The ancient Greek city of Melibea of Magnesia in Thessaly, mentioned by Homer in the catalog of the ships of the Iliad, was famous for its purple tint. According to Estrabón it was on the coast, in the gulf between the Osa and Pelión mountains. It was conquered by the Romans in 168 BC, and over the centuries all traces of its exact location were lost.
One of the places where researchers suggest it may have been, the acropolis of Kato Polydendri, next to the port of Ayokambos, has been the subject of recent archaeological excavations by the Larissa Ephorate of Antiquities.
At the site, now called Skiathas, archaeologists unearthed the remains of a monumental building, with a marble threshold and remains of the walls.
It is a sanctuary from the Hellenistic period, between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, built in local limestone. Parts of the architrave and five Doric capitals were also found. In addition, a statue pedestal, part of a column, a marble bench foot and two statue heads of a girl and a boy appeared inside.
The ancient settlement is spread out on a low hill on the eastern promontory of Mount Mavrovouni, which connects the Osa Range to the north with the Pelion Range to the south.
It is a walled settlement, 22 hectares in area, which had a natural fortification and a deep stream to the north, west and south. Built on stepped dunes, it stretched eastward out to sea, reaching the rocky coast of the northern Aegean.
It had two natural coves that were probably its ports. In the past, the honorary curator of Antiquities, A. Tziafalia, had carried out research to discover the wall of the acropolis.
Important finds come from the site, mainly sculptures, ceramics, coins, most of them from the classical and Hellenistic period, which are preserved in the museums of Larisa and Volos.
Recent excavations also found items such as iron nails and arrowheads, bronze rings, part of a bronze jar, lead weights, and bronze coins from Thessaly and Macedonia. Textile clay weights, clay lamps, pots, drinking vessels, and fragments of trade amphorae were also found.
Among them, some fragments inscribed with the names of the owners of the ceramic workshops stand out, as well as one with the inscription MELIVOIA , which probably identifies the settlement of Skiathas with the important ancient city of Melibea (Meliboea) of Magnesia.
The sanctuary is the first building in the city to be discovered apart from the wall. Also, on the lower level, a square tower, belonging to the predominantly Byzantine period, was investigated. Continued research is expected to provide answers to important archaeological questions about this antiquity-rich coastal area.