Agia Paraskevi of Arachamitai

Agia Paraskevi of Arachamitai is a site located at the highest point of the pass leading from Asea to Arachamitai in Arcadia – more specifically, roughly between Tripolis and Megalopolis. Preliminary archaeological work, including magnetometer prospecting and opening of trial trenches, was conducted by the Finnish Institute at Athens at the site between 2006 and 2008 under the directorship of Björn Forsén. The aim of this work was to clarify the date and function of the site. The preliminary results indicate the existence of a small sanctuary dating to between the mid-sixth and late first century BC. In the mid-Roman period a large courtyard structure of unclear function was built on top of the original sanctuary.

A new five-year excavation program was launched in 2010, focusing on the sanctuary itself and a rectangular building of late Hellenistic date belonging to it. This new program aims at learning more about the use of the rectangular building and its architecture as well as to clarify if there existed any earlier buildings in the sanctuary. We also want to find out to which god(s) the sanctuary was dedicated, if the visitors of the sanctuary also included non-locals and which relationship the sanctuary had to neighbouring settlements and other sanctuaries in Arcadia. After two years of systematic excavations we have now been able to identify our sanctuary with the one of Artemis Lykoatis mentioned by Pausanias (Paus. 8.36.5-8) on his way from Megalopolis to the mountain of Mainalos.