Helike — Bouras Plain Western Borehole Field
Ἑλίκη West · Helike West Lagoon Horizon · Bouras Plain Tsunami Core Field West
Early Bronze Age to Classical (3000 – 373 BCE)·Mycenaean / Achaean Greek·🇬🇷 Peloponnese, Achaea, Gulf of Corinth southern coast, Bouras Plain western lobe, Rizomylos west, Greece
About
About Helike — Bouras Plain Western Borehole Field
2 km west of the Rizomylos core that located the lost Achaean capital destroyed in winter 373 BCE by earthquake and Gulf of Corinth tsunami. 8 m below modern Bouras plain surface, directly sealing a Classical destruction horizon (roof tile, black-glazed sherd, carbonized olive). 8 km inland). The horizon also buries a Early Helladic II settlement 3 m below the Classical, revealing multi-phase burial rather than single-event.
Why it mattersWestern run-up limit of 373 BCE tsunami; earliest direct tsunami isopach for Gulf of Corinth; EH–Classical stacked burial proves long tsunami plain recurrence.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Poseidon temple location still unlocated among boreholes
- 02Whether EH settlement was also tsunami-destroyed 3rd millennium
Theories
- 01Bouras tsunami preserved Helike like Pompeii — lagoonal anoxia preventing looting explains Helike's near-intact Classical horizon
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Early Helladic settlement; Classical Helike flourished Geometric–Classical
- Period
- Early Bronze Age to Classical (3000 – 373 BCE)
- Culture
- Mycenaean / Achaean Greek
- Builders
- Achaean polis builders
- Purpose
- Capital of Twelve Cities of Achaea, Poseidon Heliconius sanctuary town, tsunami archive
- Abandoned
- 373 BCE earthquake-tsunami annihilation; never reoccupied on site
- Rediscovered
- 2001 Helike Project boreholes at Rizomylos; western field 2015–2022
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.3000 BCE
Early Helladic settlement on Bouras plain lagoon margin
c.850 BCE
Helike becomes Achaean League capital with Poseidon sanctuary
Winter 373 BCE
Earthquake + tsunami drowns Helike and 12 villages under lagoon
2015
Western Bouras cores map tsunami sand 20–35 cm thick
On the ground
Structures & features
38.2185° N · 22.1185° E · 3 m · 4 mapped features
Tsunami Sand Horizon (373 BCE)
geological marker20–35 cm marine sand with Glycymeris and rip-ups at 3.2–5.8 m
38.2187° N · 22.1188° EClassical Destruction Lagoon Mud
geological markerBrackish lagoon mud sealing Classical tile and olive at 3.4 m
38.2183° N · 22.1182° EEarly Helladic II Settlement Below
settlementEH II walls 3 m below Classical horizon under same cores
38.2185° N · 22.1185° EBorehole Grid 2015–2022
excavation28 cores mapping tsunami run-up 1.8 km inland isopach
38.2186° N · 22.1190° E