I think Messene is going to be a more important site than Olympia and Delphi, which are famous for their sanctuaries only. Though the dig is incomplete, some of the ruins are already visible. Archeologists have unearthed a stadium and a temple sacred to Asclepius, the god of healing. Surrounding the temple are the city's public buildings. A sophisticated drainage system encircles the main square, which tilts toward one of its corners to aid runoff.
Special basins collect silt and debris to prevent clogging.
Ancient settlers built the city using stones from the local acropolis, Ithome, where the boulders were hewn with incredible precision. Floors and foundations were made using iron clamps inserted over joints and secured with molten lead. One of the more fascinating finds is a trap door in the massive city walls. Anyone who entered the door from outside the city wound up in a stone chamber where the person was executed. Archeologists say the site, once fully excavated, will cover 120 acres.