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ANCIENT THEATRES - ANCIENT THEATRES' IDENTITY
ANCIENT
THEATRE OF
GITANA
Information
|
Description
of the
Monument
|
Photo
Gallery
|
Scientific
Report
 |
The Theatre of ancient Gitana is located in Gitana, Municipality of Philiates, in Thesprotia Prefecture. It was built in the mid-3rd century BC, a time of increased building activity in Epirus, and destroyed by the Romans in 167 BC |
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Description of the Monument
The Theatre of ancient Gitana is located in Gitana, Municipality of Philiates, Thesprotia Prefecture.
It was built in the mid-3rd century BC, a time of increased building activity in Epirus, and destroyed by the Romans in 167 BC.
The theatre is built on the lower level of the settlement, outside the walls, and is protected by a rampart. Further natural protection is afforded by the River Kalamas, towards which it is oriented.
It seems that the theatre was originally built in stone, mainly using white limestone. The orchestra forms a full circle which contains an inscribed square and is intersected by the proscenium. The cavea consists of 28 tiers of seats with two passageways, while there may also have been an epitheatre. Four staircases have been revealed, dividing the cavea into five cunei to which must be added a further two - now half-ruined - at the outer edges of the cavea.
The theatre seats are made of carefully-dressed limestone, and many bear incised inscriptions with names on the front side. The retaining walls which supported the cavea have not been fully uncovered.
The stage is a rectangular stone building measuring 15.50 x 5.50 m. Inside it was discovered a colonnade consisting of seven rectangular pillars, which would have supported the roof of the stage building. In the centre of the stage is a doorway through which the actors would have entered, while the floor is made of rubble and beaten earth.
The façade of the stage forms a proscenium whose stylobate (base) is preserved to a length of 15.50 m. and an average width of 0.50 m. There were square parascenia on either side of the stage.
Intense erosion by the nearby River Kalamas causes serious problems to the theatre area and makes it imperative to take the necessary measures. When the Kalamas floods its banks, water covers the stage, the orchestra and the front tiers of seats. The circulation of underground water, which contributes to the erosion of the already crumbling limestone bedrock of the area, has caused the whole cavea to slope to the west, shifting the seats from their original position.
Following the completion of the work to promote the archaeological site of Gitana, in June 2009, the theatre will be incorporated in the visitors’ route.
Theodora
Lazou
Historian, Archaeologist
Photo
Gallery
 Northeast section of the theatre |
 |
 |
 View of the Ancient Theatre cavea |
 |
Scientific
report
| Monument Name |
Theatre
of
Ancient
Gitana |
| Category |
Theatre |
| Brief Description |
The
theatre
is
built
on
the
lower
level
of
the
settlement,
outside
the
walls,
and
is
protected
by a
rampart.
Further
natural
protection
is
afforded
by
the
River
Kalamas,
towards
which
it
is
oriented. |
| Images - Plans |
There
are
full
photographical
records
and
drawings
of
the
excavated
section
of
the
monument. |
| Documentation - Bibliography |
1.
Hammond
N.
G.
L.,
Epirus,
London
1967,
pp.
83-86
2.
Δάκαρης
Σ.
Ι.,
Θεσπρωτία,
Αθήνα
1972,
pp.
108-111,
120-122,
150,
179,
182-183,
185-186,
204
3.
Πρέκα
Αλεξανδρή
Κ.,
Α.Δ.
52
(1997),
Χρονικά,
pp.
614-617
4.
Preka-Alexandri
K.,
“Recent
Excavations
in
Ancient
Gitani”,
L’Illyrie
méridionale
et
l’Epire
dans
l’
antiquité
IIΙ,
1999,
pp.167-169
5.
Ρήγινος
Γεώργιος,
et
al.,
Μελέτη
ανάδειξης
αρχαιολογικού
χώρου
Γιτάνης,
Unpublished
paper,
Igoumenitsa
2003
6.
Σάρρας
Γ.
Γιάννης,
Η
Θεσπρωτία
δια
μέσου
των
αιώνων
40.000
π.Χ.
μέχρι
σήμερα,
Athens
1998,
vol.
1,
pp.
98-104,
117,
125,
129,
133-135,
139-146,
159-168,
175,
177,
214-225,
231-241. |
| Location |
Gitana,
Municipality
of
Philiates,
Thesprotia
Prefecture. |
| Dating |
The
theatre
is
dated,
fairly
securely,
to
the
mid-3rd
century
BC,
a
time
of
increased
building
activity
in
Epirus,
especially
under
the
rule
of
Pyrrhus,
and
a
time
of
prosperity
for
Gitana,
as
indicated
by
the
current
excavation
data.
The
theatre
was
destroyed
by
the
Romans
in
167
BC. |
|
General Description of Monument
|
The ancient Theatre of Gitana is built on the lower level of the settlement, outside the walls, and is protected by a rampart. Further natural protection is afforded by the River Kalamas, towards which it is oriented. It appears that the theatre was originally stone-built, as no traces of earlier temporary wooden structures have been observed. The main building material was white limestone. Orchestra. It forms a full circle which contains an inscribed square and is intersected by the proscenium. Cavea. This has a maximum diameter of 65 m. and a minimum diameter of 24 m. It consists of 28 tiers of seats with two passageways, while there may also have been an epitheatre. Four staircases have been revealed, dividing the cavea into five cunei to which must be added a further two - now half-ruined - at the outer edges of the cavea. The theatre seats are made of carefully-dressed, rectangular limestone blocks, while some in the central cuneus have been carved directly out of the conglomerate limestone bedrock. Many seats bear incised inscriptions with names on the front side. The retaining walls which supported the cavea have not been fully uncovered. They are preserved to a length of 14 m. and are approximately 1 m. thick, constructed according to the polygonal system. Stage building. The stage is a rectangular stone building measuring 15.50 x 5.50 m. The walls are constructed according to the polygonal system. Inside was discovered a colonnade consisting of seven rectangular pillars which would have supported the roof of the stage building. The pillars are of the slab type particularly common in Epirus and western Greece in general. In roughly the centre of the south wall of the stage is a 1.20 m. doorway through which the actors would have entered. The stage floor is made of rubble and beaten earth. The façade of the stage forms a proscenium. The stylobate (base) of the proscenium, consisting of 15 limestone slabs, is preserved to a length of 15.50 m. and an average width of 0.50 m. The slabs had sockets for inserting the tenons of 12 monolithic pilasters which supported a Doric entablature with a stone epistyle. There must have been square parascenia opening onto the two narrow sides of the stage, as indicated by the remains of wall sections. |
| Current Situation |
The
greatest
problem
facing
the
theatre
is
flooding
by
the
nearby
River
Kalamas,
when
water
covers
the
stage,
the
orchestra
and
the
front
tiers
of
seats.
There
are
obvious
traces
of
damage
to
the
inscriptions,
particularly
those
on
the
lowest
tiers.
An
embankment
wall
to
protect
the
theatre
from
flooding
has
been
constructed
in
the
context
of
the
site
promotion
work.
Furthermore,
the
circulation
of
underground
water,
which
contributes
to
the
erosion
of
the
already
crumbling
limestone
bedrock
of
the
area,
has
caused
the
whole
cavea
to
slope
to
the
west,
shifting
the
seats
from
their
original
position.
The
cavea
has
come
to
light
in
fairly
good
condition
as
regards
the
state
of
preservation
of
the
stone
material,
with
the
exception
of
the
outermost
cunei
and
the
retaining
walls.
Of
the
stage
building,
on
the
contrary,
only
the
foundations
remain. |
| Excavations - Interventions |
The
first
reference
to
the
ancient
ruins
of
Gitana
is
by
N.
G.
Hammond,
who
visited
the
site
in
the
1930s.
In
the
late
1960s,
in
the
context
of a
research
programme
by
the
Athens
Centre
for
Ekistics,
the
ancient
site
was
mapped
by
the
Army
Geographical
Service
with
extensive
topographical
mapping
of
the
visible
monuments
within
the
settlement.
In
1998
photogrammetric
mapping
of
the
theatre
was
carried
out
by
the
8th
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities
in
collaboration
with
the
Directorate
for
the
Restoration
of
Ancient
Monuments
(DAAM).
Finally,
in
2001
the
Institute
of
Geology
and
Mineral
Exploration
(IGME)
drew
up a
geological-geotechnical
report
and
a
geophysics
study
in
the
archaeological
site
and
the
wider
area
of
ancient
Gitana,
in
order
to
examine
the
impact
of
the
intense
erosion
caused
by
the
nearby
River
Kalamas
and
implement
the
necessary
protection
measures.
Excavations
in
the
archaeological
site
of
Gitana
became
systematic
in
1995,
under
the
direction
of
K.
Preka.
Systematic
excavations
in
the
theatre
have
brought
to
light
part
of
the
cavea,
the
orchestra
and
the
stage.
The
systematic
excavation
of
the
theatre
continued
with
interruptions
in
the
years
2006
-
2008,
for
brief
periods
not
exceeding
15
days
a
year,
while
in
2006
K.
Preka
was
granted
a
permit
to
study
the
inscriptions
on
the
theatre
seats,
the
architecture
and
the
moveable
finds. |
| Permitted Uses |
The
theatre
is
included
in
the
visitors’
tour
route
in
the
context
of
the
work
on
the
promotion
of
the
archaeological
site
of
Gitana,
carried
out
by
the
32nd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities
in
the
framework
of
the
3rd
CSF
and
completed
in
June
2009. |
|
History of Modern Uses |
Simple
visit
by
agreement
with
the
32nd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities |
| Further Information |
The
monument
belongs
to
the
jurisdiction
of
the
Ministry
of
Culture
/ 32nd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities.
Following
the
work
on
the
promotion
of
the
archaeological
site
of
Gitana,
carried
out
by
the
32nd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities
in
the
framework
of
the
3rd
CSF
and
completed
in
June
2009,
the
theatre
is
included
in
the
visitors’
tour
route.
Next
to
the
theatre
there
is a
viewing
point
with
an
information
sign. |
| Intellectual Rights |
Ministry
of
Culture
/ 32nd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities |
| Jurisdiction |
Ministry
of
Culture
/ 32nd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities |
|
Latitude |
39.5694549681 |
| Longitude |
20.2991100348 |
| Altitude |
0 |
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