Amorgos had more than one ancient city, and the remains of that earlier island are still scattered across its slopes. Near the site of Arkesine, on the south-western part of the island, a tower built of large, carefully fitted stone blocks stands among dry-stone terraces and grazing land. It is among the best preserved ancient structures on Amorgos, and belongs to a family of towers found across the Aegean, whose functions - watch post, refuge, storage, control of agricultural estates - are still debated by archaeologists. What is not in doubt is the quality of the masonry, the precision of the joints and the intelligence of the siting, with long views over the sea and the approaches to the coast. The film examines the construction closely and sets it within the wider landscape of ancient Amorgos, where field walls, threshing floors and chapels reuse and overlie one another. It is an accessible introduction to Aegean archaeology outside the famous sites.
