History & Culture : Archaeological Places, sightseeing

NEA RODA

The sanctuaryÉ's lifetime begins at the late archaic era till the Hellenistic one and its history is connected with the two ancient cities of the region, Sani, colony of Andris and Ouranoupolis, town founded in 315 b.c by Alexarhos, brother of Kassandros, King of Macedonia.

By the end of the 6th century Alexarhos and the habitants of Sani founded the sanctuary outside the towns walls and built it on representation. By the end of the 4th century b.c. Alxarhos founded Ouranoupolis and integrated the sanctuary to the new town. In his constructional programme he includes monuments, the Hellenic temple, the reconstruction of the archaic house e.t.c. The sanctuary was deserted the 3d century b.c.
The archeological research began in 1990 when during the autopsy an after- archaic fleuron crown tile and a vessel were found. In 1990 during trial cuts parts of the archaic house were traced and of the Hellenic temple. In 1992-3 the house was excavated while the same year the excavation of the temple began and continued until 1994. In 1995 the excavation was characterized systematic and in 1996 began the excavation of the Hellenic buildings to the south of the temple.

The most important buildings are: Archaic house which is consisted of niche and antetemple on representation. It overhangs on a podium of granite (1m height) and it has limestone walls of which their external face is decorated with cellated theme.
The most interesting finding of the building was the Corinthian clay tiles of the roof and the capes.
Hellenic temple. It is consisted of an antetemple with a cover and niche with three entrances, a build desk along the east wall, a bank for bloodless offers and in the center a pile of stone with traces of fire. In the antetemple a marble head of the Sun and a marble head of a girl were found.