Discover Pavlopetri – One of the oldest submerged cities in the World

History

In 1904 the geologist Fokion Negri reported an ancient submerged city between the island of Elafonisos and Punta beach in the Laconia region of the Peloponnese.

It wasn’t until much later, in 1967, an oceanographer by the name of Nicholas Flemming from the University of Southampton, visited the site and found the existence of an ancient city located just 50 meters off shore. This site covered between 300 – 400 square meters (around 4,000 – 5,000 square feet) and in only a mere 3 meters of water.

The islet and beach surrounding this submerged city was named “Pavlopetri” meaning “Paul’s and Peter’s”, or “Paul’s stone”. The ancient name of the city is unknown.

This city was originally thought to date back to the Mycenean age which is around 1600 BC, but reality proved that it’s much older than that. In fact 80 % of the artifacts found were from the Bronze age which dates back to 2800 BC.

“Pavlopetri” seemed to be very advanced culturally for it times. A prosperous port city with trade routes, commerce, religion, government and daily life. It was one of the first “planned” cities with residential neighborhoods, two story homes, courtyards, flushing toilets, administrative buildings, markets and factories for the production of pottery.

It is believed to have come to its final demise around 1000 BC. A series of earthquakes caused it’s gradual submersion underwater where it would remain lost for almost 3,000 years.

Some argue that this Bronze Age city might even have inspired one of the world’s most legendary myths—the tale of Atlantis (See article I have written on Atlantis).

*Pavlopetri – Slowly sinking into the sea*

Timeline of discoveries

In 1968 teams from the University of Cambridge found two different types of graves. These consisted of two-chamber tombs and around 40 small “cist” graves. The latter are coffin-like boxes used to hold the dead. This indicated a gap is social status at that time.

The image below is from a stone cyst grave

In 2008 Sonar Mapping showed the site to have around 15 buildings each of which was separated into up to 12 rooms. Also a complex water management system with canals and water pipes were discovered.

Between 2009 until 2013 a five year project to study the underwater city started. Under the direction of Jon C. Henderson from the University of Nottingham and the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Using Robotics and stereo photogrammetry technique, they were able to bring the ancient town back to life by digitally reconstructing 3D images.

*Reconstruction in 3D images of the town of Pavlopetri*

The image below is reconstruction of a two story house

*Pavlopetri – reconstruction in 3D images of a two story house*

The discoveries showed that the town was the center of a thriving textile industry (loom weights found in the site) well designed roads, two story houses with gardens, temples, and a cemetery. Also many large “pithari” pots (pottery jars) from Crete were excavated, which indicated a major trading port. There was even a center square. This technology was very advanced for towns at those times which makes this site very unique.

Today

Unlike many other archeological finds, this city is astonishingly well preserved and has a visible and comprehensible complete town plan, which includes discernible streets, architecture and tombs. The submerged area covers more than 500,000 square feet (around 450 square meters). It has never been reoccupied and therefore has been frozen in time and ready to be explored.

*Underwater exploration and reconstruction of walls*

The site however, is under threat of damage by pollution, large ships anchoring and discharging their waste, ballast water, sediment on the seabed, a nearby power station, a gas pipeline as well as by tourists and souvenir hunters.

To protect the site, in 2016 safety nets of buoys were were placed to demarcate the site and protect it from ships. Also, underwater snorkel tours have been organized to raise awareness to the site.

In addition Pavlopetri is part of UNESCO’s underwater cultural heritage which aims to prevent the destruction or loss of historical sites over 100 years old. It is listed on the 2016 World Monuments Watch lists.

An annual “Watch Day” was also introduced by the Greek Chapter of ARCH International to raise awareness about the site and had been taking place every year since then.

Conclusion

Journey back in time and prepare yourself for an extraordinary encounter with history at Pavlopetri, an enigmatic sunken city from the Bronze Age.

Visiting this site is no ordinary tourism stop. Its a once in a lifetime experience to get a glimpse into an ancient civilization and immerse yourself into a transformative voyage that will captivate the imagination and leave an indelible impression upon those who venture to its depths.

When planning your trip, consider combining this visit with a stay in the enchanting castle rock of Monemvasia (see my article already written on this) and a visit to the breathtaking beaches of Elafonisos. It will surely create a truly unforgettable experience.

How to get to Pavlopetri

Driving :The fastest way is to drive. It’s about 110 kilometers from Athens which should take around 4h30min. Alternatively, you can take the public bus which will get you there in about 7 hours.

KTEL buses transfer you to Neapoli in Lakonia. From this point, you need to take another bus for Pounta port. For further information, you can check on www.ktelattikis.gr, www.ktel-lakonias.gr and www.ktelmessinias.gr.

Flights: The closest airport is found on island of Kythira, which has flights from Athens all year round. It also has summer only flights from Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Aktion and more. From Kythira, you take the ferry to Neapolis port in Laconia. The ferry runs six times a week and in the summer once or twice a day.

Ferries: Ferryboat crossings are very frequent from Pounta to Elafonisos and back. They are every hour (and every half hour at peak times). Starting from 7 am to around 9 pm. (add Ferryhopper link). The ferries to Elafonissos are very frequent and the trip is only 10 min.