Pyramids in Greece?
With so many archaeological and historical wonders in Greece, one would think that we would leave the pyramids to the Egyptians. But, no! We have our small cluster of 16 such structures, none of them though even remotely as spectacular as the masterpieces found in Saqqara and Giza. Yet, and unlike the famous pyramids of Africa, the Greek ones remain unexplored – a hidden gem destined only for those few aficionados of the mysterious and the unknown.
The most famous, best preserved, and perhaps the oldest of these pyramids is found in the village of Hellinikon, in the Peloponnese. It is a modest construction (7m x 9m) on the old road that connected in antiquity the cities of Argos and Tegea, with an ambiguous background that excites the imagination.
Several dating measurements have been performed on the Pyramid of Hellinikon. The prevailing ones conclude that it should have been erected in the 4th c BC; there are some scientists, though, who believe the structure is much older, standing there since around 2720 BC, predating even the earliest (known) Egyptian pyramid of Djoser by 100 years and the Great Pyramid of Cheops by 170 years. In either case, the purpose of its construction remains unclear. It may have started as a memorial, an observation-communication tower, or a collective burial place, evolving later into a stronghold (fort).
Today, the site is open throughout the day, unattended, overtaken by weeds, and protected only by a feeble metallic fence. The stones of which the pyramid is constructed are massive, and the lack of mortar amidst them reminds the visitor of the Mycenean architecture. On the eastern side, the one facing the valley, there is an entrance that leads, through a narrow passage, to an inner square room.
As I left, shedding a last glance to the towering shape and the fertile bay beyond it, I felt that, perhaps, its most valuable gift is that it stands as a reminder of the interconnectivity of our world. We may still get astonished or bewildered by the challenges that spread like wildfire across the planet almost overnight. Yet, such connections have existed for thousands of years, for it is in our human nature to blend and co-create rather stand isolated. The closer we look into the details of our past, the more the threads of our social fabric intertwine, the edges that divide us become blurry, and we stand united, sprouting from one original dot, as we project ourselves into the future.
Photo credits: © Konstantina Sakellariou
