J. F. Daniel, Kourion (Palace and Theatre) II Mar.–May, 1935John Franklin Daniel

13-12-35Mosaic Room B .·. Dig a pit 0.90x0.90 in a place where the mosaic is gone, but the base is intact, in a line with one of the main walls in the garden. Y π (shown in DHCox plan)

Stroseis

1. 0-0.02 composition of ground-up stone, ash, etc. directly under mosaic. (binder (maybe that called πoρσόλανα) ^cm. 2. 0.02-0.07-a layer of flatish stones 7x7-15x10-20 layed flat without binding. Strosis no. 1 poured over it, going into cracks. Laid on strosis no. 3 when it was wet. No sherds

3. 0.07-0.20 Whitish mud with fine gravel. This was laid wet, and strosis no. 2 was set upon it, oozing up among the stones, + holding them firm. Contains round stones ca. 7x10 cm. Contains pieces of tesselæ base of another mosaic. " pieces of cement with ash, as in outer foundations. Stops at layer of stones, no. 4

4. 0.20-0.27 Layer of stones (8x8 - 15x25 cm.) less regular than strosis 2, but packed solid as it.

5. 0.27-0.31 Firm, light brown earth. Relatively clean. Apparently pounded or walked on before laying strosis 4.

6. 0.31-0.40 dark, soft (on W. side only)

7. 040-0.50 dark, loose, stony

8 0.50-0.70 firmer + to bedrock.

In this trench we find a foundation wall, apparently for a continuation of the wall in the court (see above). It is roughly built of medium sized stones. To the NE, contiguous

Right page

13-12-35Room B, cont'd. is an addition, in smaller stones, perhaps to support as thickening of the original wall.

Photo 11 1 of pit

Margin left: 22-6-39

Digging through the foundation of the mosaic in order to lift the mosaic we observe the same stratification a

to p. 77

noted on p. 70. The mosaic foundation ends at 0.40. At this level the room is clearly divided by an earlier foundation, NW-SE. This is in two parts; a rubble wall of large stones on the W., a wall of small stones, perhaps a buttress to the E. West 0.40. Med. grey-brown sandy - packed (E to am) E. 0.40 gritty, darker; small stones

Sam. W8 E. stony light brown floor 0.50 W. 50- W of wall grey-brown with many sherds, 0.40 to .70-.80 (earth as at 0.40 E in north; south with gypsum + stones S.)