Not far from the east coast of the Peloponnese, south of Argos, in the days of classical Greece Lerna was the ancient city, famous for its springs and lakes. This area is described in Greek mythology as the lair of Lerna Hydra - many-headed serpent that lived in underground waters and killed by Heracles (the second labor of Hercules). According to legend, the lake was near the entrance to the underworld Hades and Lernaean Hydra was the guardian of the entrance. Famous karst springs have survived to the present day, while the legendary lake completely dried up in the 19th century. Today the ruins of the ancient city are located near the village Mile near the Argolic Gulf.

In 1952, in Lerna began archaeological excavations under the direction of John helmets. It was his inspired publications and archaeologists for further study. Excavations have shown that Lerna are layered settlement, which existed since the early Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age (mid-VI millennium BC. - 3rd quarter of the II millennium BC).

In Lerna it was discovered one of the largest prehistoric burial mounds Greece. He was educated in the Neolithic period and is considered as two layers - Lerna Lerna I and II. Then the area was empty for some time, after which the top of the mound was leveled and stretched. On top of the mound, and there was a new settlement (Lerna III). One of the famous archaeological sites of this period is Lerna two-storey building of the early Bronze Age, known as the "House of the Tiles", dating from the period of ranneelladskoy II (2500-2200 to NE). Most likely, it was the house of the ruler or the administrative center. Of particular interest is a roof covered with tiles of baked clay (widely used in Greek architecture tile received only in the 7th century BC). The house is well preserved staircase leading to the second floor. The building was destroyed by fire.

Lerna IV differs significantly from the previous period and is already a small urban village with small brick houses separated by narrow alleys. At the same time there are structures in the form of wells that may have been used as a garbage pit (they were found a variety of waste, bones, shards and even entire pottery). For Lerna V characterized by multiple burials within and between buildings. To this period belong the so-called shaft tombs.

Lerna changing, evolving. ... Modify and improve the ceramic products. Changes shape, new types and styles of products, improved methods of their manufacture (the potter's wheel was used). Modified and painted pottery. The third period is characterized by ceramics, which were used to decorate the cylindrical pechati.V Mycenaean era Lerna was a cemetery, and was abandoned around 1250 BC

A lot of archaeological artifacts discovered during excavations of Lerna, can be seen in the Archaeological Museum of Argos.