Near Loussiko village in the Municipality of Kalavryta, the Austrian Archaeological Institute has excavated the Arcadian city of Loussoi. The excavation is still in process. The visitor can see the temple of Artemis Hmerisia which dates back to the 3rd century BC, the city market and many private residences.
The ruins of the city of ancient Loussoi and the Temple of Artemis Hmerisia.
The actual position of the temple and the city was first identified by archaeologist Mr. Papandreou in 1886, whose research was restrained within the collection of literary sources although it was exhausting. In 1898 and 1899 Reichel and Wilhelm excavate the temple on the hill. The excavation revealed the foundations of the temple and the mains buildings of the sanctuary but it was restrained and not expanded in the city of Loussoi.
In 1981, the Austrian Archaeological Institute, under the supervision of the director Mrs Mitsopoulou-Leon, restarted the excavation research in Artemis Sanctuary and specifically in the temple, whereas since 2000, it has been continued under the supervision of Georg Ladstatter, with important results for the city and its sanctuary.
The Temple of Artemis is an important and revealing finding, while the local attributive adjective ("Hmera") means "the one who tames everything."
The site of Loussoi is accessible to the public.
Archaeological site of Loussoi
From the early 20th century, the excavations are conducted by the Austrian Archaeological Institute in Athens, which discovered the ancient city, in the market of which there has come to light the Doric temple of Artemis Hmera (or Hmerisia= the one who tames everything), built in the early 3rd century BC consisting of a central temple and side galleries. The temple includes an antetemple, a large niche and a sanctuary, is accessible from the east side and from the south side, through a collateral gate. The building has the features of Basilica floor plan and presents very few elements of a Doric temple. The area surrounding the ancient city has been declared as an archaeological site.
Source: www.depapoz.gr, www.kalavrita.biz
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