At a distance of a little more than one kilometer southwest of Menida, in the place of Karydia, in the area of Prophet Ilias, immediately west of Moglenitsa, an ancient settlement with a cemetery and burial shrine was located.
In the eastern cemetery of the settlement, among others, two tombstones were found. One is marble relief and inscription, while the other is made of local granite. The columns date to the second half of the 2nd AD. h. and bear Thracian names, such as Virimos Zoilou, Mapsorini Sethou.
In this area, a burial sanctuary of the Mysteries of Dionysos was found, dating back to the 2nd AD. h. 28 untouched graves were found there, three of which belonged to wealthy families. The finds were coins, gold jewelry, (mainly rings with precious stones), copper vessels, coins and among them a rare find: the wooden shoe soles (= sole of a shoe, sole) of a young officer's shoes with the iron studs, the copper rings and the copper propellers that decorated them.
It is a burial sanctuary related to the club-troupe of the god Dionysus, similar to those of the same period in Thessaloniki and Philippi. The Dionysian Mysteries, as is well known, were idiosyncratic cult rites in which the personal fate of the god was depicted through sacred acts before a circle of Mysteries.
To the west of the sanctuary, 3 untouched monumental box-shaped marble tombs were discovered, of a man and two women, as well as a brick-built child's tomb. These tombs belonged to rich families.
The central tomb, which belonged to a woman, was the reason for the construction of the small sanctuary and the institution of the sacraments. Besides the copper vessels and other offerings the deceased wore gold earrings and two rings on the left hand, one gold and one silver with a precious stone bearing the representation of a bird.
In the second tomb, the woman, in addition to the other gifts, had a gold ring with the inscription ARABONIAC (engagement) as well as a silver ring with a semi-precious stone bearing the representation of a woman in a bust.
The third grave, as evidenced by the gifts (a silver bow-shaped chest buckle, a silver communion spoon together with a rare vase, luxurious copper drinking vessels and two copper coins) belonged to an official who was buried in his military uniform and boots. The soles (45 cm) are preserved to this day.
The remaining 25 uncovered tombs were excavated to the south and southwest of the small sanctuary. These tombs are box-shaped, pit-shaped, with tiled roofs. They contained burials and cremations. Some of the gifts (gold jewelry, clay vessels, copper coins and others) date back to around the 3rd century. A.D.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou