Modern Description:
One of the most interesting prehistoric sites in the Cyclades lies a little over a kilometre inland of the main beach of Ormos, grouped around the low discrete hill called *Skarkos, to the northeast side of the valley behind. The site is of particular interest for the remarkable state of preservation of its meticulously constructed buildings and streets, as well as for the copious finds which have come to light during excavations. (No official opening times as yet, as excavations continue. The site is reached by taking either one of the two rough-stone tracks which head north from opposite the filling station behind Yialos.) The densely-built settlement being uncovered on the northwest side of the hill dates from the mid-3rd millennium BC (Early Cycladic II period) and covers an area in excess of a hectare. The sea probably reached as far as the foot of the hill at the time it was first settled, leaving fertile land for cultivation to the north and west of the site. The notable quality of construction of the houses is clear even to the nonspecialist eye. The carefully built stone walls stand 2–3m high, and bear remarkable refinements: in places there is a ‘string-course' of protruding schists, which may have served to separate plastered from un-rendered areas of the wall; the threshold blocks have been carefully selected and set; and at some points the thickness of the wall accommodates storage recesses. At many points flights of stairs led up to a second floor. The buildings were sturdily built and of a tight-knit urban texture. The network of narrow streets and alleys, connecting small ‘squares', suggests a notable degree of organisation and an uncanny similarity of plan to a typical modern Cycladic town.
The movable finds—mostly in the museum in Chora— which are of remarkable quality, include clay storage vases over 1m in height with moulded decorations, conical drinking cups, cooking vessels, and seals. The imported materials and objects in metal and obsidian indicate commercial links with Crete, the nearby smaller islands, and the mainlands of Greece and Asia Minor.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkarkosWikidata ID: Q1495996
Info: McGilchrist's Greek Islands 
(From McGilchrist’s Greek Islands, © Nigel McGilchrist 2010, excerpted with his gracious permission. Click for the books)
