Prehistoric Settlement on Koukonisi

Koukonisi, a small islet at the head of Moudros Bay, lies opposite the homonymous settlement and is linked to the mainland by a cobbled road. Habitation began in the Early Bronze Age (3200 BC) and lasted to the Late Bronze Age (1700–1100 BC), while finds also show human presence in the earliest historical times. Initially, the islet formed a peninsula with the opposite shore, enhancing its strategic importance. Thanks to its position, Koukonisi emerged as an Aegean trade center, with residents engaged in agriculture, stockbreeding, and crafts such as weaving, pottery, and copper-working. In the Late Bronze Age it became a major Mycenaean center on the island. The gradual rise of the sea eventually led to its abandonment, with the remaining inhabitants moving to Hephaistia.