Greece's largest known ancient vineyard was discovered on the slopes of Mount Ida, known in Greek as Psiloreitis, in Cre...

Greece's largest known ancient vineyard was discovered on the slopes of Mount Ida, known in Greek as Psiloreitis, in Crete, sitting at an elevation of 800 meters above sea level. The site, in an area called Drakona near the Tsoupa cave, was identified after local shepherds from Kalyvo Mylopotamou tipped off geologist and researcher Stelios Manoloudis. What researchers found was not just one winepress but an entire production complex. A stone grape press carved from Psiloreitis marble, with a circular surface 65-70 centimeters in diameter, sits near a pit where small stone piles once supported wooden frames used to dry grapes for sweet wine. Around 50 meters away, a full treading floor with a collection vat built from local stone slabs completes the picture. In the wider area, between 700 and 900 meters altitude, roughly ten separate wine-production installations have been identified. The site is believed to date to the Greco-Roman period. According to historian Theokharis Detorakis, when Rome conquered Crete beginning with the destruction of Knossos in 69 BC, the island entered a long era of internal peace. The Roman administration did not attempt to Latinize Crete, and the population remained overwhelmingly Greek. Cretan producers seized the opportunity, turning viticulture into their primary source of income and exporting wine across the Mediterranean in locally produced amphorae. Researcher Antikoni Marangou-Lerat documented in 2002 how wine became Crete's dominant agricultural product during this period, and Katerina Athanasaki's 2008 research confirmed the wide distribution of Cretan amphorae across the Mediterranean basin. The discovery at Drakona puts physical evidence of that trade directly in the mountains. A cultural association called Mythokrousmeni, in cooperation with local authorities, has already drawn up two hiking routes around the site. A specialized forestry study was commissioned and funded by the Region of Crete, has received all required approvals from the Archaeological Service and the Forestry Directorate, and is now awaiting final funding and a public tender from the Municipality of Mylopotamos. #Crete #AncientGreece #Archaeology