Karpathos Ancient Potideon

Location: Pigadia

Ancient Potidaion occupied the area of the present-day town of Pigadia, and was the port of the ancient city of Karpathos. It was one of the island’s three major city-states, the other two being Arkassa and Vrycus. In historical records, it often appears under the name of Poseidion, which was given to it in honor of Poseidon, the mighty god of the sea.

The earliest traces of human activity date from the Late Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age; the most notable finding from this period is a stone female statuette which presumably portrays a deity and is now exhibited in the British Museum. An important settlement developed there during the Minoan and the Mycenaean times, though the only remnants from the Mycenaean era are three furnaces and the foundations of some buildings.

The acropolis surviving on top of the nearby Vounos hill dates from the Hellenistic period, while the necropolis must have been situated on the surrounding hillslopes. Thus, a Late Helladic tomb has been discovered southwest of ancient Potidaion in the location of Makelli, while a monumental rock-hewn tomb known as the Cave of Poseidon has also been preserved in Myloi.

Gradually, ancient Potidaion began to decline and was annexed by the Rhodian state. However, it flourished again during the Roman era, when the Pax Romana provided safe conditions for its maritime economy. During the early Christian years, it continued to grow, till the constant pirate raids in the turbulent times that followed forced the residents to abandon the port and move to the inland. Thus, the area remained uninhabited till the late 19th century, when the town of Pigadia was eventually established.

Visitors to the acropolis will have the chance to see the remnants of the walls and houses, an inscription, and a subterranean structure that was designed for the collection of rainwater.