Protection and promotion measures of the archaeological site of Lerna -in the current village of Myloni- one of the most important sites of prehistoric times in Greece, is received by the Ministry of Culture through the competent Ephorate of Antiquities of Argolis. The project, which has been included in the Regional Operational Program of the NSRF Peloponnese, includes protection and maintenance operations of the “House of Ceramics” and the fortified enclosure. The old roof, which protects the “House of Ceramics”, needs restoration, while a bioclimatic study is required to ensure a suitable microclimate for the preservation of the brick structures of the House, as well as the construction of a rainwater drainage system.

The Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni, stated: “Lerna, although a satellite city, in the environment of the strong Mycenaean citadels of the Argolis, testifies to the existence of a prehistoric settlement dating back to the Neolithic era, reaching its height in the Mycenaean palatial times. According to the myth, in Lerna was the source Amymonis, where the Lernaean Hydra nested, which was exterminated by Heracles. The “House of the Potters”, dating to the Early Helladic period, around 2300-2500 BC, has been interpreted as an early palatial administrative center or a building of public use. The Ministry of Culture, with the work carried out by the Ephorate of Antiquities, shields the antiquities of Lerna against weather conditions and other harmful factors, with the aim of the best possible preservation of these important prehistoric documents and their inclusion in the cultural route of the Mycenaean centers of the Argolis ».

To deal with the deterioration of the brickwork and plastering of the “House of Ceramics” special studies were prepared and maintenance work is carried out. For the protection of the fortified enclosure, a study is being prepared for the construction of a protective shelter, of light construction so that deep foundations are not needed, with the basic criterion being the protection of the brick structures from weather conditions and their adequate ventilation.

The settlement of Lerna, on the western side of the Argolic gulf, in the current village of Mylon, it was used for about 5,000 years, from the Neolithic to the Mycenaean era (6th -1st millennium BC). With the successive layers of habitation a low artificial hill was formed. In the deeper layers, houses of the Early and Middle Neolithic Era (6th – 5th millennium BC) were investigated. The great heyday of Lerna is associated with the Proto-Helladic II phase (2700-2200 BC), when the settlement acquired a strong fortification with a gate and two towers to the south. The “House of Ceramics” is built with stones in the foundations, raw bricks in the superstructure, and a roof made of tiles, which distinguishes itself among the rectangular, usually one-room houses of the time. On top of the destroyed building of the “House of Ceramics” was founded during the Proto-Helladic III phase (2200-2000 BC) a mound with a stone enclosure which was considered as a kind of paying respect to the glorious ancestors. During the Early Helladic III phase and also during the Middle Helladic period (2000-1700 BC) houses with rectangular and arched contours were discovered. During the transition from the Middle Helladic to the Late Helladic Period (1700-1600 BC) two pit tombs were opened in the ruins of the “House of Ceramics”.