Rural sanctuary

GENERAL

Near the small church of Ay. Marina, on the road from Loutra to Kastro, scanty remains denoting the presence of an Archaic sanctuary have been found. The sanctuary lies on the summit and South slopes of a hill (Fig. 1), overlooking the wider area of the bay of Loutra (Fig. 2).

MONUMENTS

Traces of structures are visible near the summit of the hill. An animal pen futrther down the hill may rest upon the remains of an ancient structure.

FINDS

The few scattered finds consist mostly of fine pottery sherds of the Geometric and Archaic periods, fragmentary metalic finds of bronze and iron, fragments of glass beads, etc.

CHRONOLOGY

The majority of the surface finds date in the Late Geometric and Archaic periods.

IDENTIFICATION

The nature of the finds suggest the existence of a rural (?) sanctuary here, in use at least during the Geometric and Archaic periods. A sherd belonging to a kylix of the Classical period bears a graffito, the letter A.

A few metres to the SW, all around the small church of Ay. Marina, Roman and Late Roman pottery is observed, perhaps denoting a later rural installation in the vicinity.

RECORDS

Site first identified by Adonis Kyrou. First autopsy together with A. Mazarakis Ainian, 2004. Short rescue excavation by Dora Papaggelopoulou in 2015

REFERENCES

Unpublished