Halasarna, excavation research: Houses

In many cases the houses were two-storied with courtyards and finely crafted  according to the building standards of Late Antiquity. The interior walls often had painted decoration, while marble architectural members and inscribed stelae removed from the ancient buildings were reused as door jambs, thresholds, as well as stairs. The floors, beneath which drainage channels have been discovered, are made of well packed earth flooring or finely crafted constructions made of clay tiles.

Left: Early Christian two-story house with vaulted ceiling on the ground floor / Restoration design by G. Antoniou.
Right: Interior of ground floor of Early Christian house, with door opening

 

Fragments of plaster with painted decoration

 

Stairs of Early Christian house

 

In addition, there are constructions, in the form of benches, covered with clay tiles, probably for the placement of large storage jars or other vessels of household use.

Finally, in some cases, the foundations of Early Christian houses were laid on top of the remains of walls of Hellenistic buildings.

Bench in an Early Christian house

 

Early Christian house founded on Hellenistic remains