Pavlopetri — Plato's Lost World Beach Platform Submerged City Bronze Age
Early to Late Bronze Age (3000 BCE early; city 2800 BCE; Mycenaean 1680 BCE flooded 1000 BCE earthquake)·Early Minoan to Mycenaean (Minoan harbour 2800 BCE, Mycenaean grid 1680 BCE Flemming)·🇬🇷 Peloponnese, Laconia, near Elafonisos, Pavlopetri islet, Vatika Bay, between Pounta andElafonisos, Greece
About
About Pavlopetri — Plato's Lost World Beach Platform Submerged City Bronze Age
Pavlopetri Flemming 1967 oldest (5000 yr), Henderson 2009 3-ha grid 3 m.
Why it mattersKey Early Minoan to Mycenaean (Minoan harbour 2800 BCE, Mycenaean grid 1680 BCE Flemming) submerged-city with stratified sequence and regional typology.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Function of enclosure
Theories
- 01Territorial marker
- 02Seasonal gathering
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. 2800 BCE harbour town; 1680 BCE Mycenaean grid expansion
- Period
- Early to Late Bronze Age (3000 BCE early; city 2800 BCE; Mycenaean 1680 BCE flooded 1000 BCE earthquake)
- Culture
- Early Minoan to Mycenaean (Minoan harbour 2800 BCE, Mycenaean grid 1680 BCE Flemming)
- Purpose
- Oldest submerged planned city (2800 BCE grid, 1680 BCE Mycenaean streets 40 m, 9 megaron houses) — 3 ha streets to 30 m under 4 m sea, Flemming 1967, John Henderson mapping
- Rediscovered
- Modern excavation 1917
- Excavation
- Unexcavated
1920 excavation
Modern rediscovery and scientific excavation of Pavlopetri — Plato's Lost World Beach Platform Submerged City Bronze Age
c. 200 CE major extension
Major expansion / refurbishment at Pavlopetri — Plato's Lost World Beach Platform Submerged City Bronze Age
c. 2800 BCE harbour town; 1680 BCE Mycenaean grid expansion
Initial construction / first occupation at Pavlopetri — Plato's Lost World Beach Platform Submerged City Bronze Age
On the ground
Structures & features
36.5160° N · 22.9860° E · -4 m · 3 mapped features
Pavlopetri — Plato's Lost World Beach Platform Submerged City Bronze Age — Principal Harbour
harbourharbour at Pavlopetri — Plato's Lost World Beach Platform Submerged City Bronze Age — subsidiary complex
36.5175° N · 22.9858° EPavlopetri — Plato's Lost World Beach Platform Submerged City Bronze Age — Northern Wall
wallwall at Pavlopetri — Plato's Lost World Beach Platform Submerged City Bronze Age — hydraulic feature
36.5146° N · 22.9852° EPavlopetri — Plato's Lost World Beach Platform Submerged City Bronze Age — Southern Temple
templetemple at Pavlopetri — Plato's Lost World Beach Platform Submerged City Bronze Age — subsidiary complex
36.5174° N · 22.9857° E