The lure of built space under ground, especially when it is intact, is very powerful. During the 2011 field season in Grid 47, the sewer we discovered wasn't the only subterranean architecture we uncovered.
The first hint we had of this other architecture came during the 2010 when we found a smooth, plastered object on top of a foundation of cobble size stones which we suspected, but had no way of proving, was a cistern. As is the case with all such intriguing objects, this one was stuck in the baulk.
You can see the architecture in question, along the dirt bualk on the right side of the picture, just to the right of the red block.
We decided to expand the grid prior to the 2011 season and this included the area to the east of the suspected plastered cistern.
That expansion meant we had to say good bye to our lovely winter garden but doing so would allow us to, we hoped, catch the eastern edge of the odeon.
What we found was very interesting.
It looked like this.
And then, when it was all cleaned up, it looked like this.
Readers of the blog and diggers in Grid 47 will remember exactly what it is. Everyone else will have to wait a little longer to learn what it is, what happened to it and how we have been excavating it.
Stay tuned for more...
I will say that much like the sewer, this object had volunteers clamoring to get inside.