Achladochori Castle - Grandista Hill #1319

Description

The name "Gradista" is Slavic, meaning "city" or "castle." Similar names can be found in two or three other locations across Northern Greece.

This castle has not been identified with any specific site from historical sources. However, the Archaeological Service has designated Grandista hill as an archaeological site, noting "remains of fortifications from Roman and Byzantine times, with tombs from the 3rd and 4th centuries identified in the surrounding area" (FEK 207/AAP/14-6-2012).

According to the archaeological land registry, it is listed as "a Roman settlement that continued to be inhabited during the Byzantine period." Findings include "surface unpainted pottery from the Late Roman and Early Christian periods, a few bronze coins from the Hellenistic and primarily Roman times, as well as numerous traces of ancient furnaces" (P. Samsaris, 2004).

These findings confirm that this site was a fortified settlement-castle during late antiquity and the Early Byzantine period. Its location was likely strategic for exploiting the mineral wealth of the area, which was rich in iron ores (explaining the traces of furnaces), and possibly also for agricultural activities in the plain that extends west of the castle.