Halieis was excavated by the American School of Classical Studies during the 1960’s and 1970’s.  The earliest finds at the site date to the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age periods, ca. 3000 BC. An Archaic and Classical city flourished there between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C. It was protected by walls nearly 2 km. in length, punctuated at regular intervals by at least nineteen round and square towers.  Five major city gates have been identified. These walls enclose an area of some 18 ha., providing enough room for 450 to 500 houses, and perhaps a population of 2500 individuals.  Halieis minted it own coinage and maintained a minor sanctuary dedicated to Apollo that included two temples and a stadium in which games were held. Located 600 m. northeast of and beyond the walled city, the Sanctuary of Apollo is now submerged in the bay of Porto Heli, like the northern limits of the site itself, inundated by rising sea levels in Late Antiquity.  Halieis was abandoned under uncertain circumstances soon after 300 B.C.  It stands as the earliest regularly planned city so far identified on the Greek mainland and as an important example of a Classical city that was not reoccupied after that time.

The first identifiable architectural remains of settlement at Halieis date to the 7th century B.C., when the acropolis, the highest point of the city, was fortified.  Because of its prominent position overseeing the entrance to the Argolic Gulf, from which views can be gained to Arcadia beyond, the strategic importance of Halieis was assured. Both Athens and Sparta took advantage of the location of Halieis, and occupied its acropolis prior to and during the course of the Peloponnesian War in the 5th century B.C.

Today, what can be seen on the acropolis dates mainly from the 4th century B.C. Because of its elevation, this is a rugged climb and is recommended only for the hardy visitor (access is best gained from the southeast side).  But the scramble is worth it, for the remains include the foundations of an exceptionally well-executed and massive round tower in the local conglomerate stone.  Measuring some 10.85 m. in diameter and rising to a considerable height, this tower would have enhanced surveillance over the surrounding landscape and seaways. Also visible, just within the line of the city’s fortification wall and northwest of the tower, is a large barracks building, suggesting the presence of a military garrison upon the heights. Capping stones for the crenellations of the tower, recovered in the course of excavation, are laid out here.  Other features to be seen upon the acropolis are cultic in nature.  To the north a central altar rises up, flanked by two bases, likely for now lost statues.  Deposits recovered in association with this open-air sanctuary have been dated to the 6th and 5th centuries B.C. It was likely dedicated to Athena Polias, protector of the city.

A bit further down slope, tracing the southeast descent of the fortification wall, the visitor will encounter the so-called “Industrial Terrace”.  The walls of several buildings are visible, one of which contained the remains of an olive press installation, which is what gave the area its name.

Further remains of ancient Halieis lie beneath the Acropolis and “Industrial Terrace”, in the “Lower Town” and are easily visited.   These include three areas in the eastern portion of the city where housing districts have been revealed. In the smaller area to the south, located at a bend in the modern road, one can see the trace of the city wall, which includes a gateway (the Southeast Gate), flanked by a round tower, and the completely recovered plan of a single house which stood at the southwest corner of an entire block of houses. Prominent here is the upstanding stone masonry of the andron, or men’s dining room.  Following the modern road north to the coast the visitor will encounter a more extensive area of excavation.  The remains here include those of three housing blocks, two streets and one major avenue.  Portions of at least twelve different houses are visible here and can be viewed walking around the fenced area. A third small, unfenced trench to the northwest was excavated by the Greek Archaeological Service in 1979 and shows the intersection of a street and avenue, as well as the remains of two houses. The houses at Halieis all feature a central courtyard off of which the various rooms open. Each house appears to have had its own water supply furnished by a well.  The types of rooms that can be identified include the aforementioned andrones, kitchens, bathing rooms, oil press rooms, workshops, and other varieties of living rooms. These houses are among the best-preserved examples from the late Classical period in Greece and find many parallels in the northern Greek city of Olynthus. A walk further west along the coastal road will repay the visitor with views of several additional streets and houses in the now submerged northwest quarter of the city.

Restaurant "Nostimies tis Maros",  Porto Heli
www.nostimia.cjb.net