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Modern Description: Excavations year by year since the 1990s, including in 2014, at the site of Mandra* on Despotiko, are revealing an important sanctuary of Apollo, as attested by kouros fragments and potsherds bearing the name ‘ΑΠΟΛΛ'. They have exposed a rectangular area, at the centre of which is a semicircular base (? for votive statues) and, to one side, the altar of Hestia mentioned above – both clearly visible. ‘Building A' lies just behind at the southwestern edge of the excavated area. It is constructed in fine, well-preserved Archaic masonry of Parian marble. It has several rooms, and a portion of its north façade was constituted by a colonnade of 8 Doric pillars (south end): the marks left by their bases can be seen. Equally well-preserved, but of later, Classical epoch, is the rectangular, paved building (to south) marked by a large stone bath-tub, a system of drains and circular stone rings for supporting water receptacles. This appears to have been a spacious and well-designed bathroom or washing area.
The small, early 7th century BC, painted clay figurine of a female divinity, now in the Museum in Paros was found in Building A. Votive objects of Eastern Aegean, Rhodian, Cypriot and Egyptian origin have been unearthed, including seals in semi-precious stones, bronze and ivory adornments, metal weapons, and an (Egyptian) ostrich eggshell. A marble Archaic, perirrhanterion (a sacred water stoup), and fragments of Archaic kouroi have come to light. Interestingly, two lower portions of 6th century BC kouroi were found, reused as doorjambs in the later Classical constructions. A great number of architectural elements from an Archaic, Doric temple have been reused in later walls, too. This suggests that the Archaic temple, which was built at the end of the 6th century BC, was destroyed and its fragments used to build a subsequent version. The site appears to have functioned continuously from the 7th century BC into Roman times.
Wikidata ID: Q56450687
Trismegistos Geo: 34122

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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