The archaeological excavations of 2007 in the ancient city of Bylis were located in the Episcopal quarter, to the southeast of the early Christian cathedral. During the last phase of construction, the quarter, seem to have been traversed by two perpendicular axes. One of the axes (areas 12, 26 and M14) is a west-east directed passageway that runs alongside the basilica complex and assists its liturgical annexes. This is the _decumanus_ axis of the city, which was inherited from the urban plan of the Hellenistic period, and adopted later in support of the Episcopal quarter. The road joined the _cardo_ axis, which followed the crest of the hill, and was controlled by the fortification wall of Victorianus (architect of Emperor Justinian), built in the 6th century AD. The second axis is the north-south passage (areas N6-P2), which passes below the fortification wall of the _cardo_ and joins the _decumanus_ in a large courtyard (L), formed by the flattening of previous structures. The eastern entrance to the Episcopal quarter was through a porch or a gateway of four masonry columns, followed by a portico, which was confined by the rear wall of a room (N7). During this season continued the excavation of the building K-P, where in its northern façade, so far are identified 5 long rooms (K1-K5), 4 of which emerge in the courtyard L. While the southern façade of the building consists of two room, of an almost rectangular shape (P3 and P4), which confined a closed area of oval shape (P1). Within this latter, the excavations revealed a staircase, which led to the upper floor of the building, and a number of domestic kilns. The excavations in area K2 identified a floor level covered by a black soil layer, rich in faunal remains. It partly covered up a _trapetum_ used for olive pressing, which abutted the southen wall of the room. In room N2, the digging revealed a wide masonry bench and several storage pithoi ends, which had their surface covered in bitumen. While in room N5, a rectangular tank for grape pressing was uncovered. The base of the tank was made of bricks bonded with white mortar, while a thick mortar layer of red colour covered its lateral sides, made of reused Hellenistic limestone blocks. A semicircular cavity was found in the northern corner of the tank, which was probably used for the extraction of the pressed products. Two entirely preserved pithoi were revealed to the north of the tank. The discovery of the olive _trapetum_, grape pressing tank, the kilns as well as the storage pithoi, suggest for olive oil and wine productive and economic activities in the Episcopal quarter of the city of Bylis during Late Roman period.

The archaeological excavations of 2008 were located in the Episcopal quarter of the ancient city of Bylis. The excavation data suggest that the Episcopal quarter to the southeast of the cathedral (also known as the basilical complex, or Basilica B) of the city, in its final construction phase, during the Later Roman period, was situated in the intersection point of the two perpendicular axis of the city. The first axis is an earlier _decumanus_, built during the Hellenistic period. It traversed in the eastern and western sides the liturgical annexes of the cathedral, and continued up to the top of the hill, where it joined the _cardo_, that was protected by a fortification wall of the 6th century AD. The second axes of a north-south direction continued alongside the wall of limestone blocks that divides the upper and the lower parts of the city. The two axes were joined in the yard L, which consisted of several rooms and was detached from the basilica complex. A porticoed entrance in the eastern side of the yard gave access to the Episcopal quarter. The northern side the yard was confined by building N (probably a storehouse) and two rooms of the cathedral, while in the south from the large building K-P. This latter, which was constructed on two levels, had 5 rooms opening into the yard (K1-5: where K1 was probably a stable and K2 had an olive grinder), and 3 others in the southern façade (P1-3: where P3 was perhaps the kitchen of the building). To the west the yard was blocked by the later building D. Another entrance in the north-western side of the yard emerged directly in the _cardo_, allowing the circulation of storage foods found in the nearby warehouses, the supply with raw goods and the distribution of wine and olive products, as well as the sustenance of the livestock transport. The materials revealed suggest that the Episcopal quarter, served not only for liturgical purposes but it was also a residential quarter related to economical activities. The excavations in building N showed that room N2 is likely to have been used as warehouse (cellar?) and N5 an area used for grape pressing and wine production. The peaked roof of room N2 seems to have been supported by a doubled arched hold on a central column. The excavations of this area revealed a masonry bench, abutting the eastern wall, and a number of pithoi, which were set in a regular line and were covered on the inside with bitumen. In room N5, the excavations uncovered 3 tanks of rectangular shape, equipped with staircases for removing the grape remains, and 4 pithoi placed against the eastern wall, which were possibly used as wine containers. In the lowest stratigraphic levels of room K4, a floor level was uncovered, along with a doorway in the southern wall. The doorway, followed by a threshold, was partly blocked by the staircase identified in the other room, next to P1A.

The only objective of the field season of 2009, in the ancient city of Bylis was to carry on the archaeological excavations in the Episcopal quarter. The results of the previous seasons suggests that at the end of the 5th century AD, the Episcopal quarter was expanded to the southeast of the cathedral, around the intersection of the two straight roads of the city. The entrance to both the upper and lower parts of the quarter was through a yard in the eastern side. The yard facilitates the transports of gross edible goods for storage in the quarter’s structures, and the export of other products, mainly wine and oil, as well as livestock. This yard was surrounded by buildings, where olive and grape pressing tanks, _in situ_ storage pithoi, kilns, etc., were revealed. During this season, the excavation of building N (rooms N2, N3, N4, N5) and K-P (rooms P4 and P1A) continued. Thes enclose the yard on the northern and southern sides. In rooms N2 and N4-5, partly excavated during the field seasons of 2007-2008, the digging identified a large warehouse, the olive or grape pressing area, and three tanks. In the storehouse N2, the excavations revealed once again several pithoi, which were set in regular line and covered from the inside with bitumen, a local tradition used to isolate these types of wares. In room N5, apart from the grape pressing tank and 4 pithoi found against the eastern wall, two other larger tanks were found in the northern side. The tanks were linked to each other by a wall where the extracted liquid was collected, and a staircase was used to remove the residues. A deep cistern for wine production was uncovered in room N4; it had an inner staircase and a wooden coverage, while the mixed liquids seem to have derived from the two tanks found to the north of room N5. At a later phase the cistern appear to have lost its primary function. In room P4, the excavations revealed the lowest level, found below the destroyed floor of the upper storey, and a blocked entrance in the eastern wall, which suggests for the abandonment of the lower floor at the end of the 5th century AD. The excavations carried out in the western side of the kitchen (room P1), identifying another kiln, covered by a later tank. The sondage opened in the outer part of this room, uncovered a drain channel used to collect kitchen and rain waters. To the southeast of building K9, a passageway was found (P2), blocked by a north-east and south-west directed wall of large stone blocks and other construction debris. The wall seems to have marked the southern limit of the Episcopal property. Other excavations were undertaken in front of the southern entrance of room P3, where a destruction layer cut by the foundations of another structure, which was later then building K-P was exposed. Building K-P is likely to have remained in use until the late 6th century, a time which corresponds with the official abandonment of the city of Bylis.

The 2010 marked the 12th season of archaeological excavation undertaken in the site of Bylis, and had as its primary aim to finish the excavation of the Episcopal quarter. During this year the excavations in the winery continued (room N3 and N3A) and as well as those in the southern façade of building K-P (room P2). Also an expansion of the sondage opened in 2006, in front of the façade of the quarter and in the _cardo_ which passes alongside the proto-Byzantine wall, was carried out. To the south-east of building K-P, the north-east circulation axis was blocked by a north-east and south-west wall. The wall, which is built of large stone blocks, at the corner of room P3, turns toward the west, creating a passage way in front of the façade of building K-P. Also, traces of another wall, suggest a line that closed the complex and the Episcopal property in the south. The excavations in front of the surrounding wall toward the south and east (sondage P2B), identified a thin clay layer, which is the last circulation level of use before the abandonment of room P3 and the collapse of its roof. Below this layer, two north-south and west-east walls were uncovered, which relate to each-other and are preserved at the same height. The north-south wall, which abuts the surrounding wall of the Episcopal complex, follows the same direction as the Hellenistic road, and is cut by the southern foundation of room P3. The two walls seem to have been part of a structure, destroyed before the rearrangement of this part of the urban quarter in the 6th century AD. This is confirmed by the discovery of earlier walls in the same level of the structure, and below the yard of building K-P and N. The excavations in building N, showed that it was extended toward the east of the façade of the cathedral’s complex, and consisted of 4 inner areas: room N5 to the east, reached through the yard; the cellar N2 to the south-west, which is opened above the warehouse (33); N3 to the north-west; and a small room N3A, which enabled the communication between the three abovementioned rooms. Four pithoi and two grape pressing tanks were identified in room N5. One of the tanks was situated in the south-eastern corner while the other was in the north-east, and was extended toward the west in a pool, used for product collection and processing. A tile made channel, which passed through the dividing wall, linked the pool with the deep fermenting cistern in room N3A. The walls of the cistern are made of stones and tiles bonded with mortar, where these latter formed in the upper part a kind of gutter closed with a wooden lid. The inner walls and the rims of the cistern are covered by two layers of waterproofing mortar. The excavations to the east of room N3 revealed a roof destruction layer, and below it, an _in situ_ entirely preserved pithos. The lower destruction and abandonment layers were rich in pottery materials and iron objects, such as nails and frame fragments.