Among the other items found was a collection of more than 200 coins that dated from the early Hellenistic years, a historical period that started after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C., and to the Roman Empire.
“During the Roman years, Tenea cut coins,” Dr. Korka said, adding, “This shows full independence.”
The tombs showed that the area’s population had been a wealthy one. Dr. Korka’s team found a Roman mausoleum outside the city, as well as seven Roman and Hellenistic tombs, all of which had been adorned with ancient urns and gold and silver coins, among other things.
The discoveries in the large graveyard and in the residential area are rare, according to Dr. Korka, and indicate that the city had relations with the East and the West.
“We found urns that we haven’t seen before,” she said. “They were in touch with the West because of Syracuse,” she noted, which the citizens of Tenea had colonized along with the citizens of Corinth, one of the most affluent cities of the Peloponnese.
But the tombs in Tenea were even more affluent than the ones in Corinth, Dr. Korka said.
She and her team found the graveyard after uncovering an ancient road. They had a vague idea of where to look because of past investigations, local information, and field and drone research, she said.
“Every excavation is important, as it brings something new to light,” she said, adding that the team hoped that examining the findings would give them a complete idea of the city and its history.
Who knows what else they might discover.
“You know,” Dr. Korka said, “there are rumors that even Oedipus was raised there.”
Follow Iliana Magra on Twitter: @magraki.
