AVP 2023
In 2023, the AVP excavations began in earnest with the opening of three large trenches across what we believed to be the central area of the Temenos. Our work focused on clarifying the layout of the two largest known structures within the Southwest Temenos—Building A and the South Complex. Both of these buildings were partially excavated in the 1960s, leaving open a number of questions regarding their function and chronology.
Our work revealed several previously unexcavated rooms in the South Complex, as well as evidence for multiple construction phases in and around Building A, which was confirmed in 2023 to be a freestanding structure. With its prostyle porch and East/West orientation, Building A resembles a naiskos, or small temple. Future excavations inside Building A are planned with the goal of better understanding the nature and function of the space. The recovery of a small limestone votive sculpture from within the South Complex may lend some support to the identification of Building A as a naiskos and, more generally, to the long-held opinion that the Southwest Temenos once served a religious function.
The AVP 2023 Team