Heraion of Samos - a little more

Visitors exploring the Heraion of Samos will take a walk through history. Archaeological finds have identified many phases of construction dating the from 8^th century BC. The Greeks, the Romans and early Christians all used the site. Unfortunately the Heraion served as a quarry through Byzantine times, so that it was eventually dismantled to the very foundations and sadly little information has survived in literary sources.

Despite the willful destruction, there are still plenty of things to see, although some parts of the site have been reclaimed by nature and vegetation hides the remains. Fortunately archeologists have created an area where decorated stones have been gathered for viewing.

Base of a stone bowl

Decorated Column

I believe these two pieces were lintels. Both are propped vertically against a wall, so I have deliberately shown them in the vertical plane.

Some of the stones are decorated in Greek style, some in Roman and yet others have Christian decoration. There are also collections of beautifully finished building blocks.

Architectural elements can be found in various locations of the site. This one in particular caught my eye.

Architectural Element

Remains of an early Christian basilica stand on an area once used by the Romans as a temple.

Christian Basilica

Adjacent to Christian construction, drains from the Roman period can be seen.

Drainage from the Roman Period

There are several areas where both Greek and Roman water pipes and drains are viewable.

Pipework from a Greek water feature

The water feature/fountain was decorated with a dolphin mosaic. The tesserae date from the Greek period.

Dolphin Mosaic

I overheard one visitor saying how disappointed they were with their visit; it made me wonder what they had expected from an archeological site, the majority of which dates from 550 BC? While it's true more could be done to keep the local vegetation at bay, I found the Heraion of Samos an extremely interesting place to visit.