Ordines is a low N-S ridge (ca. 50 masl), cut at the N by the Lagkouvardos River, with excellent views over the coastal plain and the bay of Ayios Ioannis[088.02]; the modern town of Marathopolis lies 4 km. SSW. The central portion of the site lies on the ridge top in a fallow ploughed field that slopes gently to the N and E; a few olives, almonds and carobs are planted in it[088.09]. At the N, the ridge drops precipitously into the Lagkouvardos River, particularly at its NE corner, where the bedrock edge of the ridge is fractured in many places. To the E, the ridge slopes gently into a field of mature olives and there are several bedrock outcrops along the E side of the ridge as high as 0.5 m.; some of these may possibly have been modified by human agency. A modern house compound, ca. 300 m. S of the river, marks the S boundary of the site. Along the W edge of the ridge a thin, but dense, line of bushes and trees (oak, olive, carob), marks a 2 m. drop into a recently ploughed field with some older olives to the SW, and newly planted olives in rows together with older trees to the NW. Along the W edge of this line of maquis, there are bedrock outcrops, several possibly cut or trimmed, or modified by the addition of irregular pieces of bedrock. In the SE part of the ridge are several bedrock cuttings, with straight vertical faces and, in some cases, short returns at right angles[088.05]. Stone has probably been quarried at these locations.

Prehistoric pottery (spanning EH-LHIIIB) was found in some quantity throughout the site, although LH III material is rather sparse in the NW, and EH-MH is confined to the N, close to the Lagkouvardos. Historical pottery from Ordines spans a range that may be as great as A to LR, but the majority of the material collected is LHL to ER. Pottery of these periods is found generally in the N part of the site, E of the maquis. This pottery distribution correlates with a distinct tile concentration-predominantly Lakonian in form with a light whitish fabric-in one grid square in the center of the N half of the site and spreads out over its NE part. Magnetometry carried out at Ordines in 1995 indicated an anomaly in the NE sector of the site that appears to correlate with this tile distribution.

Prehistoric pottery is found in some quantity throughout the site, though LH III material is rather sparse in quadrant 4, and EH-MH in quadrant 1. There is little diagnostic Historic pottery from Ordines. However, those pieces are generally large and relatively well-preserved. The range of the material may be as great as Archaic to Late Roman, but clearly the majority of the material collected is Late Hellenistic to Early Roman. This pottery is found generally in the northern part of the site to the East of the maquis. This pottery distribution also correlates with a distinct tile scatter that focuses in grid square 441 and then spreads out over the North eastern part of the site. The majority of this tile is Lakonian in form in a light whitish fabric. In preliminary study this tile spread may correlate with anomalies in this area of the site detected in geophysical work.