 | | Part of the settlement of Halasarna, Early Christian period | |
Early Christian Halasarna, according to the current stratification data, presents two successive phases. The first extends from around the year 400 to the great earthquake of 554, with evidence of partial damages from the earthquake of 469 and the second from 554 to the Arab conquest of the island in 654/5. In any case, it generally seems that in both phases Early Christian Halasarna was an important station in the network of maritime commercial routes between Constantinople and the great centers of the east Mediterranean and of North Africa. This is supported by its geographical location -exactly across from the coast of Asia Minor- as well as the even terrain, which made its inhabitants agriculturally self-sufficient and provided direct access to the sea. Characteristic features of the settlement are its long extent along the shoreline and short depth inland, as well as the formation of smaller neighboring residential cells in the middle of the south coast of the island.
