showed evidence that the location was resettled in the 12th century BC after a period when it was abandoned, and then continuously inhabited from that time until the 7th or 8th century AD since all subsequent eras are represented by finds unearthed on the site.
The city, which archaeologists believe was based on the islet, started to shrink in the early Byzantine period and was finally abandoned, with the remaining inhabitants moving to the fortress now known as Orias Castle.
Does anyone think the arrival of Arab Muzzy sea raiders in the Med might have caused folks to fort up? More from the Religion of Piece.
I realize that is a farfetched, even shocking notion to FR readers, but it's just possible that the genocidal rapists and slavers of the religion of pieces may have had something to do with the decline of the place. OTOH, there's not much evidence of that kind of thing, other than the underground cities in Turkey that can house 20,000 people, stuff like that. :^) :^D