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Modern Description: Signposted. The theater and temple area is fenced, with a site guard (usually). The rest is accessible on foot. Ancient Aigeira is a historically and archaeologically wealthy city. Excavations here began in 1916 under the direction of the Austrian Archaeological Institute of Athens and carry on to the present day. A plethora of architectural remains has come to light so far, some belonging to important public buildings, along with numerous small finds and elements of the city's fortification and urban network.
Human presence in Aigeira dates to the Neolithic period. Mycenaean buildings dating to the Late Helladic IIIC period (12th-11th cent. B.C.) have come to light on the acropolis. Some Mycenaean finds, now in Berlin museum, apparently come from a tomb in the Aigeira region, but it seems more likely that the chamber tomb cemetery at neighbouring Derveni in Corinthia must have be associated with the fortified Mycenaean settlement in Aigeira. Habitation on the acropolis continued during the geometric, archaic and classical periods.
The most important building, which has been fully excavated and studied, is the Hellenistic-Roman theatre. The koilon (auditorium) has been preserved in a relatively good state, as have the foundations of the skene and proskenion.
On the plateau behind the theatre a number of small temples have come to light, as well as the Tycheion or house of Tyche. one of the temples dates to the early classical period and was possibly dedicated to Artemis-Ifigeneia, mentioned by Pausanias in his account of the city. In another temple the head and part of the arm of a collossal statue have been found, possibly belonging to Zeus' statue, which Pausanias attributes to the Athenian sculptor Eukleides.
Current excavation is being carried out in a large building of the late clasical period on the upper city. The building has been identified as a 'symposium building', including an andron (mens quarters) with beds and mosaic floors, as well as a bath.
The city harbour, a technical project of the 3rd or 2nd century B.C. is situated at Mavra Litharia, ca 4 km. west of Derveni. Pausanias says that the city was 12 stadia away from the harbour, while Polybius' estimation is 7 stadia. The latter has been accepted as the correct distance by O. Walter, the first excavator of the city.
Finally, ethno-archaeological research has concentrated to the study of 19th and 20th century farm-houses scattered within the archaeological site, which have been built using ancient architectural members.
Wikidata ID: Q18363976
Trismegistos Geo: 37594
Manto: 10274694

Info: Patras University

(Monuments of Aitoloakarnania and Achaia, 2003, University of Patras)

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