The child of Kritios, who had been "sleeping" on the land of Despotikos for 2,500 years, is brought to light

A magnificent statue that refers to the child of Kritios who "slept" for two and a half thousand years was brought to light by the archaeological dig on the island of Despotikos this summer, as announced on Monday by the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports.

During the excavation in Mantra, which began in 2001 by the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades under the direction of the Greek archaeologist Giannos Kouragios and continued this year, a headless male torso of a strict rhythm that stylistically refers to the child of Kritios and can be dated immediately after, came to light in 480 BC, a work of exceptional quality in Parian marble with a smooth and shiny skin. Also, parts of archaic quorums were found built in as building material.

As of 2020, a complex system of water collection and management is being excavated at the foot of the hill south of the sanctuary. Two large tanks were investigated, the northernmost of which (Tank 1), with a rectangular plan, had internal dimensions of 5.50 x 7 m and a depth of 4 m. In contrast to previous years, this year's work was focused on the SW corner of the reservoir, where there was a post-Byzantine structure.

The impressively sized tank is constructed of large rectangular gneiss stones carefully placed with minimal gaps at the joints between them. All the walls of the tank as well as its bottom were covered with a thick layer of hydraulic mortar of a whitish color.