Sussita - Northeast Church (NEC)

Columns and piers: 

Presumably, there were 20 basalt drum-columns in the basilica: 8 in the portico and 12 in the naos, but only 6 and 9 have been preserved in situ respectively. Plenty of lathe-made drums were found, some of them in situ. The drums are not measured, though the average diameter of the shafts is 52 cm. . Most of them have preserved the traces of white plaster.

Columns and piers materials: 
Basalt
Columns: 
Typology
Columns and piers: 
Comprised of drums
Apophyges superior/inferior
Bases and pedestals: 

The lower drums of the columns in the basilical hall and in the atrium were merged with Attic bases, except of one base of the northern colonnade, which was carved separately. The heights of the emerged drums are fluctuating, as well as the profiles of the bases vary dramatically in their heights and forms. The average upper diameter of the bases is 52 cm. The bases are comprised from two tori and scotia between them. Tori are close to each other by their diameters, as usual in the Byzantine bases. These main profiles have additional narrow fillets between them. The bases are leaning at the stylobata without plinths. All the columns together with bases were covered with white plaster. One base was converted into the cistern and reused in the northern gallery of the church.

Typology
Bases: 
Attic (Ionic)
Bases and pedestals materials: 
Limestone
Basalt
Bases: 
Capitals: 

All the capitals are of the Pseudo-Ionic order (blocked-out). At least three capitals were found and all of them vary in their form, size and details. All the elements of the classical Ionic order are presented in these blocked-out capitals: anulus (or anuli), echinus, 2 volutes, 2 balustri, canalis, abacus, special convex triangular parts near volutes (usually palmettos were carved out of them). Some of them preserved the traces of white plaster with flecks of paints. As they are all different, they might be partially spolia, partially specially executed. One large limestone Corinthian capital of the Roman period was found near the church and probably was reused in it.

Capitals materials: 
Limestone
Basalt
Capitals: 
Typology
Order: 
Pseudo-/or Blocked-out Ionic
Decoration on the abacus: 
undecorated
Decoration on the astragalus: 
plain-molding
Chancel screen posts: 

The base of the chancel screen is a straight limestone line, which possesses 9 holes for the posts. Only 3 of them were found. One post was carved from Proconnesian marble. It was crowned by the small colomnette, of which only the base is preserved. There also parts of two other posts, carved from limestone. The first one was found broken into two matching pieces (the base and the semicircular top). From the second limestone only the base is found. Limestone posts are the copies of the imported marble prototypes. They are aproximately of the same size and the same decoration, which consists of several rectangular frames.

Typology
Types: 
two-storied (with a colonnette)
Decorations: 
Grooved and molded frames
Chancel Screen posts materials: 
Limestone
Marble
Chancel Screen posts: 
Chancel screen plates: 

The base of the chancel screen is a straight line, which possesses deep grooves for the 6 panels of different length. Two stone fragments of chancel screen panels were found in the nave. They were decorated with vine scrolls, clusters and crosses.

Typology
Types: 
Blind
Compositions: 
Grid of tendrils and floral motives
Chancel Screen plates materials: 
Limestone
Marble
Pavement: 

The portico, which is actually the rebuilt segment of cardo, is paved with parallel basalt slabs (probably, relaid, as its level varies from the level of the cardo pavement and separated from it by the threshold). The basilica's floors (except of bema) is covered with the mosaic.

Typology
Pavement: 
Slabs
Pavement materials: 
Basalt
Revetment plates: 

The entire chancel and apse were paved with marble and local stone tiles of various colors in an opus sectile technique. There is no clear pattern in the revetment, except of the small areas at the borders of the main altar space. It is decorated with two bands of stone tiles in a square-in-square pattern. Some tiles are reused after a certain Roman building or after the church itself, after it was destroyed in an earthquake and rebuilt. The sarcophagus in the southern chancel is revetted with marble slabs 3 cm thick.

Typology
Revetment: 
Opus sectile
Revetment plates materials: 
Limestone
Marble
Basalt
Revetment plates: 
Liturgical objects materials: 
Limestone
Marble
Other
Liturgical objects: 
There is a void in the chancel in the north aisle. It coordinated with the opus sectile revetment by the level and belonged to the same phase. The hole was used for the reliquary (dimension of the hole: 31x31x17 cm). Only the cover of it was found secondary used in the pavement of the portico (north part). It has an inscribed concavity and fits the size of reliquary. The other two loci for the reliquaries of the identical size (17x26 cm) were cut into the plaster layer of the earlier stage. One of it is situated strictly at the main east/west axis of the church. Another one reliquary is situated just to its south. Its loculus made of thin marble slabs. There are two tombs in the chancel of the church. One is a cist family tomb with a reliquary in the main apse (its northern side). A lead pipe with a funnel at the top and nails were found in it. Another one is limestone sarcophagus tomb with the elderly woman's bones. Situated in the southern chancel and has the marble revetment by its sides. Sarcophagus possesses a concave hole for the oil with the fitting cover.
Typology
Reliquaries: 
Box
Liturgical objects: 
Other: 

A basalt cross of the Greek style was found in the destruction fill (40 cm high x 37 cm wide x 23 cm deep). The cross is leaning at the base, carved from one stone (20 cm high x 23 cm wide x 56 cm deep). The cross crowned the western pediment of the church.

Typology
Other: 
Stone gable-cross
Other materials: 
Basalt
Other: 
Bibliography: