This could lead to a major rethinking of the very history of the Cyclades. In the change of archaeological signs that inform visitors of the famous monuments of the Aegean about the century of their construction. In any case, the lecture of the Commissioner of Antiquities of the Cyclades Dimitris Atanasoulis entitled “Cyclades at the Dawn of the Middle Ages”, which took place yesterday at the National Research Foundation, had important elements that contributed to archaeological research: according to the archaeologist, the Venetian castles of Paros and Naxos, Parikia and Chora, respectively, they are not … Venetian. It is believed that they were built in 1300, however, according to the archaeologist, they must be attributed to the so-called transitional ages, that is, from 641 to 842 AD, when remarkable changes took place in the Byzantine Empire.

“We thought they were Venetian, but in the end they have to be placed six centuries ago – this is shocking,” – says Dimitris Atanasoulis “K”. and continues: “The masonry and construction of the concrete castles of Naxos and Paros have purely Byzantine features. They have some Venetian elements, but they were added later and are different from each other. Both castles are also built from ancient architectural elements. It would be crazy to believe that for 13 centuries these ancient buildings were not lithified and stood in their place.”

The transitional ages were marked from the very beginning by the crises that the Byzantine Empire had to face, the most important of which was the spread of the Arabs, explained Dimitris Athanasoulis in his lecture. Centuries later, archaeological research considered that the monuments of those turbulent times (also stigmatized by iconoclasm) should be attributed to neighboring and more peaceful periods. However, it was then that the Cyclades played a vital role for the survival of Byzantium and became a containment field for Arab expansion. The castles that were built during that period in the Cyclades, Mr. Athanasoulis noted, were designed to “anchor them as vital stations in a network of shipping lanes that served both commercial and military purposes. Their creation does not mean a withdrawal from coastal positions, but a protective cover for naval bases that are of decisive importance for the empire.

According to Mr. Athanasoulis, the construction of churches in the Cyclades during that period in order to strengthen their Christian identity is part of the same policy of the Byzantine Empire. A typical example is the Virgin Mary of Ekatontapyliana of Paros, which, as announced by Mr. Athanasulis at the recent 24th International Conference of Byzantines in Venice, should also be dated and from the time of Justinian, most likely placed in the first half of the 8th century AD. .X (“K”, 1.9.2022).

Added to the above conclusions from the studies of the Ephorate of the Antiquities of the Cyclades and collaborating universities and institutes is also the identification of fortifications at Anafi, Folegandros, Kythnos, Kea, etc., as well as temples and frescoes on Santorini. (Ag. Irini) and Naxos (Prototroni), which should also be dated, according to Mr. Atanasoulis, and emphasize the importance of the Cyclades in the transitional ages.