According to the few ancient sources, three important archaeological sites are located in the wider area of Nea Rhodes Halkidiki, the ancient Sani, colony of the Andrians, the canal opened by Xerxes, in order to avoid the dangerous sea of Athos during his campaign in Greece, and finally the ancient Ouranoupolis (or Ouranoopolis), the fortified city founded by Alexander, brother of Cassander, at the end of the 4th century BC.X.
Archaeological research up until 1990 had identified Xerxes’ canal at the narrowest point of the peninsula, between Nea Roda and Trypiti, remnants of the fortifications of ancient Ouranoupoli in the area of Nea Roda, but only indications for locating ancient Sane. Indeed, ancient Sane, the colony of the Andrians on the eastern peninsula of Halkidiki, is another ancient city whose history has begun to unfold in recent years through archaeological excavations.
The written sources referring to the above city are few. References are mainly found in the works of the historians Herodotus and Thucydides, and the geographer Strabo. From there, we derive information about the city’s location and its role during the Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War. The two historians provided valuable information for locating the site of ancient Sane. Both mention that it was built on the low hills of the isthmus, the narrowest point of the coast, as the peninsula of Mount Athos was called at the time. Thucydides’ further information, that the city was oriented “towards the Euboean Sea,” meaning the western side of the peninsula, initially directed the research to the area of Trypiti, next to the southern mouth of the canal.
Η ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΚΗ ΕΡΕΥΝΑ
The research conducted by the 16th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities in collaboration with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki on the hill located in Trypiti, to the left of the road towards Ouranoupoli, a short distance from the beach, yielded results and there were many indications of the existence of a settlement at this specific location. These elements, combined with other findings that have been identified over time, lead us to the hypothesis that ancient Sane was likely built on this hill.
Despite the identification of its location, we have very few details about its history. We do not know why the Andrians decided to establish it, how it was organized, or what its early history was. The first clear evidence we have is from the period of the Persian Wars, when Sane was forced to submit to the Persians during the construction of Xerxes’ canal and contribute with troops and ships.
Summarizing all the available historical information and archaeological data, we know that Sane was a colony of the Andrians on the Isthmus of the Coast at the end of the 7th century BC and is located in the area of Trypiti. Examining the motivations that led the Andrians to establish a third colony after the Akantho and the Stageira, ιn the same area, we conclude the theory that Sane was likely founded first and later Acanthus, in order to be closer to the area with the rich mining deposits and natural resources. mines. Or that Sane was built in this specific area to ensure maritime communication with the south, as its location on the western side of the Coast provided direct communication with the mother city and other centers of the time, avoiding the dangerous circumnavigation of the Coast.
The Exhibition
The largest part of the main hall of the Polygyros Archaeological Museum is dedicated to the exhibition of the three colonies of Andros in Halkidiki. From the extensive cemetery of Acanthus, characteristic sets of burial offerings from the Archaic to the Hellenistic periods are presented. From ancient Sane, the three terracotta acroteria of the Temple of Apollo, which was located in the city of the colony, are on display. These are the three Nike figures with painted decoration, two in an upright stance and one in a “running position” (meaning a frontal head and torso, with legs bent at the knees in a sideways view), dating to the late Archaic period.
The Temple of Apollo
The archaeologist of the 16th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, Mrs. Bettina Tsigarida, who has dedicated many years of her professional activity to the broader area of Halkidiki, has worked on the topic of Sane and provides us with valuable information about the Temple of Apollo. She informs us that the sanctuary was founded by the inhabitants towards the end of the 6th century BC, most likely dedicated to Apollo, outside the main city. Today, the small temple has been located, and research continues. The building shows strong Corinthian influence, indicating close relations with Corinth, which was a major commercial and artistic center of the time. The establishment of this building with its exceptional decoration (similar examples are found only in the major sanctuaries of Southern Greece) suggests the significance of the sanctuary in the region, a high cultural and living standard, as well as the economic prosperity of the city during the last decades of the 6th century, just a few years before the arrival of the Persian military forces.
So far, no evidence has been found regarding the use of the sanctuary during the 6th century, while a fragmentary inscription from the 5th century BC, written in Ionic alphabet, found in the area of the sanctuary, confirms its existence during this period. Only a few words of the inscription are legible, but the characteristic words “sanctuary,” “public,” and “middle” suggest that the inscription was likely a boundary marker, indicating the limits of the sanctuary. It is not known whether the small temple was destroyed or abandoned. According to sources, the area of Sane suffered two major destructions after the Persian Wars: in 423 BC by the Lacedaemonians and in 348-347 BC by the Macedonians. So far, there is no evidence linking the destruction or abandonment of the small temple to any of the events mentioned above.
The building was repaired by Alexarchus at the end of the 4th century, when he founded Ouranoupolis, and its use continued. The repair must have been extensive, as it was not limited only to the roofing but also involved stone bricks in at least one of the walls of the narrow sides.
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