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Antiparos, July 2025
In Despotiko, the uninhabited island opposite Agios Georgios of Antiparos, where history and nature have coexisted harmoniously for centuries, the excavation and restoration program at the site of Mandra continues at an unrelenting pace this year as well—next to Petros Marianou’s goat pen, with its hundreds of goats.
Before the first test trenches by Yannos Kourayos in 1997 (then of the 21st Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, now the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades) and the beginning of systematic excavation in 2001, no one could have imagined that nearly thirty years of research at Mandra and the nearby islet of Tsimintiri would so radically transform our understanding of the archaeological landscape of the Geometric and Archaic Cyclades.
To date, an extensive settlement spanning many centuries has been uncovered: 23 buildings, two large complexes, and a wealth of movable finds, most notably marble votive Kouroi. Within the settlement’s territory lie the large-scale building complexes on the islet of Tsimintiri, which in antiquity was connected to Despotiko by an isthmus.
At the core of the Archaic settlement lies the sanctuary of Apollo, covering 2,250 m², enclosed by a walled Peribolos with three gates (Image 1). On its western side stood the temple and the ceremonial dining hall; at its centre, the altar; and on the north side, the cult building D. South of the sanctuary were complexes that served the daily needs of the priesthood and visitors. The site’s high water demand was met by a well-organised system of cisterns. East of the sanctuary, along the route that visitors followed from the harbour, eight additional buildings and a circular tower have been uncovered (Image 2).
The excavation continues to this day, adding new insights into the island’s history each year. Alongside Yannos Kouragios, the director of the Despotiko excavations, the dedicated team works systematically and with scientific precision to uncover and study the ancient treasures of Mandra: core team members Dr. Ilia Daifa and Dr. Alexandra Alexandridou; collaborating archaeologists Dr. Erica Angliker, Dr. Iphigeneia Leventi , Dr. Katerina Karakasi, Dr. Dimitris Palaiothodoros, Dr. Isabelle Algrain, Konstantina Fragkou, Dr. Manolis Petrakis, Dr. Angelos Matthaiou, Dr. Eirini Poupaki, Dr. Simon Davis, Dr. Erich Draganits, among others; architects Goulielmos Orestidis and Dr. Aenne Ohnesorg; marble craftsmen Vangelis Chatzis, Giannoulis Skaris, Giorgos E. Palamaris, Giorgos Kontonikolaou, Markos Armaos, Loukas Ioannou; conservators Giorgos Karampalis, Eva Tsavou, and Eleni Saiti; as well as the younger archaeologists Louiza Panopoulou, Kleopatra Papathanasiou, Eftychia Choumadaki, Lena Aslanidou, Eva Paraskevopoulou—and of course our tireless technician since 1997, Thodoris Velentzas (Image 3).
Excavation Season 2025:
The 2025 season began early, on May 18, with twenty students from Dartmouth College, USA, accompanied by Professor Paul Christensen and Dr Erica Angliker. A month of study followed at the museum storerooms, after which excavations resumed on June 22 and will conclude on July 11, 2025. In the second phase, under the supervision of Professor Alexandra Alexandridou of the University of Ioannina, twenty students from U.S. universities are participating through the College Year in Athens program.
Outside the Archaic sanctuary, excavation focused on “Building Ω”, where fragments of at least three Archaic Kouroi and the torso of a 5th-century BC statue were found embedded in secondary use during 2022–2023. Nearby lies Building MN, uncovered in 2023. This year’s work revealed additional walls belonging to at least two rooms and a large amount of pottery, shedding light on different construction phases.
Excavation also continued in the core of the settlement, specifically in the two large complexes south of the sanctuary—the Southern and the Eastern Complexes.
In the Eastern Complex, the southwesternmost room, which directly communicated with a large paved courtyard (Image 3a), was excavated to depth. A large cooking vessel was found in situ, carefully removed, and transferred to the museum for conservation.
Image 4: Cooking pot from a room in the South Complex
In the Southern Complex, excavation began southwest of the complex’s enclosure wall, revealing a new group of rooms apparently built in a later period, not connected with the main complex. Its limits are not yet defined, but findings within it will clarify its date and function.
One of the most significant discoveries in recent years is an extensive water-collection and management system, indicative of the sanctuary’s scale. It comprises cisterns and a built conduit extending along the hills south of the sanctuary. The construction of the large cistern and channel closely resembles the Archaic buildings of the sanctuary, likely dating to the 6th–5th century BC, the period of its peak activity, when water demand for the sanctuary, visitors, cultivation, and ships was high.
In 2025, research focused on the exploration of the large building complexes on Tsimintiri islet. Two large building complexes have been brought to light, featuring numerous rooms and courtyards, along with two circular structures and three smaller, separate buildings—all of which formed an integral part of the settlement at Despotiko. The easternmost of the two complexes covers an area of approximately 900 m², while the western one extends over at least 300 m². Between them stands a prominent circular structure with a diameter of nearly 16 meters, whose function remains unclear. Their location near the harbour, as well as the associated finds, suggest that these complexes were connected to the operation of the settlement’s port and to storage and commercial activities (Image 5).
Restoration 2025:
The Despotiko team’s responsibility extends beyond excavation to the protection and presentation of the site as an organised archaeological park. From 2014 to 2025, the program of restoration and enhancement of the Archaic sanctuary’s cult buildings has been implemented, with architectural studies by Goulielmos Orestidis.
The first step was the restoration of the temple and the ceremonial dining hall.
In 2022, restoration of Building D, the third-best-preserved structure in the sanctuary, began. After two and a half years, its restoration was nearly completed in June 2025, bringing the Archaic sanctuary closer to its ancient grandeur.
None of this would have been possible without the generous support of the project’s sponsors: AIGEAS AMKE (Thanasis and Marina Martinos), the P. & A. Kanellopoulos Foundation, the A. G. Leventis Foundation, the Friends of Paros and Antiparos Association, the Municipality of Antiparos, Marion Stassinopoulos, Irini and Nikolaos Lemos, the J. Latsis Foundation, Petros Pappas, Alpha Bank, College Year in Athens, and many other benefactors and friends of Despotiko. The excavation team expresses its sincere gratitude to all friends of Despotiko in Greece and abroad.
The research project at Despotiko is a dynamic, continuously evolving endeavour that each year reveals new buildings and significant finds. Combined with the restoration program of the sanctuary of Apollo, Despotiko stands today as a living archaeological site—an ever-evolving monument of history, unique in the Cyclades (Image 6).
By Yannos Kourayos & Ilia Daifa – Despotiko Excavation and Restoration Team
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