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Modern Description: The road for Vathý which branches off southwards from the south loop of the Apollonia ringroad, passes immediately below the hill of Aghios Andreas; the 19th century church of *Aghios Andreas is visible on its summit. (800m from the junction, a footpath is signed from the road; the site is a 20-minute climb up the east side of the hill.) On the summit, to the west of the church, extend the remains of a Mycenaean acropolis, in a dominating position overlooking the whole cultivable plateau of the island. This is an important site that has only recently been systematically excavated: much of the interest lies in the variety of different fortifications visible.
The site is best viewed at first from below the south side of the impressive ring of outer, 12th century BC walls. Visible are the regular indentations in the enceinte, typical of walls such as these, constructed so as to form a lower base in stone – here about 3-4 m high – to be surmounted by higher fortifications in mud-brick above: the indentation may have accommodated the vertical posts which buttressed the sections of mud-brick wall above, strengthening each segment as if with a frame. Visible also is the conspicuous platform of natural limestone protruding in front of the walls: this is where the material for the walls has been quarried, so that all cutting and constructing happened on site with no need to transport material. The main entrance through the walls was in the southeast corner, but it is more instructive at first to enter by the subsidiary entrance in the southwest. Once inside, you see that the walls in fact consist of a double ring – the one seen from outside, and another, older ring with bastions immediately inside it. This is most clearly seen just to the right of the south entrance, where the shape of a protruding bastion of the inner walls is also visible. Other bastions can be seen to the left. The inner walls date from the 13th century BC and are constructed with the characteristic ‘Cyclopean' boulders of that period; the outer walls are of a century later and are constructed in smaller blocks of hewn stone. These two distinct kinds of masonry are different again from the clear, rectangular stone-work dating from the Classical Age which can be seen directly ahead – evidence that the site continued to be inhabited into historic times. The space between the two Mycenaean walls has filled with collapsed masonry, but originally it would have constituted a defensive ditch and an effective trap for any attacker. There were nine square bastions in total to strengthen the inner enceinte; the one in the northwest corner, at what was the most vulnerable point, was substantially enlarged in the second campaign of building and protrudes as a large trapezoid bastion from the outer walls. What historical events or dreadful threat caused this flurry of defensive building in the 13th and 12th centuries BC can only be imagined.
Inside the acropolis: progressing further inside from the south entrance, you enter what was a street with houses to either side, some with constructed hearths (to right), others with large threshold blocks which have been beautifully fashioned; these date mostly from the Archaic and Classical periods. The remains of original Mycenaean houses have been uncovered in the middle of the west side, just inside the walls; whereas to the north, again just inside the walls, are the remains of Geometric period buildings of the 8th century BC. At the highest, northeast corner are the foundations of buildings of a larger and different type, which may indicate a place of cult. Just to its south, below the modern custodian's hut, is a large water-cistern, part cut from the rock, part constructed. This variety of periods suggests that the acropolis, though abandoned in the 12th century BC, was re-inhabited in Geometric times, from the 8th century BC onwards, and continued to be inhabited through to Hellenistic times. This may have been the city of Minoa, cited by Stephanus of Byzantium as one of the three cities of Siphnos.
Wikidata ID: Q56318973

Info: McGilchrist's Greek Islands

(From McGilchrist’s Greek Islands, © Nigel McGilchrist 2010, excerpted with his gracious permission. Click for the books)

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