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Modern Description: Organized archaeological site, closed Tuesdays (2019/01) Palairos was small city in Akarnania. It was probably a member of the Akarnanian Confederacy since the 5th century BCE. The ruins of ancient Palairos occupy the hill called Kechropoula, not far from modern Palairos (ex Zaverda). The city's identification, based on Strabo's account, has been epigraphicaly documented. Thucydides and Xenophon refer to it in their historical record. The city's fortification, with a perimeter of ca. 2km., is an extraordinary example of Acarnanian defensive architecture, its walls still standing to a height reaching 10m., reinforced with powerful towers. It encloses the core of the ancient city and the top of the rocky hill, where the separately fortified acropolis stands. The earlier parts of the wall were constructed in the 5th cent. B.C., using the polygonal system, while the 4th cent. B.C. parts were built with trapezoid masonry. Seven gates facilitated communication to and from the inside of the city. The urban plan of ancient Palairos was organized as a grid of intersecting roads, following a unified plan. House ruins cover the entire walled area and extend beyond it, outside the fortification to the south-southeast. The agora was the city's main public area, where ruins of a stoa and several statue bases have come to light. On top of the rocky hill was the separately fortified acropolis. The city's cemeteries extend on the plains south and north of the fortification.
The agora was the main public area of ancient Palairos, occupying a plateau at the southwestern part of the city. Ruins of a long building, a stoa, have been revealed at the northern side of the plateau with a number of votive statue bases in the area before it. The water reservoirs at ancient Palairos, next to the northern wall are rectangular with rounded corners. They are separated by a thick wall and communicate via a clay duct. Their interior is plastered with hydraulic mortar as a means of insulation.
Wikidata ID: Q38280718
Trismegistos Geo: 37641
DARE: 31618

Info: Patras University

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

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