About Archaeology in Andros

Visit Palaeopolis south of Batsi, built on the ancient capital of Andros on the slopes of the mountain Petalo, in the position of the ancient capital of Andros. This coastal settlement features a lot of green and is of great archaeological interest from Classical to Roman times with ruins, temples and streets. Objects from the market, jewellery, vessels, sculptures, etc. have been found, and are exhibited in the archaeological museum of Palaeopolis. The museum also contains ceramic and stone tools from the Geometric settlement of Zagora.

Also noteworthy is the archaeological site of Ypsili, which belongs to the Geometric period, at Kato Aprovatou with ruins of a settlement and a fortified citadel. A temple was excavated at the centre of the citadel, dating from the Archaic period (6th century B.C.). The double altar and the discoveries imply that the temple was probably a place of double adoration, perhaps of Dimitra and Persephone. The citadel also reveals evidence from four different phases in history, i.e. from the Geometric to the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The settlement was mostly abandoned by the end of the 8th century B.C., although there was some limited activity after that.

Another small, but appreciable ancient settlement was discovered in the place Mikrogiali, in the eastern coast of northern Andros. The ceramic findings show that it chronologically corresponds with another important settlement of the Cyclades in Kefala of Kea. Mikrogiali covers the very interesting transient phase from the Neolithic period to the period of Copper, in the early Cycladic era (3rd millenium B.C.), representing the beginning of the Cycladic Culture.

The Menites villages known as a valuable source of water are famous since antiquity as the sources of Dionysus the god of wine. According to mythology the streams of these villages were flowing with wine.

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