Greece’s Ministry of Culture announced a major revamp of the archaeological site of Peristeria, Messinia, to highlight the important ancient city that flourished more than 35 centuries ago.
The works include interventions to stabilize the Mycenaean vaulted tombs and architectural remains, as well as improving the infrastructure that serves visitors.
“Peristeria is an important archaeological site that documents the history and prehistory of Messinia,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said.
“The restoration and promotion of the Mycenaean vaulted tombs, the main archaeological remains of the site, is a key priority of the intervention, to resolve the aesthetic and structural problems, while improving the services provided to visitors to the site.
“By upgrading the entrance and infrastructure of the archaeological site, these largely unknown Mycenaean monuments dynamically introduce the archaeological site of Peristeria to the cultural map of Messinia,” Mendoni added.
Peristeria was inhabited until the end of the Mycenaean period
The hill of Peristeria is located 8 kilometers from the town of Kyparissia. It was the richest residential center of the Western Peloponnese during the early Mycenaean period.
It was inhabited until the end of the Mycenaean period (1680-1180 BC) and dominated Messinia before the developments of Pylos and Mycenae rose to glory. In addition to the Mycenaean, residential remains from the early Roman period of the era of Nero (54-68 AD) have also been identified.
Peristeria is most famous for its tholos tombs, the monumental circular burial structures characteristic of Mycenaean architecture. These tombs suggest the presence of an elite ruling class and reflect the region’s wealth and cultural connections with other Mycenaean centers.
Excavations have uncovered a variety of artifacts, including gold jewelry, pottery, seal stones and tools, which illustrate the sophistication of Mycenaean craftsmanship. Some of these artifacts indicate trade links with other regions, including Crete, the Cyclades, and possibly even Egypt and the Near East.
Mycenae of the Western Peloponnese
Archaeologists dubbed the archaeological site of Peristeria the “Mycenae of the Western Peloponnese.”
The Ephorate of Antiquities of Messenia describes the ancient city at Peristeria as “crowded and extensive,” since it had been continuously inhabited from the Middle Helladic period (2050-1680 BC) until the end of the Mycenaean Era (1680-1180 BC)
Rich grave gifts uncovered beneath the floor of one of the tombs, military equipment, golden vessels and jewelry from the site are exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Chora, in nearby Filiatra.
“Although the vaulted tombs had already been looted since antiquity, the rescued valuable objects testify to the inhabitants’ wealth and the contacts with Minoan Crete. In addition, they provide information on the practice of domestic worship and the social structure of the Mycenaeans,” the Ephorate explains on its website.
