Three Hellenistic ‘Naïskoi’ in the Theatre Area at Aigeira: Small Buildings in the Context of an Urban Sanctuary

Abstract

The three small Buildings D, E, and F, usually identified as naiskoi, are located on both sides of the theater building at Aigeira. Together with the adjacent buildings they form a substantial complex erected in the Hellenistic period that remained in use until Roman times. The prominent location of multiple examples of the relatively small “naiskos” building type is striking. However, during the excavations in the 1970s and 1980s, neither the chronology nor the function of these buildings could be identified. The new study aims to reveal the architectural layout, the chronology, and the function of these small buildings. The first results of this research are presented in this paper. The clarifying of the relative chronology between Buildings D and E is crucial for understanding the development of the building arrangement. Differences in building technique, measuring units and construction dates of the individual “naiskoi” lead to considerations about different groups of people responsible for designing as well as building them. Moreover, several modifications that took place over the course of time on the three buildings hint to the history of their use, while interior design suggests multi-functionality.