Kourion Complex Palace

With the aid of funds granted by the American Philosophical Society, I began excavating the building commonly called the Palace at the Roman town of Kourion on the 19th of October 1948 and continued till the 2 of December 1948, during which time I was under the general supervision of the late John F. Daniel. I began again on the 2 of March 1949, have continued to date 12 March and plan to go on till some time in early June. Christo Gregoriou and Andony have been formen. There have been from three to six men working with picks and a corresponding number of men with wheel-barrow and shovel. A financial account giving the details of the number of men and their pay is attached.

I have not yet had time to study all the small finds, the relations of the various parts of the building, nor to verify all my references but of certain outlines I feel relatively sure. John F. Daniel, who had excavated before the war, all parts of the building except those lying north and south of the lines shown in red, concluded that the building was a Palace and that the King's daughters Shame and Sobriety lived in the rooms south of the line. It was thought that the rooms lying north of the line were living quarters connected with some baths. As upon excavation it was found that these rooms were five baths with attached rooms and that there were neither living quarters nor storage rooms, I am convinced that the whole building is a bathing establishment.

The entrance to the baths is just north of the semi-circular wall on the west end. As this entrance lies near the theater - the one I plan to excavate this spring - I consider that this was the general area of the town to which the people whose houses and basilica were built furtherward westward, went to amuse themselves. Upon entering, to the left, were the quarters of the servants or slaves who tended the baths - Gregory of Nysa mentions bath attendants - or possibly for the servants or slaves of the user of the bath; to the right were rooms reserved for the general frequenters of the bath. It will be noted that the rooms on the right are exposed to the afternoon sun and that they contain columns which … continues