Cenchreae – Eastern Harbour of Corinth
Kenchreai · Kechries Harbour · Eastern Port of Corinth
Archaic to Late Antique (c. 700 BCE – 600 CE)·Corinthian Greek / Roman·🇬🇷 Corinthia, Greece
About
About Cenchreae – Eastern Harbour of Corinth
5 km southeast of the city at modern Kechries. Excavated by Scranton, Shaw and Ibrahim (1963–1970s), the harbour preserves two concrete moles, warehouse horrea, late-Roman basilica and submerged quay walls 1–3 m offshore. Rothaus documented early Christian harbour church with opus sectile and harbour silt cores showing harbour active from Archaic to 6th c. CE, when the 365 Crete earthquake and siltation breached the northern mole. Underwater survey by Pallas mapped ashlar headers and Roman pozzolana concrete still visible snorkelling.
The south mole's submerged crest and north mole's quay with bollards define a 300×200 m basin now partly silted.
Why it mattersType-site for Corinthian harbour archaeology; Scranton's stratigraphy and recent Rothaus / Pallas underwater data anchor Saronic sea-level curves and Isthmian trade chronology.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Extent of Archaic vs. Roman mole phases beneath silt
- 02Chronology of 365 vs. 600 CE abandonment horizon
Theories
- 01Northern mole breach by 365 tsunami caused rapid Late Roman harbour shift to Lechaion
- 02Harbour church marks late-antique pilgrimage port
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 700 BCE (Archaic harbour); monumental moles Roman 1st c. CE
- Period
- Archaic to Late Antique (c. 700 BCE – 600 CE)
- Culture
- Corinthian Greek / Roman
- Purpose
- Principal eastern emporium of Corinth – grain, pottery and trans-Isthmian trade harbour
- Abandoned
- c. 600 CE (earthquake and siltation)
- Rediscovered
- 1963 Scranton Chicago excavations; 1970s Pallas underwater survey
- Excavation
- Submerged
c. 700 BCE
Archaic harbour first in use as Corinth's Saronic port
44 BCE
Caesarian colony rebuilds moles in concrete
365 CE
Crete earthquake tsunami damages mole; harbour siltation accelerates
On the ground
Structures & features
37.8824° N · 22.9925° E · -1 m · 3 mapped features
Eastern Basin and Northern Quay
harbour300×200 m harbour basin with northern quay – ashlar quay with mooring bollard at –1.5 m
37.8830° N · 22.9930° ESouth Mole Pozzolana Crest
mole180 m south mole – pozzolana concrete header submerged at –1 m
37.8815° N · 22.9935° EHarbour Basilica and Horrea
structureLate-Roman harbour church and warehouses excavated by Scranton – opus sectile floor
37.8828° N · 22.9910° E
Gallery