Within close distance from the port of Ios, near the hill where Chora is located nowadays, an archeological dig revealed one of the most significant Early Cycladic settlements (2800 BC), which had mercantile transactions with the other islands. Its state of preservation allows us to understand a developed settlement of advanced architecture, since it has two-storey buildings, an organized town planning as well as a sewage system. Many metal, bony and stone utensils and tools, impressive earthen vessels as well as a great number of sealed items, which is rare for an Early Cycladic settlement, were found during the excavations. The archeological site of Skarkos has been awarded by the European Union and the Europa Nostra for its exemplary reconstruction and prominence.