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ANCIENT THEATRES - ANCIENT THEATRES' IDENTITY
THEATRE OF
LEFKAS
Information
|
Description
of the
Monument
|
Photo
Gallery
|
Scientific
Report
 |
The theatre is located at the “Koulmos” site in the
Municipality of Lefkada. On the northeastern slope of the
central peak of “Koulmos” lies an amphitheatric descending
cavity ending in an elongated level area, identified as the
site of the ancient theatre. |
|
|
|
Description of the monument
The theatre is
located on the “Koulmos” hill in the Municipality of Lefkada. On the
northeastern slope of the central height of “Koulmos” lies an amphitheatric
descending cavity ending in an elongated level area, identified as the site of
the ancient theatre.
The city of Leukas was founded as a Corinthian colony in the late 7th c. BC. Due to its strategic position at the northeast end of the island, which allowed the control of maritime routes in the Ionian Sea, it became an important commercial and economic centre of the ancient world. The imposing city walls run along the crest of the three continuous heights, comprising Koulmos Hill, and end at the sea. Abundant ancient building material, as well as ancient building foundations, are visible in the Koulmos area, while sections of the urban plan, laid out in a grid according to the Hippodamian system, on the planar and coastal parts of the city have been excavated.
Information on the ancient theatre of the city is limited, as the latter is not mentioned in any ancient sources. In the early 19th century, an excavation was carried out in the theatre area over a few days, under the direction of German archaeologist Ε. Κrüge, a collaborator of W. Dörpfeld. The results of the excavation were not published in detail, but from the excavation diaries and drawings we know that the carved bedrock of the orchestra was revealed under deep infill. The overlying paving was not discovered, as it had probably been removed and used as building material.
Between the orchestra and the cavea, a rainwater drainage channel was found. The front two rows of seats in the cavea, made of limestone, were also revealed, but the excavator noted that stone-robbing had occurred there too. The theatre may have only had stone seats in the front rows of the cavea, while the rest may have been wooden. Only a few stones of the foundations of the stage were preserved, and the orientation of the proscenium was simply noted.
North of the stage, the ground was particularly steep, as evidenced by the existence of retaining walls, whose masonry revealed two building phases. The excavation provided no evidence for the dating of the theatre, which W. Dörpfeld places generally in the pre-Roman era. The ruins of the theatre which had been revealed were filled in again at the end of the excavation.
Vivian
Staikou
Archaeologist
Photo
Gallery
 |
Aerial photograph |
 |
Sketch of excavation trench from Krüge’s diary |
 |
Sketch of the remains of the theatre stage from Krüge’s diary |
Scientific
report
| Monument Name |
Theatre
of
Lefkas |
| Category |
Theatre |
|
Brief Description |
The
theatre
is
located
at
the
“Koulmos”
site
of
Lefkada
Municipality,
Lefkada
Prefecture.
On
the
northeast
slope
of
the
central
height
of
“Koulmos”
is
an
amphitheatric
sloping
cavity
ending
in
an
elongated
level
area,
identified
as
the
site
of
the
ancient
theatre.
Our
information
on
the
ancient
theatre
of
the
city
is
limited,
as
it
is
not
mentioned
in
ancient
sources.
In
the
early
19th
century
the
German
archaeologist
Ε.
Κrüge
excavated
sections
of
the
orchestra,
stage
and
proscenium. |
|
Images - Plans |
There
are
only
sketches
from
the
excavation
carried
out
by
Ε.
Κrüge
in
the
early
19th
century. |
|
Documentation - Bibliography |
- W.
Dörpfeld,
Alt
Ithaka,
1927,
156-7,267
- M.
Fiedler,
Topographie
von
Leukas
in
der
Antike,
Magisterarbeit
am
Fachbereich
Altertumswissenschaften
der
Freien
Universität
Berlin
1992,
61-62
(unpublished).
-
Γ.
Πλιάκου,
Νέα
στοιχεία
για
το
αρχαίο
θέατρο
της
Λευκάδας.
Μια
τοπογραφική
προσέγγιση.
Ηπειρωτικά
χρονικά,
vol.
32,
pp.
37-42,
Ioannina
1997 |
| Location |
The
theatre
is
located
at
the
“Koulmos”
site
of
Lefkada
Municipality,
Lefkada
Prefecture. |
| Dating |
There
is
no
secure
dating
evidence.
W.
Dörpfeld
places
it
generally
in
the
pre-Roman
era. |
|
General Description of Monument |
The
city
of
Lefkas
was
founded
as a
Corinthian
colony
in
the
late
7th
c.
BC.
Due
to
its
strategic
position
at
the
northeast
end
of
the
island,
which
allowed
it
to
control
the
maritime
routes
in
the
Ionian
Sea,
it
became
an
important
commercial
and
economic
centre
of
the
ancient
world.
The
imposing
city
walls
run
along
the
crest
of
the
three
continuous
heights
comprising
Koulmos
Hill
and
end
at
the
sea.
Abundant
ancient
building
material,
as
well
as
ancient
building
foundations,
are
visible
in
the
Koulmos
area,
while
in
the
part
of
the
city
on
the
plain
and
coast
have
been
excavated
sections
of
the
urban
plan,
laid
out
in a
grid
according
to
the
Hippodamian
system.
On
the
northeast
slope
of
the
central
height
is
an
amphitheatric
sloping
cavity
ending
in
an
elongated
level
area,
identified
as
the
site
of
the
ancient
theatre.
Our
information
on
the
ancient
theatre
of
the
city
is
limited,
as
it
is
not
mentioned
anywhere
in
ancient
sources.
In
the
early
19th
century
an
excavation
was
carried
out
in
the
theatre
area
over
a
few
days,
under
the
direction
of
German
archaeologist
Ε.
Κrüge,
a
collaborator
of
W.
Dörpfeld.
The
results
of
the
excavation
were
not
published
in
detail,
but
from
the
excavation
diaries
and
drawings
we
know
that
the
carved
bedrock
of
the
orchestra
was
revealed
under
deep
infill.
The
overlying
paving
was
not
discovered,
as
it
had
probably
been
removed
and
used
as
building
material.
Between
the
orchestra
and
the
cavea
was
found
a
rainwater
drainage
channel.
The
front
two
rows
of
seats
in
the
cavea,
made
of
limestone,
were
also
revealed,
but
the
excavator
noted
that
stone-robbing
had
occurred
there
too.
The
theatre
may
have
only
had
stone
seats
in
the
front
rows
of
the
cavea,
while
the
rest
may
have
been
wooden.
Only
a
few
stones
of
the
foundations
of
the
stage
were
preserved,
and
the
orientation
of
the
proscenium
was
simply
noted.
North
of
the
stage,
the
ground
was
particularly
steep,
as
evidenced
by
the
existence
of
retaining
walls,
whose
masonry
revealed
two
building
phases.
The
excavation
provided
no
evidence
for
the
dating
of
the
theatre,
which
W.
Dörpfeld
places
generally
in
pre-Roman
times.
The
ruins
of
the
theatre
which
had
been
revealed
were
filled
in
again
at
the
end
of
the
excavation. |
| Current Situation |
The
theatre
covers
an
estimated
total
area
of
approximately
5,000
square
metres.
Today
the
area
is
occupied
by
an
olive
grove
on a
series
of
stepped
terraces
with
drystone
walls.
Apart
from
the
foundations
of a
wall
built
of
large
limestone
blocks,
perhaps
a
retaining
wall,
no
other
ancient
stones
are
visible
here
in
situ.
The
walls
of a
modern
agricultural
storehouse,
founded
at
the
juncture
of
the
cavea
and
the
orchestra,
are
built
of
ancient
dressed
masonry,
obviously
brought
here
from
a
relatively
short
distance
away.
Scattered
ancient
building
material
is
found
in a
modern
retaining
wall
and
on
the
slopes
north
of
the
levelled
area.
Only
a
short
distance
from
the
cavea
of
the
theatre,
staircases
cut
into
the
rock
and
sloping
ramps
lead
to
the
top
of
the
hill,
where
the
foundations
of a
rectangular
temple-like
building
are
visible. |
| Excavations - Interventions |
In
the
early
19th
century
a
brief
excavation
was
carried
out
over
a
few
days,
under
the
direction
of
German
archaeologist
Ε.
Κrüge,
a
collaborator
of
W.
Dörpfeld. |
| Permitted Uses |
- |
|
History of Modern Uses |
- |
| Further Information |
- |
|
Intellectual Rights |
- |
|
Jurisdiction |
The
theatre
lies
on a
privately-owned,
non-expropriated
plot
of
land,
within
Zone
A of
absolute
protection
(Ministry
of
Culture/ΑΡΧ/Α1/Φ12/63561/3531/
28.12.1995,
Govt.
Gazette
822/25.9.1995
&
Govt.
Gazette
1022/
12.12.1995)
of
the
designated
archaeological
site
of
Lefkada
(Govt.
Gazette
679/Β/2-9-93
and
Govt.
Gazette
792/Β/6-10-93) |
|
Latitude |
38°48'32.54"N |
|
Longitude |
20°42'42.26"E |
|
Altitude |
- |
| Google Earth | 38.810043,20.707694 |
