BEYOND THE SACRED: WASTE DISPOSAL AND EVERYDAY LIFE IN THE LATE BYZANTINE RELIGIOUS COMPLEX AT PALAIOPOLIS (HEPHAESTIA, LEMNOS)

This study reconstructs aspects of daily life within a Late Byzantine religious complex at Palaiopolis (Hephaestia, Lemnos), through the analysis of three refuse pits dated to the late 13th and early 14th c. AD. The excavation of these deposits uncovered fine tableware, such as Zeuxippus Ware and Glazed White Ware IV, as well as transport amphorae of Günsenin types III and IV, demonstrating the integration of Lemnos into the commercial networks of the Late Medieval period connecting the Sea of Marmara, the Anatolian coast, and the Constantinople region with the northern Aegean. The discovery of domestic tools further reveals culinary practices and craft activities within the religious complex, highlighting the interplay between sacred and everyday functions.