Greek archeological site may top Olympia, Delphi

ANCIENT MESSENE, Greece (CNN) -- Tucked away among the mountains of southern Peloponnese lies what could be Greece's greatest archeological treasure, the ruins of Messene. But the ancient city won't be found in your typical guidebook, and only a trickle of tourists visit the site.

Founded in 369 B.C. by Epaminondas, Messene has become a major excavation site over the past 10 years. Remains of a grid of streets show the city was extremely well-planned by its founders who were at war with neighboring Sparta.

Some archeologists hail the dig as more important than Greece's famous Olympia and Delphi sites.

"Messene has the advantage of not only having sanctuaries, but it was a whole city that enclosed private residences and public buildings," said Petros Themelis, Messene's chief archeologist. "I think Messene is going to be a more important site than Olympia and Delphi, which are famous for their sanctuaries only."

Temple, stadium, drainage system

Though the dig is incomplete, some of the ruins are already visible. Archeologists have unearthed a stadium and a temple sacred to Asclepius, the god of healing. Surrounding the temple are the city's public buildings.

A sophisticated drainage system encircles the main square, which tilts toward one of its corners to aid runoff. Special basins collect silt and debris to prevent clogging.

Ancient settlers built the city using stones from the local acropolis, Ithome, where the boulders were hewn with incredible precision. Floors and foundations were made using iron clamps inserted over joints and secured with molten lead.

One of the more fascinating finds is a trap door in the massive city walls. Anyone who entered the door from outside the city wound up in a stone chamber where the person was executed.

Archeologists say the site, once fully excavated, will cover 120 acres. As to why the city fell into ruins, no one really knows. Damaged buildings suggest an earthquake rocked the city, and it never recovered. The definitive answer may lie in the years ahead.

"I need a second life to this excavation," Themelis said. "I have been digging for 10 years, and I will be digging for about 20 more."

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