The Greek island of Makronissos has been declared an area of archaeological interest.

The decision was announced on Tuesday 2 July by the Central Archaeological Council (KAS), the Greek Culture Ministry’s advisory body on the protection of antiquities.

The proposal was made by the Cyclades Ephorate of Antiquities, which has been conducting field expeditions on the uninhabited island over the past few years.

Located close to the eastern coast of Attica, Makronissos was known during antiquity as ‘Helena’, said to have been named for Helen of Troy. It protected the harbours of Thoricus and Sunium.

In Greece’s more recent history, the island served as a prison site during the Greek Civil War (1946-1949) up until the restoration of democracy, where a number of leftists were exiled until after the collapse of the military dictatorship in 1974.

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According to the Culture Ministry, Makronissos has been protected by the Greek state since 1989.

“It was declared a historic site and the remains of the camps where the exiles were housed were declared protected buildings,” the Culture Ministry said in a press release.

Further excavations on the island have continued to show that it is a rich source of history, with five ancient shipwrecks discovered, dating back to the mid-Hellenistic and the post-Roman era.

“The declaration of the whole island as an archaeological site completes the long-term protection of Makronissos’ man-made objects by all the competent authorities of the Ministry of Culture.”

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