Chandakia and Akova - 2017

Chandakia and Akova. Eleni Sarri (Ephorate of Antiquities of Argolida) reports the following:

During the Roman period, two large aqueducts carried water to Argos: the north one likely from the springs of Kefalovryso (NW Argolis) and the south one from the springs of the Erasinos river at Kefalari, 5 km west of Argos. The Emperor Hadrian, who visited the city in AD 124/5, sponsored the former’s construction. Parts of the monumental north aqueduct were recorded over a distance of 30 km by archaeologists of the French School at Athens. Rescue excavations carried out in 2006, 2008, 2013, and 2017 at Chandakia and Akova, in the municipality of Argos-Mycenae, revealed parts of the same aqueduct, 14 m and 220 m long respectively. The aqueduct followed the natural relief and contours to ensure the appropriate inclination: it was cut either into bedrock, with a built superstructure (as at Chandakia), or into rocky ground (as at Akova). Parts of the aqueduct (at Statheika and Larissa of Argos) were above ground, with a support wall of sufficient width (1.80 m.) and a particularly wide outer wall (0.75 m.). The channel (total width 1.25-1.70 m, internal width 0.60-0.65 m) was built of local stone and mortar.