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Modern Description: At Stáfilos Bay (4 km), on the island's south coast, a beach stretches to the east where a conspicuous headland projects south into the sea, attached by a narrow isthmus to the shore. It is beside this steep promontory, with its classic ‘acropolis' form, that a Middle Bronze Age shaft-grave (c.1500 BC) complete with burial gifts and objects was uncovered in 1936. The grave itself (now mostly refilled), which was located just to the west of the isthmus of the headland, was damaged, but contained a magnificent Mycenaean, gold handle of a sword, now exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. This and other objects which were found suggested an important, royal burial, which was subsequently dubbed that of ‘King Staphylos', the legendary ruler of the island, and son of Ariadne by either Theseus or Dionysos. Access and exploration of the headland is more difficult than it seems because of the dense vegetation: near the triangulation point on the summit there are areas of collapsed ancient stone. Beyond the headland, further to the east is the long beach of Velanió.

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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