The area
"1" develops
on the northern side of the main and most ancient core of the sanctuary
and was built between the end of the 4-th century b.C. and the beginning
of the 3-rd.
The northern part of the Nekromanteion (white
background on the map) includes:
- the long northern passage
which the visitor finds before himself when he passes the door coming from
the courtyard "H", and
- three adjoining rooms,
placed, one after the other, on his left.
(Photo from publication in
reference 1 of bibliography)
The photo "A"
shows in the foreground the three adjoining rooms which open onto the northern
passage of the Nekromanteion, the last of which was a bathroom (as it can
be argued from the flat brick floor in proximity to the external wall).
The remaining two rooms were used for the preparation of the pilgrims to
the descent into the Hades.
The external walls visible in the photo
are built with polygonal stones up to a height of 60 cm and then they continue
with bricks.
The
area "1" of the Nekromanteion
The planimetry in the
left panel (l.p.) of the screen is 90 degrees rotated with respect to the
natural direction, top=North. That in order to give a prompt idea of how
the area 1 appears to the visitor when he enters the northern passage.
Clicking on the "anchor
icones" in the l.p. it is possible, by means of the photoes "A"
and
"B", to explore the area under the visual
angles suggested by the icones themselves.
Clicking on the remaining
"sensitive" areas of the l.p. (the rooms1',
1", 1"', and the passage
1) it is possible to get further information
on the rest of area "1".
Warning!! Working
at full screen is recommended, as the left panel is blocked.
To continue the visit
and pass to area "2", you are requested to click on the link "Go
on", on the top of the planimetry in the l.p.
.
The photo "B"
shows the bottom part of the northern passage of the Nekromanteion and,
in the middle, what remains of the 3-rd arched door through which it was
possible to reach the eastern passage of the sanctuary. During the excavation,
parts of the door have been recovered: the lock and its key, as well as
the wide-headed nails.
Before
passing the door, pilgrims used to cast to their right the first of two
"apotropaic" (see etymology) stones which
they used to take with themselves in view of the descent into the Hades.
Then, with the water contained in the jar on their left, they washed once
again their hands in a symbolic rite of purification.
A stone heap on the
right gives the evidence of the use of casting stones to ward off evil
influences.
Room
" 1' "
The collapse of the upper
floor, as a consequence of the fire and destruction caused by the Romans,
sealed up for centuries the remains of the oracle.
In the 18-th century
of our era, on the ruins of the northern side of the Nekromanteion, cells
of the monastery of Ayos Ioannis Prodromos were built that rested on the
external walls of the oracle.
The archaeological
excavation, performed in several periods between 1958 and 1977, has brought
to light part of the walls of the rooms marked with the figures 1',
1'',1'''
and 2', within
which an archaeologically intact environment has been found.
In particular, in
the three rooms marked with the figures 1', 1'',1''' archaeologists have
found (see publication in reference 1 of bibliography)"sea
shells, pork and other animal bones, artistic vessels of various kinds
for the table, as well as vases, tear-pots, chandeliers (one in the shape
of a sitting ram), tiny statues of clay (terracottas) presenting deformed
deities of the Underworld, busts of Hades (Pluto), small snakes, decades
of balance-weights (cones), jars, urns, jugs, small seaside stones, bizarre
stones of worship, mill stones, Epirotean coins of silver and copper (234-267
b.C.), as well as Ambracian and Corinthian coins, bas-relief masks, ankles,
and other depictions".
From the recovered
balance-weights it has been argued the presence of looms inside the sanctuary
for the production of cloth, likely for the internal or the commercial
use (in such a case with the purpose of meeting the expenses of the structure).
Room
" 1" "
Halls, rooms and passages
of the Nekromanteion were wrapped in a darkness impenetrable to sun light;
no window opened on the walls, everything should appear consistent with
a passage towards the Underworld. In the dim light of a lamp, rites, cerimonies
and apparitions could take place.
The three rooms marked
with the figures 1', 1", 1''', in the northern side of Nekromanteion, were
used for the preparation in view of the descent into the Hades. There pilgrims
would perform the prescribed spiritual and physical exercises, eat pork
meat, broadbeans, barley bread and shellfish (food associated with the
banquets of the dead) and drink milk, honey and water, undergo purificatory
and magic rituals, hear from the spiritual guides who took care of them
miraculous tales, prayers and epodes, and incomprehensible supplications
to the infernal daemons.
Then, when the first
stage of their preparation was over (likely a few days after their admittance
into the oracle), before leaving the northern rooms and passage, they would
cast to their right an apotropaic (see etymology)
stone and, with the water contained in a jar placed on the left of the
third gateway, they would wash their hands in a further symbolic rite of
purification.
Room
" 1''' "
The room " 1'''
" was used for ablutions. There pilgrims would wash themselves to ward
off the contagion danger in a place corrupted by closeness to the dead.
