The famous geographer of antiquity, Pausanias, claimed that Agios
Ephstratios's island emerged from the sea the time the Homeric Chrisi sank in
the north part of Lemnos.
Furthermore he determines that time of the geologic changes in 197 B.C. because
of the fact that the island was a new one in the northeast Aegean it was called
"Nea", which means new.
Although there are not many indications, however, we can say that
the island was inhabited in the prehistoric period and specifically, in Mycenaean
times. There are plenty of remains of the historic period - columns, coins, fragments
of vessels, pieces of sculpture.
This text (extract) is cited May 2003 from the Prefecture
of Lesvos & Lemnos
Provincial Government tourist pamphlet.