View of Paleopolis area, Andros (Greece)

Palaiopoli ( Greek: Παλαιόπολη 'old city') is an ancient city on the west coast of Andros in the

Cyclades Islands The Cyclades (; el, Κυκλάδες, ) are an island group in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The nam ...

, Greece, and was the capital of Andros, called Andros, during the Classical period. From the archaic to the first Byzantine period, the center of the island's activities is traced to the area of Paleopolis, which is found on the west side of the island, at a distance of 5 kilometers from Ipsili and 10 kilometers from Zagora. The ceramic findings, which were gathered from the area, are dated back to the

Mycenean period Mycenaean Greece (or the Mycenaean civilization) was the last phase of the Bronze Age in Ancient Greece, spanning the period from approximately 1750 to 1050 BC.. It represents the first advanced and distinctively Greek civilization in mainland ...

, though some areas show signs of inhabitation during the

Geometric period Geometric art is a phase of Greek art, characterized largely by geometric motifs in vase painting, that flourished towards the end of the Greek Dark Ages, . Its center was in Athens, and from there the style spread among the trading cities of th ...

. Important findings of the area, the ''Kore of Copenhagen'', a kouros, and a statue group of

Pegasus Pegasus ( grc-gre, Πήγασος, Pḗgasos; la, Pegasus, Pegasos) is one of the best known creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine stallion usually depicted as pure white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as hor ...

and

Bellerophon Bellerophon (; Ancient Greek: Βελλεροφῶν) or Bellerophontes (), born as Hipponous, was a hero of Greek mythology. He was "the greatest hero and slayer of monsters, alongside Cadmus and Perseus, before the days of Heracles", and his ...

, which date back to the 6th century BC, show that the city was prosperous during the Archaic period. Construction in the area, according to the most recent findings, began during the beginning of the 5th century BC and continued through the old

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

times. The area of the city is evident from the fortifications that are still visible along its length. The center of Paleopolis (or Agora) was to the east, near the port whose remains are still evident today, submerged in the sea. Cemeteries are located on the outskirts of town, to the east and west. From the remains, the many sculptures and written sources, one can see that the city was well fortified and had a marketplace, theatre, altars and temples. The city continued throughout the 6th century AD, as it is evident from the remains of pre-Byzantine basilica churches found in the area.

Archaeological Museum of Palaiopolis

In 2003, the Archaeological Museum of Palaiopolis opened in a building that was donated by the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation. The museum houses the archaeological finds from excavations in the area, and it is organized into three thematic units: sculpture, inscriptions, and miscellaneous finds. The most important objects in the museum include a sculpture of

from 6th–5th century BC, a funerary statue of a lion from the 4th century BC, and a portion of an inscribed marble slab containing a hymn to the goddess Isis.

References

External links

Ministry of Culture on Archaeological Museum of Palaiopolis
{{Coord, 37, 49, 10, N, 24, 49, 55, E, type:city_region:GR, display=title Ancient Andros Populated places in Andros