Pistyros was founded in the 7th century BC by Thassius on the border between Kavala and Xanthi, and its craftsmen processed silver, copper, iron and gold.

The small ancient city at a crossroads in Macedonia had rich deposits of silver, copper, iron and gold from the neighboring mines of Lekani town located on the Paggaio mountain and was the center of ore supply for the ancient Greek world.

Pistyros had strong fortifications, an impressive sanctuary and the archeological excavations brought to light a number of finds that testify to its short but interesting history.

The archeological site of Pistyros is located next to the old road from Kavala to Xanthi, 18 km east of Kavala, outside the village of Pontolivados. The choice of the site for the foundation and development of the city was not accidental, because nearby there was a lake with brackish water and abundant fish.

It is attested by Herodotus, who mentions it twice as "a Hellenic city by the sea on the mainland", indicating an urban center with Greek facilities.

The photos were provided by the archeologist and director of the excavations, the Honorary Director of the Ministry of Culture, Stratis Papadopoulos.

The first systematic excavations took place in the 1970s for the opening of a canal in Nestos, but for the last eight years the archeological site has been systematically excavated under the direction of the archeologist and honorary director of the Ministry of Culture, Stratis Papadopoulos.

Pistyros was a small city founded by the Thasians in the 7th century BC, and in the second half of the 6th century BC the Thasians developed a strong trading activity, as shown by the coins, the abundant imported Thasian pottery and the impressive wall of marble plinths of Thasian origin, but also the engraved Greek inscription "ΘΑCΙΩΝ" on the inside of the northern entrance.

Its function as a mining center is evidenced by the discovery of fragments of the inner wall of a mining furnace - a rare find for archeological data -by the large amount of ore, but also by the presence of strong fortifications. According to Mr. Papadopoulos, the large quantities of metallurgical remains inside and outside the walls, as well as the study of the slag, indicate the processing of metals for supply, especially copper, silver, iron and possibly gold.

Although there is no evidence of the items produced, it is assumed that they were weapons, tools, jewelry, but also coins. However, it is not excluded that trade took place in raw materials, that is, processed ores.

Although it was a small town with only 10 hectares, Pistyros was an important mining and trading center of antiquity, and from today's point of view one would say that it was a "stock exchange center" of ancient Macedonia.

Its importance is testified by the monumental wall that protected the treasure that lay within it, namely the abundant and expensive ore.

The excavations, completed a few days ago this year with the participation of students from the Universities of Patras and Ioannina, revealed the entire wall with towers and a unique carriage gate at the southeastern end of the city, with double doors and parastrades (side beams) of great dimensions. A second gate was located at the northeastern end of the fortress and provided access to the main road of the city.

Numerous derivations of ore processing suggest a metallurgical laboratory. In addition, in one of the two rectangular tanks found ends a lead pipe that transported liquid in a vessel, probably an amphora, and it is considered possible that the site was a winery with rooms for the transport and washing of fruit, wine cellars and wine cellars.

A large complex of buildings has also been excavated, in the courtyard of which structures have been found that seem to be related to the metallurgical activities of its inhabitants, but also a one-room square building with built-in benches inside, which it cannot be excluded that it had a public character - perhaps a small parliament corresponding to the so-called seat of the politarchs in the market of Pella - but also houses.

The sanctuary of Pistyros was located to the west of a square. The investigations revealed a small temple with two rooms, in the tradition of the temples of the Cyclades and Thassos, whose wide axis was highlighted. Among the finds in the nave, a large grinder in the form of a "sacrificial bench", a libation vessel in the form of a "sacred cistern', female figures probably representing Aphrodite, and the clay hearth divided into four sections and decorated with spirals stand out.

At a distance of 5 meters north of the temple was found a square stone altar and between the temple and the altar grew a courtyard paved with stones for gatherings.

In large spaces to the east and west of the altar, a considerable number of weaving weights were found, which was common in Macedonia at shrines of female deities such as Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis and the Mother of the Gods. Thus, it is assumed that in the sanctuary of Pistyros there was an intensive textile production in the service of the deity worshiped there.

In the east of the temple, a courtyard area with column bases and votive offerings was excavated. The most important find in this area is the inscription testifying to the worship of Zeus the Savior and King Philip. The inscription dates back to the middle of the 3rd century BC and probably refers to Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great. A pottery workshop from the 3rd century BC was found in the central part of the city, and a similar one was also excavated by Mr. Papadopoulos in Limenaria on Thassos.

The systematic excavations at ancient Pistyros have yielded important movable finds dating from the late 7th to the 1st century BC: abundant imported and local pottery, a large number of sealed pottery and amphorae, many weaving techniques, figurines, coins, tools and jewelry. . Many vases seem to have been imported from Thassos, the Cyclades, from the coasts of Asia Minor and Attica.

Of great interest are the inscriptions engraved on the front of the Archaic buildings, in several cases in Parian alphabet: "ἐπὶ τὰ λαια" (to the left). The first three or four letters of the names are engraved, as in the fortress of Thassos, and it is assumed that they belong to quarry owners and workers. In Pistyros there are several dozen inscriptions, among which the names Epig(enes), Glau(kos) and Mim(os) are frequently repeated.

The city was in full development from the 7th century BC to the end of the 2nd century BC, and it is still unknown when, how, and why its inhabitants abandoned it. Although there is evidence of seismic activity in the area, it is considered very likely that it was abandoned for economic reasons. In other words, it is possible that another mining center emerged in the same area and took over the baton of production and trade.