If you take the small dirt road detour from the asphalt road to Chora, right after the beach of Episkopi, you will end up at a currently abandoned archaeological site. The excavations that took place here during the 90s brought to light fragments of the ancient capital of the island, which was continuously inhabited from the 10th century BC till the 6th century AD. A shrine dedicated to the goddess Demeter used to stand at the top of the ancient acropolis. The ruins of two large rectangular buildings of the 4th century BC have been discovered a bit lower, on a plateau along the brow of the hill. At the northern edge of the same plateau, another temple has been found. During the second excavation phase after 2002, two altars and a temple with its sanctum intact were also unearthed. Many votive offerings of the Archaic Period and jewels were discovered, as well. The temple seems to have been dedicated to Apollo and Artemis, based on inscriptions and jar fragments found at the site.
Kythnos Vryokastro
