Despotiko

Template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / image missing

Despotiko (Greek Δεσποτικό (n. sg. ) ) Is a small uninhabited Greek island in the Cyclades in the region South Aegean ( Περιφέρεια Νότιου Αιγαίου ).

Geography

Despotiko is located southwest of Antiparos, just 1 km towards the settlement Agii Giorgis and near the islands Tsimintiri and Strongyli.

The island belongs to the municipality of Antiparos.

The island has beautiful sandy beaches. The island can be reached from Antiparos by boat. The target is a sandy beach is usually started in the eastern part of the island.

History

Despotiko is uninhabited today. Excavations, however, have provided evidence for a settlement since the Bronze Age. Under its ancient name Presepinthos the island is found in various ancient maps and charts, also mentioned in the Geographika of Strabo and Pliny Naturalis Historia. 1675, the island was plundered by pirates, the surviving inhabitants left after the island.

Archaeological finds

On Despotiko a number of frühkykladischen graves were excavated in the 19th and 20th centuries, also 1958 individual remains of a Doric building.

In 1997, excavations began in Mandra on Despotiko. The archaeologist Giannos Kouragios and his team have brought to light significant archaeological finds. Three archaic Kouros parts were unearthed during the excavations on Despotiko in a state of well-preserved. There are two body and a head from the year 560 BC The Kouroi dedicated sanctuary were found in a Apollo. The excavations are slowly and carefully continued, there's lots of hidden treasures are suspected on the island.

Despotiko was declared an archaeological site. From the Archaeological Commission was suggested that the whole island a " archaeological park ", an open-air museum to explain.

Conservation

Due to the occurrence of typical plants of the Cyclades with holm oaks, Phoenician juniper and broom Despotiko 2000 site GR 4220017 was reported Islands Despotiko and Strongylo ( Νήσοι Δεσποτικό και Στρογγυλό ) together with the neighboring island Strongyli as Natura.