Archaische Stoa

Between the southern wall of the sanctuary of Athena Chalkioikos and the ancient theater, the remains of a stoa were preserved and investigated during the excavations of the British School of Archaeology in 1924-1925. The stoa runs in a north-south direction and is parallel to the southern wall of the sanctuary of Athena. From the monument, which is preserved for a length of 11 meters, sections of the northern and western walls are retained, constructed with large uncut stones.

Five stone bases of columns define the monument in its southern part. On the upper surface of the bases, there is a shallow cavity, possibly for the reception of a small base that would support a wooden column. In the southern part of the stoa, remains of a Roman structure are preserved, part of which intersects perpendicularly with the northern wall.

According to Pausanias, significant work was carried out in the late 6th century BC in the area of the sanctuary of Athena Chalkioikos, including the creation of the bronze statue of the goddess by the Spartan sculptor Gitiadas. These works may also be related to the construction of the stoa, which may be the same as the one mentioned by the traveler, south of the sanctuary. The architectural remains discovered by the British excavators southwest of the stoa are attributed to the sanctuary of Athena Ergane, which are not visible today.