April 19, 2005
April 18 Photos: Peter
The mountains loom above Sparta as we leave the hotel this morning. Professor Rutter explained as we headed out of town that while we wouldn’t be going far as the crow flies, going over the mountains could take two hours or more depending on the weather.
A view of the road snaking along the mountainside. While navigating the many switchbacks proved to take a couple of hours, the view was amazing and the worst precipitation we had was a little drizzle.
After navigating the mountains and passing through Kalamata, we headed for Messene. Messene featured a nine kilometer circuit of fortification walls that were built entirely of stone. Here you see the group exploring a round ballista tower.
Inside the tower, Professor Rutter examines the stones of the back wall for signs of an internal wooden staircase. The tower would have had a roof over one floor but left the upper floor open.
The group focuses all eyes on the ballista slots inside the tower. As you can see in the background, the walls follow a natural crest in the bedrock, using the terrain both to support the walls and make them effectively taller because the grade leading up to the wall makes it more difficult to approach from below.
The group provides human scale for a large circular gate to Messene. Some of us thought this gateway looked a lot like the set of the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Hecuba that we saw in London.
Laura and Jackie stand under a tremendous stone which either served as a jamb for the gateway or perhaps a lintel block.
A view from outside the walls. A complex of Roman tombs were located just outside the walls, one of which had seven steps leading up to it and ten Doric columns. Behind the tomb, you can see the wall climbing up into the mountain.
Here you see us climbing up into a tower. We’ve proven our mettle as true archaeologists by performing strenuous physical feats like this.
The site of the Asklepieion from above. The temple to Messene, the heroine and namesake of Messene, is at center. The roof to the right covers the Artemision, a temple to Artemis and one of the places we took refuge from the rain.
The scene building from the back of the theater at Messene. Sadly, the theater was built of extremely crumbly stone that has not held up well, and general weathering means this is the best preserved part of the building.
Caught in a sudden shower, the group takes refuge under an olive tree and animatedly discusses Ben’s definition of a sport.
Professor Rutter examines a newly dug building that hasn’t yet been published. Based on its proximity to a canalized water source, we guessed that it may have served as a fountain house. The building has both Corinthian and Doric elements and high walls in the back against the current ground level.
The Asklepieion from the Artemision. In the center, you can see the temple to Messene. Surrounding it are the remains of lots of dedications and a peristyle court.
Professor Rutter discusses a frieze consisting of bull crania and mesomphalic phialoi (bowls with a raised “navel” at the center). This frieze ran around the inside of the Asklepieion.
The theater inside the Asklepieion, which may have served as a place of assembly for certain groups within Messene. This building was one of the most attractive buildings we saw today, though this is largely due to reconstruction.
A rather morbid group, aren’t we? Caleb and Katherine pose inside small tombs that lay just outside the Asklepieion.
The impressive stadium of Messene as we walked down from the Asklepieion. The stadium was built at one end of the city right next to the wall, with a small temple platform at one end.
The stadium as seen from the opposite angle. A very large piece of construction equipment offers scale for the size of the stadium.
The view from a balcony at our hotel in Pylos. It has definitely been a pleasant surprise how many times we’ve had beautiful views of the water from our hotels.