Plans to restore ancient cemetery

A plan has been made for the rescue of an ancient cemetery found close to Parikia, the capital of Paros, and dates back to the 8th century B.C. According to archaeologists, a battle that took place there caused the death of 140 soldiers, aged 16 to 31, who were later buried in this location. Their bones were burned and later kept in amphorae, all buried in two massive cemeteries. These massive cemeteries were found by chance when the municipality of Paros started works for the construction of a cultural centre in the area back in 1982. Excavations lasted till 2003, but in the meantime the cemetery has been greatly damaged due to its exposure to weather conditions. As this ancient cemetery is located 2-3 m below the sea level, it is usually flooded and turned into a fen, despite the operating pumps. Archaeologists believe that the uniqueness of this cemetery lies in the fact that such burial customs were described in the poems of Homer, so this could be the oldest cemetery found in Greece. Today, the place has been regarded as an archaeological monument and works include the maintenance of the marble findings, such as the sarcophagus and skeleton remains. The plan is to make this cemetery an archaeological park, to put lights, make paths for walking, restore the fencing and put large informative signals.