The South Stoa

A long porch supported by Doric columns with sixteen rooms behind, dating from 430-420 BC. Use of mud-brick for the upper parts while lower parts of the walls are stone indicates war-time economy measures. From the very large number of coins found here, its use was primarily commercial. The backrooms have the off-set doors which indicate dining rooms. These could well have been used for the meetings of the dozens of small boards or commissions (usually of five citizens) such as the metronomoi - supervisors of weights and measures: an inscription recording their activities was found in one of the rooms. Sets of measures - lead and bronze weights, and dry measures for spices, grain and nuts have been found near the Tholos.