The Greek island of Euboea, located off the eastern coast of mainland Greece, hides one of the most mysterious archaeological secrets. It is home to 25 huge structures known as dragon houses or Drakospita. These megalithic structures, built of stone blocks forming a pyramid-shaped roof, have aroused the interest and amazement of scientists and researchers. Not only do they not know who built them or how they were built, but they also have no idea when they were built.
Dragon houses are rectangular structures built of huge stones without the use of mortar. The spaces between the stones are filled with smaller stones, and the roof is covered with similarly large slabs of stone. This creates a special atmosphere inside the structures, where light penetrates through small gaps in the roof.
The best preserved dragon houses are on Mount Ochi, located in the southeast of the island of Euboea. Also three cyclopean dragon houses can be found in Palli-Lakka and in Kapsala. The locals call these structures dragon houses because of the legendary superhuman abilities of their creators. The size of the stone blocks used is impressive, and ordinary people could not have built such massive structures.
However, even though the “dragon houses” were first described in the late 18th century, there is still no accurate information about the time of their origin. Some scholars believe they can be dated to the seventh century BC and are predecessors to later Greek temples. Other scholars suggest that they were built during the Hellenistic period, in the third to fourth century BC. However, the lack of surrounding materials complicates research and makes it difficult to establish the exact date of the dragon houses.
The story of the discovery of the dragon houses began in 1797, when British geologist John Hawkins climbed Mount Ochi and discovered the structures. He examined them and made sketches, concluding that they must be older than classical Greek temples. Many other explorers then traveled to Greece to see the “dragon houses” with their own eyes. In the following years, numerous archaeologists studied these structures, including Heinrich Ulrichs, who published a monograph about them in 1842. Today, the main researchers are Americans Gene Carpenter and Dan Boyd.
The mysterious dragon houses on Mount Ochi have an average size of 12.7 by 7.7 meters and a height of about 2.4 meters. They have impressive architecture, with a door in the center of the south wall and small windows on the sides. The walls of the structures are about 1.4 meters thick, allowing them to support a heavy stone roof. The entire floor inside the houses is covered with stone slabs.
The mystery of the dragon houses on the island of Euboea continues to agitate the minds of researchers. Questions about who built them, how they were built and when they originated remain unanswered. However, each new study brings us closer to solving this ancient mystery.
