Page:Travels & discoveries in the Levant (1865) Vol. 1.djvu/251

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IN THE LEVANT.
201

of an Hellenic burial-ground. Fragments of large jars were lying about, such as I saw dug up by Mr. Calvert in the Hellenic cemetery near the Dardanelles. At the distance of about a quarter of an hour eastward of this spot I came to a small ruined church called Kyrà. Here are squared stones from some ancient building, and columns lying in the church. In the gateway is a sepulchral inscription. The ground was strewn with fragments of pottery ; whence this site is called Kerami. Advancing in the same eastward direction, I came to two more ruined churches. Agios Georgios and Aprasu, between which is the foundation of a great ancient wall, running N. and S. down the hill. Near it lie two colossal crouched lions half-buried in the ground. Their heads are broken off; their present length is about 5 feet 9 inches; they are very coarsely sculptured out of the blue marble of the district, and are probably from the entrance to a tomb. Inside the little church Aprasu is an Hellenic aqueduct, running from B. to W. and broken open here. It is covered with large slabs well squared, and is lined with blocks of calcareous stone.

One of the covering slabs measures 3 feet 8 inches by 2 feet 7 inches in width by 13 inches in depth. The aqueduct appears to terminate in a small well at the E. end of the church; but this well appears to have been made in Christian times. In a vineyard below the aqueduct are many squared blocks, and the surface of the field is strewn with pottery. It is evident that some Hellenic city, not yet identified, stood on or near the site of Siana.