Mari, Paliopyrgos site, Kynouria - 2008

Mari, Paliopyrgos site, Kynouria. Leonidas Souchleris (ΛΘ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports on the survey of Paliopyrgos, which revealed the second fort of the Paliopyrgo fortifications. This survey was held due to the placement of windmills on the slopes of the Mari valley.

The first fort was found in 2008, but the Paliopyrgo fort was in a higher altitude and in a much better geostrategic position; it controlled all the three natural entryways connecting the valley to the Elos area (a swamp) and to Kynouria. The wall enclosure closed off 25.000 sq. meters, and it was fortified by two semi-circular and two rectangular towers (fig. 1). The towers were arranged symmetrically. A 1,40 m. wide gate was built on the S side of the N wall (fig. 2).

The N area of the fort is naturally fortified due to rocky ground. In the part in which the ground becomes a bit smoother, a straight wall was built, connected to the W wall. The E and the S sides were also naturally unreachable, apart from two areas where walls were built as well. The fort was dated to the Hellenistic times.

A survey of the general area revealed the following archaeological sites: a) two sites of the Protohelladic I and II in Paliopyrgos and in Spanou Roggi, b) a Hellenistic residential are in Profitis Ilias’ hill, c) part of an ancient road in Mariorema valley, d) Roman and Byzantine residential areas in Agia Paraskevi region, e) a cemetery dating to the late Byzantine times, as well as a Byzantine church’s architectural remains in Agia Marina region.

[Entry created by E. Kourti]