The hill of Skarkos is located in Kambos, one of the most fertile areas of the island. The biggest known settlement of the middle Early Bronze Age (Early Bronze II Age, Keros-Syros civilization, middle 3rd century BC) to date and a cemetery of the end of the Middle and the beginning of the Late Bronze Age (middle 2nd century BC), which partially coated by the earliest settlement were brought to light by the excavating research. The most notable settlement of the Early Cycladic Age, with the impressive architectural characteristic and portable findings, helps in the retrieval of a complete picture about the structures of the Cycladic communities of the middle 3rd century BC, which are known in fragments, mainly from findings of cemeteries and what is more looted ones. The subsequent cemetery which includes burials in shaft-like tombs and in earthenware jars with interesting offerings, completes the knowledge of the professionals about the community of the Cyclades in the middle 2nd century, regarding the field of burial customs.
THE SETTLEMENT
It had circumcenter urban planning. The settlement was developed along two long roads of 2 m width which surround the hill widening every now and then for the formation of smaller or bigger squares. In the up to now excavated area, which is accounted for about one third of the total settlement, 6 construction posts and 35 buildings were discovered. They were used as residences. Some were bigger and more complex and others were smaller and simpler, something that shows the different social status of the people that inhabited them. The seals as well as the numerous clay, cube-shaped, stamped objects tied on sacks and containers like plates show the quite complex structures of the early Cycladic community in Skarko. They are extremely rare findings which possibly indicate a kind of production organization.
Info
– You will admire findings from Skarkos in the Archaeological museum of Chora.
– From 2002 to 2008 maintenance work, formation and emergence of the archaeological site was implemented. The work received a prize for Cultural Heritage in 2008 by the European Union and Europa Nostra.
– Interesting are the dry stones which spirally surround the hill of Skarkos to the top. They are modern, just like those found in almost all the Cyclades, and they form terraces. Due to their shape, the locals call the total of those dry stones “karavola”, a word used about the snails.
