The Excavations at Ancient Halieis, Vol. 1

A study of the fortifications at an ancient Greek site.

Exploring the organization and contents of five houses at Halieis, this book is based on the structure of each house and its contents and includes detailed room-by-room analyses of the excavated finds. From this it expands into a general consideration of the Greek household and domestic economy, topics of growing interest among archaeologists.

Volume 1 describes the development of the fortification system at Halieis, from simple earthwork defenses to massive walls with towers and gates. Halieis's excellent natural harbor made it a target for attacks from other cities. The increasingly complex defenses are the city's response to this aggression and new developments in siege warfare. McAllister presents both an extensively illustrated overall view of the fortifications and a detailed analysis of the materials and methods of construction. Other contributions include a study of the fortifications that are now submerged in the ancient harbor, a study of the city mint, and a report on an engineering study to establish the elevations at the site.