Vryokastro

Vryokastro, on the northwestern coast of Kythnos in the Cyclades, was the ancient capital from which the island takes its name. Inhabited continuously from the 12th century BC to the 7th century AD, the fortified city covered roughly 300 acres with an acropolis, cemeteries, public buildings, and a harbour. Excavations between 2002-2022 uncovered a collapsed Archaic temple yielding approximately 2,000 clay figurines, a sanctuary of Demeter and Kore, and a rare Kythnian silver coin with the head of Apollo. The ancient port at Mandraki Bay has also been explored through underwater archaeology.