It is the largest Mycenaean (1390/70-1060/40 BC) cemetery discovered on the island so far, with the most distinct chamber tombs in the Ionian Sea.



The tombs are subterranean, carved in the natural bedrock (sandstone), and consist of an elongated passage (dromos) leading to the entrance, the entrance (stomion) and the chamber.

There is considerable variation in the size of the passages, the shape and the dimensions of the chambers. The passages often have a length ranging from 4.00m to 6.00m, with the exception of one which is 15.00m long! The entrance is narrower than the dromos, not always regular in shape and was usually blocked after burial with a stone wall. The dimensions of the chambers vary: some are small (1.40m x 1.90m) with a few burials, while others are larger (5.50m x 4.80m.) and contain more burials. The shape of the chambers also varies, as they are rectangular, trapezoidal, or elliptical. Inside the chambers there are several burial pits dug into the floor. Most of them are just big enough to contain the body, or slightly bigger. The pits vary greatly in depth and can reach up to 2.00m. The deceased were buried inside the pits in a contracted position. Each pit could hold the remains of multiple individuals, since they also functioned as ossuaries, according to Mycenaean burial customs.