The healer of Asklepios and the ancient city of Moryllos are being searched by the archaeologists of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Kilkis under the settlement of Ano Apostolo, which is located eighteen kilometers southwest of the city of Kilkis. Crowds of people from neighboring or even more distant areas, such as the area of Kroussia and Halkidiki, arrived there in ancient times to seek treatment. In the excavations of the 1960s, the head and part of the torso of a statue of the god Asklepios and three other statues as well as inscriptions containing valuable information, according to which Moryllos was well known in antiquity for the famous sanctuary, were found at this particular spot of god.
"We assume that the temple or the facilities of the Asclepios healing center could really be located in the village", the head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Kilkis, Georgia Stratouli, points out to APE-MBE and adds that "the current village seems to be built right on top of the hospital". Based on the evidence from the inscriptions, which speak of thriving cattle breeding in the area during antiquity, but also geological data that indicate the presence of a fault with a strong presence of water, the Ephorate of Antiquities proceeded with geophysical investigations and studies that showed the existence of a dense network of houses and roads in ancient Morillo.
Following this, the programming contract for the execution of the archaeological works to highlight the ancient Moryllos was signed some time ago by the deputy governor of the Kilkis Regional Unit, Andreas Vergidis and the head of the Kilkis Antiquities Ephorate. "The excavation work has begun", notes Ms. Stratoulis and mentions that the Ministry of Culture has been asked to support urgent rescue excavations. "We are looking for the clinic and not only that. We want to know many more facts about this city which was demarcated, its name is recorded as the Metropolis of Moryllos. From this we conclude that it is a metropolis, an important city, not a village. We assume that significant economic activity developed around it, perhaps a network of small towns that all created an excellent productive base and activity indicative of a robust state," he adds.
The epigraphic evidence that has been found points in this direction. According to Mrs. Stratoulis, "we know famous citizens of Moryllos. Alcetas, for example, seems to have been one of the citizens who had affluence, as when the state needed it, he proceeded to rebuild the city walls, he gave money to feed citizens who – possibly due to war conflicts had a food problem – while he undertook the feeding of passing troops and donated a cow to the sanctuary. Another citizen, Paramonos, also donated to the sanctuary a cow of productive age and from it arose an important herd that became capital for the sanctuary".
The head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Kilkis characterizes the cultural capital of Kilkis as important and expresses the intention of the Ephorate's services to give a part of this ancient city to the public as soon as possible, after it has been excavated and renovated to become a visitable archaeological site, with an excellent view towards the west. "The evidence is important and indicates the presence of an ancient city, this is not easy to find in other areas," he adds.
In the meantime, as he points out, the Ministry of Rural Development has accepted the grant to the Antiquities Authority of a small rural warehouse to be used as a space for the storage and study of any finds resulting from the excavation work. In its announcement, the Kilkis Regional Unit points out that it is financing the project in question from the Central Autonomous Resources Program (KAP) having as a central core in the planning and development of its policy, the formulation of an integrated, modern and innovative policy for culture , including all the manifestations of the cultural stock of the cultural bodies, located in its geographical area.
RE-RES SOURCE