Built at the time of Emperor Augustus, the great theater of Nikopolis is one of the largest and most important structures of its kind in Greece. Now, during recent conservation work, new discoveries have come to light which are forcing archaeologists to reconsider their understanding of the site.

The discoveries are linked to four rows of seats in the lower half of the theatre. They were excavated in excellent condition during the first phase of an EU-funded project scheduled for completion at the end of 2015. The work is aimed at preserving the monument with fixings, stonework repairs and general maintenance. The project also involves further investigation into the theater’s building phases, the construction of a perimeter track and viewing platform for visitors, as well as the placement of signs in Braille.

Figurines and part of a central staircase leading to the upper koilon (cavea) and the northern entrance of the theater were also discovered during the excavations, revising assumptions about the original state of the monument.

The new finds indicate that several more lower layers of the theatre may be intact, as well as the floor of the orchestra.

All belong to the first construction phase in the late 1st century BC. The theater will be fully operational once works are completed.

• Originally published in Kathimerini newspaper