The first excavations at the site of Ancient Aigeira started in 1916 by the Austrian Archaeological Institute. The archaeological excavations’ findings covers the period from the Neolithic Age to the Roman. On August 31, 1916 was found a marble statue’s head of Zeus. According to Pausanias, the statue was the work of the famous creator Euclid from Athens, and should amount to exceed three meters. In subsequent investigations there were found the left arm of the same statue and a finger of the right hand. Another important discovery was the 'belly' of the theater of Ancient Aigeira. The theater was built in the 3rd century BC and the scene was decorated with pilasters. Remains of the stage are still preserved. The theater suffered large-scale reconstruction in the mid-3rd century AD for conversion to Roman theater but was not completed. Excavations revealed part of the city wall, kiln for pottery and pottery fragments from the Neolithic era, marble inscription with the decree of the Roman emperor Diocletian. During the excavations of 1972, in the north of the theater it was revealed a part of the temple of Zeus. Its floor is decorated with a wonderful mosaic of river pebbles and decorated with an eagle attacking a snake. Ancient Aigeira was one of the most important cities of Achaia and the Achaean League and spent long periods of prosperity and welfare. Due to the excellent position it held in the eastern part of Aegialia, north of Evrostina Mountain, it was visible both from the neighboring cities of Corinth and the opposite of Central Greece, cities of the Aetolians. It suffered many raids, the most known the one of the Aetolians in 220 or 219 BC and of the Sikionians during the archaic era.
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