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A tour of the archaeological sites of the sea-park

Alonissos Island (ancient Ikos)

Ancient city at the site Ag. Ioannis, with cemeteries of the Classical and Hellenistic periods located at the site Kaliagries or Prinari.  Ancient city with cemeteries at the peninsula Kokkinokastro, of the Classical and Hellenistic periods: parts of the ancient city walls and other buildings are visible.

Fortified settlement at Kastraki and extensive settlement at the wider area Raches, of historical times.

A large number of rural installations have been identified at a certain distance from the ancient cities on the mountainous plateaus of Alonessos, which were favourable for the cultivation of cereals, pulses, vines, and olives (‘Psili Rachi Agiou Konstantinou’, Palialona, Yeladias, Yiakim Chouni, Koumarorachi, Sta Ktiria, Spilitsa, Gouves, Kastanias, Diasello, Vdoneri, Fakistres’).  These sites, inhabited periodically or occasionally, date from the Classical and Hellenistic periods and show a continuous human presence from the Roman period to the present day. 

Some of these isolated rural installations display many of the features characteristic of the organised farms with fortified farmhouses which developed in the Greek countryside during the 4th century BC and were linked to agriculture, trade, the exploitation of quarries and mines and the control of land routes; they are found throughout the Greek world both in the mainland and on the islands.

Installations of this type have been identified at the eastern side of the island at the site ‘Garbitses’ about 5 km NE of the ancient city at Kokkinokastro and at the site ‘Raches’, while at the western side at the bay Tsoukala, at the site ‘Vouno’ about 2 km NE of the ancient city at the site Ag. Ioannis.  At the site ‘Garbitses’ there are visible parts of a circular building, 7 m in diameter, built with large limestone ashlar blocks.  In the nearby area there are terrace walls, built with reused ancient blocks, Corinthian type roof-tiles, fragments of storage vessels and marble architectural members, possibly of the Byzantine period.  At the site ‘Vouno’ parts of an ancient building of the historical times have been identified, covered by vegetation.

At the sites ‘Tsoukalia’, ‘Kalamaki’ and ‘Vambakies’ which are situated near the sea, at bays easily accessible by boats and near fresh-water springs it was established that, besides the evidence for rural installations, there must have been productive units of varying scale linked to the processes of making amphorae for the bottling of local wine and its export.

At the bay ‘Tsoukalia toy gialo’ the organised farm with a fortified farmhouse and extensive workshops possibly served the needs of neighbouring farms and settlements (Vouno, Kastraki) and isolated rural installations of the region.  The finding of stamps on amphora handles from Tsoukalia with the inscription IKION is important, because it not only gives us the ancient name of the island but also demonstrates the first product of controlled origin (DOC) of the north Sporades, since there are no other similar examples from the other islands.

At the hill ‘Koumaros’ there are parts of a fortification wall; we do not know whether these are related to the defence of the island or to the agricultural and pastoral activities of the inhabitants of the island in antiquity.

At the sea-area between Peristera, Alonessos and Kyra Panagia the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities has located at least ten different shipwrecks, which can be dated from the 5th century BC to the 12th century AD.

Pelagonesi-Kyra Panagia (Ancient Alonessos?)
At Kyra Panagia, at the islet of Agios Petros, a Neolithic settlement was first identified and explored first by D. Theocharis and later by the Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Thessaloniki N. Efstratiou. It is one of the first prehistoric settlements to have been excavated at the Aegean; it was a permanent settlement of human groups, which can be dated to the mid-6th millennium BC. The settlement lasted for about a millennium.  The largest part of the Neolithic settlement is underwater at about 10 m depth.

At Kyra Panagia two fortified settlements have been identified at the two natural harbours of the islands, at Planitis and Agios Petros, which were inhabited from the Classical to Roman times.  In the countryside of the island there are numerous rural installations of the same period.

Gioura, Cyclops’ Cave
Following the activities of the Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology and Speleology at Cyclops’ Cave the use of the cave by humans was testified from 8600 to 4000 BC as well as during historical times.  It is the earliest attested human installation on an Aegean island.

Skantzoura
At the island Skantzoura, ancient ‘Skandira’, a fortified installation of the Hellenistic period has been identified at the site Kouroupi, whereas in the countryside around the old monastery, there are traces of rural installations of historical times.

The same human activity during the prehistoric and historical times is attested at all islets of the archipelago (Psathoura, Pappous, Gramiza, Korakas).