HISTORY OF SIFNOS

The myth says that Sifnos was called the son of Herod hero Sounion whose name given to the island. Another version says that the name Sifnos came from the adjective Sifnos which means empty, referring to the number of underground mines mining subsoil of the island. Also referred to by the names Akis, Merope, Sifanos, Sifana or Sifanto.

Most of the historians mention that Sifnos was first inhabited by Pelasgians and then by the Phoenicians, Kares and Leleges. According to legends the inhabitants were expelled by King Minos who also settled in the Cyclades princes his sons. Mention the city of Minos and the Minoa Fountain. Sifnos at that time lived in the Aegean one race, the Proellines or goat. These later mixed with the Cretans and Achaeans.

Traces residential facility identified in the Cyclades to the end of the fifth millennium BC during the Neolithic Age in the Aegean developed one of the oldest settlements in Europe. Important factors that contributed to the creation of early Cycladic settlement was important geostrategic position in the Aegean Sea and the mild climate in Sifnos.

Neolithic progress succeeded by the early Bronze Age. At that follows is developed in Cyclades a particular culture that evolves alongside the first Greek culture and Early Minoan Crete. Is of the early culture, the study of which began the great Greek archaeologist Christos Tsountas in 1898 and 1899. In almost all the islands of the Cyclades, the archaeological excavations have brought to light traces scarce settlements, mainly in coastal locations.

The thalassocracy of Minos in the Aegean was subversive for the Cyclades. The historian Thucydides creating them Cretan colonies and especially for Sifnos Sifnos Stephanus of Byzantium says that there was this era town with the indicative name Minos, whose position has not yet been detected by the excavations.

Worshiped as special The Island Sifnos the conscious, Artemis Ekvatiria, Epivimios Zeus, Dionysus, Pan, Athena and NDMBA. The main occupations of the inhabitants revolved around agriculture, livestock, ceramics and especially metallurgy in Sifnos. The 6th century BC it was the era of great prosperity. Herodotus says Sifnians islanders even eplouteon that it was the richest of the islanders and that's because the island had gold and silver ores.

That Sifnos was very wealthy indicative is that in Sifnos currencies cut around 600 BC ie after Aegina and before Athens and Corinth.