**ENGLISH** Gavdos is located 24 nautical miles south of Agia Roumeli and preserves significant traces of its past. According to ongoing research by the 25th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, a considerable number of archaeological sites have been identified across the entire island. On the hill of Agios Ioannis, remains of house complexes have been discovered, along with a rock-cut cistern and carved areas used for the extraction of building material. Around the present-day church of Agios Ioannis, foundations of ancient buildings have also been identified. Additional architectural remains extend along the eastern slopes of the hill, almost reaching the coastal zone and the beach of Agios Ioannis. On the beach itself, the foundations of a Roman-period building are still visible. To the west of the hill, a rock-cut staircase connects Agios Ioannis with the bay of Lavrakas and the Cedar Forest. North of the Cedar Forest lies a cemetery of Classical and Hellenistic times, which has been designated as an official archaeological site. At least 20 rock-cut tombs are visible, along with a carved passageway. Remains of ancient settlements extend south of Lavrakas as far as the church of Agios Nikolaos and further south to the metochi “Chamourgeio,” especially towards the Kedres stream. Traces of habitation are evident throughout the Cedar Forest, including a ceramic kiln and part of an elevated aqueduct that supplied water to the settlement of Agios Ioannis from the Roman aqueduct located west of Kedres. Southeast of the hill “Kefala,” remains of buildings, rock-cut features, a long wall possibly used as an enclosure, and a ceramic kiln have been preserved. Excavations in the Agios Pavlos stream revealed a small Roman-period rural complex with a wine-press installation. East of Sarakiniko beach, on the hill “Kavo,” abundant prehistoric pottery and stone tools have been found. In the Sarakiniko area, two Roman-period farmhouses with olive-press installations have been excavated. Further east, on the hill “Sellakia,” small remains of prehistoric settlement survive. In the area “Agios Georgios – Korfos,” there is a church of Agios Georgios, a spring, and a modern metochi. On the southern side of Korfos bay, near the shoreline at the site “to Spitaki,” part of a Late Minoan building (1600–1100 BC) has been excavated. In the same area, at “Kapouri’s Avlochi,” a rock-cut chamber tomb of the Roman period has also been discovered. At the site “Vrisalia,” between Karave and Korfos, a group of pottery vessels from the Transitional Neolithic period was found (now exhibited in the Chania Archaeological Museum), likely belonging to a tomb partly destroyed by earlier road works. Along an ancient path between “Korfos – Vatsiana,” remains of a Minoan building and a rock-cut staircase are preserved. At the highest point of “Kefali,” a fortification structure, possibly from the Venetian period, still survives. At “Metochi Voliana,” modern stone-built structures, a cistern likely of Roman date, a rock-cut double wine press, a portable olive mill, and wall remains have been identified. Northwest of Voliana, at “Mnimata,” box-shaped graves have been recorded. Across various parts of the island, numerous rock-cut outdoor presses, ceramic kilns, and isolated tombs—box-shaped, rock-cut, and chamber tombs—have also been identified., Gavdos, the southernmost inhabited island in Europe, lies approximately 24 nautical miles south of Agia Roumeli and preserves a rich archaeological and historical heritage, with evidence of habitation from prehistoric times through the Roman and Byzantine periods. Archaeological sites with settlement remains, rock-cut structures, cisterns, cemeteries, and workshop facilities have been identified throughout the island. In the area of Agios Ioannis, remains of dwellings, Roman buildings, cisterns, and quarries can be seen, while nearby there is an important Classical and Hellenistic cemetery with rock-cut tombs. The Kedrodasos area shows extensive traces of ancient habitation, including pottery kilns and hydraulic installations associated with a Roman aqueduct. In the wider Sarakiniko area, Roman-period farmsteads with olive presses, as well as prehistoric finds, have been discovered. Important sites are also found at Korfos, where a Late Minoan building and a Roman rock-cut tomb were uncovered, while at Vrysalia, Neolithic finds were discovered, probably associated with a burial complex. Venetian and later fortifications, agricultural installations, and cemeteries can also be found in various parts of the island. Gavdos is therefore a unique archaeological destination where the natural landscape combines with a long history of human presence and significant cultural remains from different historical periods.

http://odysseus.culture.gr/ Συντάκτης Βάννα Νινιού – Κινδελή, Αγγελική Τσίγκου, Αρχαιολόγοι