{"id":192,"date":"2013-08-17T18:45:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-17T16:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blue-guides.com\/milos\/?p=192"},"modified":"2013-09-19T09:16:31","modified_gmt":"2013-09-19T07:16:31","slug":"archaeological-site-of-phylakopi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blue-guides.com\/milos\/?p=192","title":{"rendered":"Archaeological Sight of Phylakopi"},"content":{"rendered":"

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On the way to Pollonia, on your left, you will see findings from the ancient city of Fylakopi, which used to be one of the most important settlements of the Cycladic civilization and the most significant Aegean city in prehistoric times.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In Fylakopi you can see 2 millennium year old remnants. There are habitation traces from the beginning of the Early Bronze Age (around 3000BC) until the end of the Late age (1100BC). Built on the island\u2019s north part, so as to provide the possibility for surveillance to a big part of the sea, Fylakopi developed into a significant commercial and cultural center. Because of the trading \u00a0of the obsidian precious stone, it developed rapidly, it became a strong city with Cyclopean walls against the invaders. It was destroyed and it was rebuilt three times.<\/p>\n

The settlement\u2019s habitation had begun already from 3000BC., and the city was abandoned in 1100BC, having lasted three historic periods. In pre-residential age (3200BC-2300BC), the construction of houses commenced. In the 1st<\/sup>\u00a0historic age (2300-2000BC), the settlement was of around 200meters (considered large, based on the facts of those times in the Aegean area), there was no organized town planning disposition, but it had a relatively organized cemetery. Simultaneously, in that time period the stone usage was discovered and the obsidian exports increased significantly, hence, a total commercial flourishing took place \u00a0in Milos. In the 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0period (2000BC-1600BC) walls were built for protection against possible invasions, the tombs were already located outside the city walls, whereas the houses were situated in a terraced disposition on the hill. In that period, the ceramic art was specially developed presenting clear Minoan influences and the commercial relations of the Melians were further developed in various areas in Greece and mainly in Crete. That period ended with the destruction of Fylakopi, possibly by fire set by invaders, and the city\u2019s 3rd<\/sup>historic period (1600BC-1110BC) began with the building of the third settlement. In that last period Fylakopi had an organized, complex, town planning, a fortification with high Cyclopean walls of over 6metres in width and bigger houses, some of which were two-storeyed. At the beginning of this period, the Minoan civilization influence was intense (parts of a Minoan Linear A table were discovered), but gradually elements of the Mycenaean culture penetrated and in the end they prevailed. In around 1400 a palace according to the Mycenaean architecture was built with a lot of rooms and a two-room sanctuary. Moreover, greats works of sculpture and ceramic art were made, the most important of which was the statue of \u201cKyra of Fylakopi\u201d. (It is in exhibition in the Archaeological Museum of Milos). Since 1200BC in the Aegean area, there had been reorganizations, well-known commercial routes were abandoned, whereas both the Minoan and the Mycenaean civilization were in decline. In that period, the city of Fylakopi stopped being a commercial center and began to decline, whereas the\u00a0ancient city of Klima<\/strong>\u00a0became the commercial center where all the island\u2019s activities took place.<\/p>\n

Today, the largest part of the city lies under the surface of the sea, but it is worth visiting it so as to admire the remnants of the imposing Cyclopean walls of the settlement (made of volcanic stones), the Sanctuary, \u00a0and the settlement\u2019s Palace. Until the present day, numerous findings are preserved suggesting the activities of the settlement\u2019s inhabitants and the frequent contact network, mostly with the rest of the Cycladic islands and Crete, whereas visiting the\u00a0Archaeological Museum<\/strong>\u00a0you can see remarkable items of ceramic art from the city of Fylakopi, such as earthen pots, stone, earthen and bronze statuettes, a Linear A table, diverse handy objects and the famous statue of \u201cKyra of Fylakopi\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Additional Info<\/h3>\n