A narrow islet in the welcoming bay of Moudros looks like an ideal shelter for Ypsipyli. She would be hard to find here, on the isolated Koukonisi and the ancient legends will prevent her pursuers from reaching there.
Koukonisi, is a small oval-shaped islet to the NE of Moudros, about 470 m long, 380 m wide and with a maximum altitude of 10 m, connected to the mainland across by a shallow sea strait about 400 m long.
Its name is presumably derived from the word koukos or koukkos, which in the dialect of Lemnos means “stone-faced”. According to Christos Boulotis, archaeologist and excavator of the island, according to folk etymology, Koukonisi was named after the “kokones” (women) of the harem of a Turkish Bey (meaning lord) of Moudros, who lived on the island, or after the “Koukones”, who were huge and wild folk who lived isolated on the island without having relations with the rest of the inhabitants of Lemnos.
Surface investigations and then the excavation that began there in October 1992 by a Lemnian archaeologist, reveal an important prehistoric center, contemporary to some phases of Poliochni. The deeper layers of the settlement seem to correspond to the “Green” Period of Poliochni (c. 2700 BC). When the Poliochni period declines after the “Yellow” Period, Koukonisi shows a phase of development based around pottery. It is presented as the most important center of Lemnos during this period and develops by attracting population – craftsmen, traders, etc. – from the two other towns of the island. Around 1600-1500 BC, it was the most important place of permanent settlement of the Mycenaeans in Lemnos because of the security it provided them. The settlement was abruptly destroyed by an earthquake accompanied by a fire.
Among other findings, lentil and vetch seeds were found in the settlement and the surrounding area, while scattered sheep bones litter the area, thus revealing the uninterrupted cultivation of this small island and the dietary habits of the people over time. It is precisely here that Koukonisi unites the fragments with Poliochni and the rest of Lemnos: the intangible cultural heritage of the island throughout the centuries proves to be rich and well-adapted to the social, economic and environmental conditions of each era. The area, as an anthropogeography and cultural construct, hosts the perpetual presence of producers (farmers and livestock breeders) – and subsequently consumers – who to this day cultivate the same varieties of pulses and cereals and raise the same types of sheep and goats in the wider area. The concept of living tradition, which is central to intangible cultural heritage, is thus confirmed in the area of Koukonisi, whose two names – “N’soud” and Koukonisi – alternate in the speech of the inhabitants of the neighboring villages.