The ancient Lousoi (province of Achaia, Kata Lousoi), is located on the slopes of the high valley of Sudena near Kalavrita at an altitude of ca. 1200 m. above sea level, and in antiquity belonged to the region of Arcadia.
After the discovery of the sanctuary of Artemis Hemera in Lousoi by W. Dörpfeld and A. Wilhelm in 1897, the Athenian branch of the OEAI carried out the first excavations in three campaigns during 1898 and 1899, under the direction of W. Reichel and A. Wilhelm.
In the sanctuary which extended over two terraced areas, the foundations of numerous structures were nearly completely exposed, structures which exemplify the necessary infrastructure of a small rural sanctuary of the 3rd century B.C. The central building of the sanctuary, the temple of Artemis, was located on the southern terrace, the higher one; its noteworthy groundplan consists of a central naos and colonnades connected at the sides and was already remarked upon by the excavators. Construction on the slightly lower northern terrace accompanied the road to the sanctuary, and according to the interpretation of the excavator included a spring house, a propylon (gateway) and a bouleuterion (meeting house). The rapid publication of the architectural elements, as well as the finds, which include votives connected to the cult of Artemis in addition to building elements and terracottas from the roof of the temple, represent even today the primary focus of research at the sanctuary.
As part of the excavations, which were renewed in 1980 under the direction of V. Mitsopoulos-Leon and which continue to date, a survey of the architectural remains of the extensive settlement area visible in the region has been undertaken (F. Glaser). To this end, systematic field research has concentrated on excavations in the sanctuary of Artemis and on the uncovering of domestic housing in the region of Phournoi, as well as on the measurement of the remains of public structures in the area called "stadion".
In the sanctuary, the finds recovered from undisturbed stratigraphic layers reveal the early phase of the cult of Artemis. From the analysis of the broad spectrum of votive gifts such as bronze jewellery, small figural bronzes and terracottas, lead and bone votives (V. Mitsopoulos-Leon, Ch. Schauer), cultic pyxides and miniature dishes (C. Schauer), it is clear that, for the late geometric and archaic periods, this sanctuary played a leading transregional role, when seen against the backdrop of similar sacral places. The discovery of the so-called East Building expands the picture of the architectural layout of the temple terrace, and points to a possible predecessor of the 4th century B.C. The complete clearing of the temple foundations and the search for building elements enable to a great extent the reconstruction and classification of this building from the turn of the 4th-3rd century B.C. or slightly afterwards. The structure, which consists of a marble architectural order at the front and in the cella, is divided into a naos, consisting of pronaos, cella and adyton, and into lateral colonnades at the sides, comprising a unique solution for a sacred building (G. Ladstätter).
With the excavated remains of two houses from the area of Phournoi, extending over two terraced areas, the hellenistic domestic culture of Lousoi can be clarified. Neither the eastern peristyle house, which probably represents an adaptation of one or more earlier structures, nor the simpler house to the west, embody canonical groundplans yet, the room inventories, with their klinai, bath tubs, and hearths, indicate a relatively elevated standard of living. The troughs for wine production adjoined to the domestic area, the evidence for the working of bones and of ceramic production, as well as storage rooms, point to predominantly agrarian resources as the economic foundation of the people of Lousoi. From a rebuilding, incorporating numerous stretches of walls, which occurred after the houses were destroyed all at once probably in the 1st century A.D., it can be seen that the area continued to be used until the late Imperial period.
The preliminary results of a survey in the region called "stadion" point to a monumental public building in this area. The foundations of a two-aisled stoa, further traces of walls arranged in a ground plan, as well as massive worked ashlar blocks suggest that the remains of a hellenistic civic square should be identified here.
From this research, beginning with the development of the sanctuary in the late 8th century B.C., followed by a hellenistic civic settlement covering an extensive built-up area, and with the outgoing use of the site in the late Roman period, important stages of the development of the settlement of Lousoi can be recognized.
The foundations of the Artemis sanctuary and the groundplans of the houses are visible high above the valley in an impressive location. Until the construction of a museum at the site, the most important finds are kept in the Ephorate in Patras.

Picture Captions
Fig. 1: Sanctuary of Artemis. Temple foundations (Photo: K. V. von Eickstedt, © OEAI)
Fig. 2: Lousoi, Phournoi: House construction (Photo: F. Glaser, © OEAI)
Fig. 3: Lousoi, Phournoi: Hearth (Photo: G. Ladstätter, © OEAI)

Bibliography:
Regular reports in ÖJh.
W. Reichel - A. Wilhelm, Das Heiligtum der Artemis zu Lusoi, ÖJh 4, 1901, 1 ff.
V. Mitsopoulos-Leon - Ch. Schauer, Literaturübersicht zu den Grabungen des Österreichischen Archäologischen Instituts (Elis, Aigeira, Lousoi), in: V. Mitsopoulos-Leon (Hrsg.), Hundert Jahre Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut 1898-1998 (1998) 83 ff.
V. Mitsopoulos-Leon, Lousoi, in: 100 Jahre Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut 1898-1998, SoSchrÖAI 31 (1998) 186-188.
V. Mitsopoulos-Leon, Lousoi nach hundert Jahren, in: V. Mitsopoulos-Leon (ed.), Forschungen in der Peloponnes. Akten des Symposions anläßlich der Feier '100 Jahre Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut Athen', Athen 5.3.-7.3.1998, SoSchrÖAI 38 (2001) 131-142.
G. Ladstätter, Der Artemistempel von Lousoi, in: V. Mitsopoulos-Leon (ed.), Forschungen in der Peloponnes. Akten des Symposions anläßlich der Feier '100 Jahre Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut Athen', Athen 5.3.-7.3.1998, SoSchrÖAI 38 (2001) 143-153.
Ch. Schauer, Zur frühen Keramik aus dem Artemisheiligtum von Lousoi, in: V. Mitsopoulos-Leon (ed.), Forschungen in der Peloponnes. Akten des Symposions anläßlich der Feier '100 Jahre Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut Athen', Athen 5.3.-7.3.1998, SoSchrÖAI 38 (2001) 155-159.
Ch. Rogl, Hellenistische Reliefbecher aus den österreichischen Grabungen im Stadtgebiet von Lousoi: zur Frage der Importe und der Lokalproduktion, in: V. Mitsopoulos-Leon (ed.), Forschungen in der Peloponnes. Akten des Symposions anläßlich der Feier '100 Jahre Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut Athen', Athen 5.3.-7.3.1998, SoSchrÖAI 38 (2001) 161-167.
G. Forstenpointner - Martin Hofer, Geschöpfe des Pan - archäozoologische Befunde zu Faunistik und Haustierhaltung im hellenistischen Arkadien, in: V. Mitsopoulos-Leon (ed.), Forschungen in der Peloponnes. Akten des Symposions anläßlich der Feier '100 Jahre Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut Athen', Athen 5.3.-7.3.1998, SoSchrÖAI 38 (2001) 169-179.

Contact:
Veronika Mitsopoulos-Leon

Co-workers:
Gerhard Forstenpointner (Archaeozoology; Vienna, Veterinary University)
Franz Glaser (Topography, Excavation; State Museum, Carinthia)
K. Hannemann (Anthropology)
M. Hofer (Archäozoology)
Georg Ladstätter (Temple architecture)
Christine Rogl (Hellenistic relief ceramic)
Christa Schauer (Ceramic from the sanctuary)