Corinth Gulf port Lechaion located

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MrMacSon
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Corinth Gulf port Lechaion located

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Throughout antiquity, Lechaion played a crucial role in supporting Corinth's function as a cultural metropolis. Beginning in the 8th century BC her waterfront saw Corinthian colonists set out for Corfu and Sicily and elsewhere as they sowed the seeds of Hellenism to the rest of southern Europe.

In addition, by the Late Roman period Lechaion, while still linked with Corinth, had developed her own identity as a town and religious centre. In the 6th century AD the town showcased one of the largest Christian churches of the time, the 180-m-long Leonidas Basilica.

Greek and Danish archaeologists investigating Lechaion’s harbour areas are finding that the town appears to have been much more important than previously thought. In the course of three seasons they have delineated major offshore structures, a monumental entrance canal and several inland canals connecting at least four harbour basins. In total, the area is greater than 500.000 m2 – bringing it on par with other major harbour towns of the age, such as Athens’ harbours in the Piraeus and Roman Portus ...


On the seaward side, off the wave-beaten beach, monumental architecture extends offshore as far as 80 metres, all submerged. What remains most puzzling to the archaeologists is the specific manner in which ships and shipping would have passed between the dynamic offshore zones and the zone of protected inner basins.

http://www.carlsbergfondet.dk/en/Nyhede ... aion_Loven
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/an ... n-11710824
In the 1st century AD, Lechaion had a large outer harbour of 40,000 square meters and an inner harbour of 24,500 square meters. The basins, as well as the approach to the harbour, were delineated by large moles and quays constructed of stone blocks weighing five tons each, including one mole that is 45 metres in length and 18 metres wide.

A number of monumental buildings once graced Lechaion, such as a lighthouse that is depicted on coins and a monumental structure on an island in the middle of the inner basin. The island monument remains a mystery, but archaeologists speculate that it could be a religious sanctuary, the base of a large statue, or a customs office. However, the island was used for only a brief period.

“The island monument was destroyed by an earthquake between 50 and 125 AD. It may well be the first evidence of the earthquake of circa AD 70 under the emperor Vespasian mentioned in ancient literary sources,” says Guy Sanders, who previously directed excavations at Corinth.

By the 6th century AD, a new basin measuring approximately 40,000 square metres had to be constructed to service Byzantine Corinth. Sediment had filled areas of the earlier basins and a huge earthquake lifted the area around Lechaion by over a metre.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/201 ... ngineering
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