An ancient city with an Acropolis, homeland of the mythical Orpheus, it was situated between Ancient Leptokarya and Skotina, at the entrance to the great chasm which divides Lower from Upper Olympus
Excavations of the site were begun by the Byzantine Society of Thessaloniki in 1954. The repeated flooding of the area created the beds of the streams of Zilianas.
The Archaeological site extends for over 1,500 sq, kilometers (the city, Acropolis, Cemetery, etc.) surrounded by the beds of the streams, which were covered by age old plane forests.
This extends over the vast bulk of Mount Olympus being a continuation of this historical and archaeological area, and includes:
a) An enclosed Acropolis (about 15 stremmata in extent) which appears to date from the Hellenistic age. This place shows traces of the bed of the Grivas torrent, the remains of whose banks protected the ancient surrounding walls, built of squared stone.
b) The ancient settlement which was built to the North West and above The Acropolis. This date from prehistoric times to the Byzantine era.
c) An ancient cemetery possibly dating from the prehistoric period and the early Greek age (Mykenes, the Iron Age and early historical times.)
Stone walls, internal floor spaces, cobbled roads outside, coins and objects of worship are those things which have been excavated in the early stages of the project.
