Greek Island’s Archaeological Treasures Reveal Hidden Story of a Pirate King

A rocky uninhabited Greek islet in the Aegean Sea is providing archaeologists with a treasure trove of finds, including new insight on the story of an ancient pirate king.

There was once a small settlement on the islet of Vryokastraki and it was inhabited continuously from the 12th century BC until the 7th century AD. New evidence shows there was also a Cycladic settlement on the islet in the 3rd millennium BC. A series of inscriptions found during excavations are revealing the history of the Greek islet, including the time when it was ruled by a pirate king.

The early-Byzantine basilica found on Vryokastraki. (AMNA/ Greek Ministry of Culture)

Over the summer Greek archaeologists excavated a series of sites on Vryokastraki, which is one of the Cyclades Islands. They focused on three sites on the rocky outcrop that date from the Classical period to the Byzantine era. The islet is located to the northwest of the island of Kythnos, and directly opposite the once important town of Kythnos. Vryokastraki was abandoned in the 7th century AD when the inhabitants moved to the larger nearby island.