Kalamydi () is an ancient Dorian city on the south coast of Western

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

. It was first tentatively identified in 1837 by

Robert Pashley Robert Pashley (4 September 1805 – 29 May 1859) was a 19th-century English traveller, lawyer and economist. Pashley was born in York and he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. Distinguished in mathematics and Classics, in 1830 he was elected ...

in the second volume of his book ''Travels in Crete''. It is located near

Palaiochora Palaiochora ( el, Παλαιόχωρα or Παλιόχωρα) is a small town in Chania regional unit, Greece. It is located 70 km south of Chania, on the southwest coast of Crete and occupies a small peninsula 400 m wide and 700 m long. Th ...

in Chania regional unit, near the estuary of the Kakodikianos river. The remains of Kalamyde are to the west of

Lissus Lissus or Lissos ( el, Λίσσος) could be: * Lissus (Crete), an ancient Greek city in Crete * Lissos (Illyria), an ancient city in Illyria, the present day city of Lezhë in Albania * Lissus, a river in Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη ...

and thirty

stade Stade (), officially the Hanseatic City of Stade (german: Hansestadt Stade, nds, Hansestadt Stood) is a city in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. First mentioned in records in 934, it is the seat of the district () which bears its name. It is l ...

from Kriu-metopon. There are ruins of a Roman house at Trochaloi. Archaeoseismological studies have shown evidence of past tsunamis and earthquakes that occurred in Kalamyde as well as throughout western Crete. It is believed that Kalamyde was located to the northeast of the contemporary town of

and served as the harbor site for the city of Kanatos. Kalamyde would have been severely affected by the 365 AD Crete earthquake that destroyed nearly every town in Crete; the southwestern Cretan coast was lifted up to 9 meters by the earthquake. On the west and southwest sides of the city the walls may be traced for 300 or 400 paces; on the east they extend about 100 paces; while on the south the ridge narrows, and the wall, adapting itself to the natural features of the hill, has not a length of more than 20 paces. This wall is composed of polygonal stones, which have not been touched by the chisel.

References

Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Crete Populated places in ancient Greece Former populated places in Greece {{AncientGreece-archaeology-stub