Excavations at Sparta, 1926: §2.—The Theatre

The main results of the work in 1926 may be summarised as follows: (1) The completion of the uncovering of the stage-buildings, and the location of the street running east and west behind them. (2) The excavation of the area east of the stage, down to its marble pavement, by uncovering a wide strip, extending from the east wall of the stage to the foot of the external staircase described in my last report (B.S.A. xxvi. p. 132). (3) The clearance of a strip along the west Parodos as far as the east face of the projecting bastion, which we assumed to have carried a staircase similar to that in front of the east retaining-wall; and the partial clearance of the outer south-west angle of the western retaining-wall. As we shall see, the data obtained here now prove that there cannot have been such an external stair on the west.Minor pieces of work included the examination at several points of the wall surrounding the back of the cavea, and trials in the cavea for the purpose of obtaining more exact details as to the construction of the diazoma. The latter were unavailing, as both our pits shewed that, as a result of later disturbance, even the foundations of the diazoma were much destroyed.