This must have been the main cemetery of the ancient city-state of Paros, since the site
presents an extended and uninterrupted use from the 8th century BC until the 2nd century AD. Of major
importance are the multiple interments in funerary vases of almost 200 individuals, most probably deceased
warriors of a great 8th century BC battle. The graves of the Archaic period (cist-graves and pithos-burials)
are organized in spaces divided by vertical and horizontal walls. In the 5th century BC the burials were
placed in large, marble urns or in monumental structures with pedestals and funerary stelae. The marble
sarcophagus is the prevalent funeral receptacle during the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
The excavation started in 1983, during the construction of the Municipal Cultural Centre of Paros,
near the harbour. It was continued until 1985, when the finds proved that this was one of the most important
cemeteries of the Cyclades. The excavation was carried out under very difficult circumstances, since the area
had been converted into a marsh with dense plantation, due to underground water and high sea level. The area
was drained with the use of pipes and water-pumps in 1989.
The grave monuments with the funerary stelae and sarcophagi have been restored. The excavated
site has been organized as an archaeological park. Photographs of the excavation and representations of the
burials are displayed in an old, restored building outside the site.
