Pellana

Pellana is an archaeological site north of Sparta in Laconia, Greece, with remains spanning from the Early Bronze Age through the Byzantine period [1] [2]. Archaeologist Theodore Spyropoulos identified it as the Mycenaean capital of Laconia and proposed the site as the legendary palace of Menelaus and Helen described by Homer [1] [2]. Excavations at the Spilies cemetery uncovered a royal tomb from around 1500 BC with a dome exceeding 10 m in diameter [2] [3]. The acropolis on Paleokastro hill was fortified with walls during the 4th-3rd century BC when Sparta faced external threats [2] [3].