Ancient Cassope, the capital of Cassopaea, was founded before the middle of the 4th century B.C. in order to protect the fertile valley which stretches to the south, from the exploitation of the Eleian colonists. The city flourished in the 3rd century B.C., when the large public buildings were erected and the private houses rebuilt. In the same period it even had its own mint but its prosperity came to an end in 168-167 B.C., when it was destroyed by the Romans.

The first excavations on the site were carried out between 1952 and 1955 by the Athens Archaeological Society, under the direction of S. Dakaris. A second campain, conducted by the University of Ioannina in collaboration with the German Archaeological Institute, started in 1977-78 and lasted until 1983.