Description:
Between 2007 and 2014, a Greek-American team investigated an impressive array of Early Roman to Early Byzantine buildings and burials on the Koutsongila Ridge at Kenchreai, the eastern port of ancient Corinth. This volume presents the project’s final results, revealing abundant evidence not only for the history of activity in a transitional urban/suburban landscape, but also for the society, economy, and religion of local residents. Important structural and mortuary discoveries abound, including a district of lavish houses with exquisite mosaic pavement and an Early Christian Octagon. The large artifactual assemblage encompasses a variety of objects from pottery and lamps to glass, coins, and jewelry. Bones and teeth from over 200 individuals illustrate differences in health over time, while thousands of bones and shells from a variety of animals attest to diet and subsistence. This study paints a picture of a Corinthian community, small but prosperous and well connected, actively participating in an urban elite culture expressed through decorative art and monumental architecture.

About the Author: Elena Korka is the former General Director of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage of the Greek Ministry of Culture. Joseph L. Rife is Associate Professor of Classical and Mediterranean Studies at Vanderbilt University.

Reviews:
"Insgesamt stellt das Gesamtwerk aufgrund der reichhaltigen Sammlung archäologischer und anderer Zeugnisse sowie der ausgezeichneten Begleitmaterialien eine zentrale Ergänzung zu den bisherigen Forschungen in Kenchreai und am Isthmus von Korinth dar." Sebastian Adlung, Göttinger Forum für Altertumswissenschaft 26 (2023)