery, remains of the workshop of ceramic art and the bed of Iridanos River were also revealed.

Τhe embedded bed of Iridanos River is one out of the most significant finds of MONASTIRAKI Station. It was confirmed that the area had been in constant use from the Mycenaean Era up to modern times. Buildings, workshops, graves and a variety of water supply and sewage systems were revealed. For the Metro construction in the area of MONASTIRAKI, archaeological excavations were carried out and residential remains came to light dating back to the 8th century BC (Geometric Era) up to the 19th century AD. For more detail on the findings, visit: https://www.ametro.gr/?page_id=4234&lang=en

Significant finds were also encountered in other locations as well, such as:

• in EVANGELISMOS Station: an ancient cemetery with the cemetery surrounding wall, a Peisistranian duct and a road;
•  in PANEPISTIMIO Station: an ancient cemetery

Significant antiquities were also found in the ventilation shafts, i.e.:

• in “Irodou Attikou” Shaft: a roman house, a cemetery and hydraulic systems;
• in “Amalias” Shaft: a roman bath of significant importance;
• in “Mitropoleos” Shaft: significant building remains;
• in “Petmeza” Shaft: a cemetery dating back to the Classic up to the Byzantine times, as well as a room supported on columns;
• in “Fokionos” Shaft: a building dating back to the roman era and Byzantine storing facilities;
• in “Thissio” Shaft: a building dating back to the Post Classic times and workshops;
• in “Ermou – Arionos” Shaft: workshop areas and hydraulic systems;
• in “Iachou” Shaft: an ancient cemetery;
• in “Assomaton” Shaft: a building of significant importance

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