Acrocorinth
A small Neolithic settlement was the only establishment in the position of Corinth during the 4th millennium BC. The factors that lead this small agricultural population establishing there were the water from Peirene and the naturally fortified Acrocorinth hill. However, there must have been several dispersed establishments in that area.
During the Bronze, Age there were at least 8 settlements situated in that area, extending from Isthmia and Kegchrees to Corinth. Excavations have been carried to some of these settlements such as Korakou which was the most important of those located near Corinth, during the Mycenaean period.
This area was inhabited by eastern populations before 1000 BC, mainly Phoenicians as we can conclude from the fact that the Phoenician deity Aphrodite was the most popular in Corinth during these years. Apart from them, people belonged to Aeoleis race (from Thessaly) directed to Corinth very often.
Dorians avoided inhabiting Athens and they arrived at the canal through Megarida which was a prefecture of Attica during that period. They directed to Rio-Antirio and then passed to Peloponnese. They firstly settled at Arkadia and secondly to Argolis. According to Thucydides, they arrived in Corinthia area afterwards and the “dorianism” of this area started in 900 BC. However, modern scientists believe that Dorians entered Megarida firstly and took it from Athenias. Then, they conquered Corinthia and two dorian prefectures were created in Megara and Corinth. These new prefectures were different than the metropolitan town of Argos due to their ethnological peculiarities. The Goddess Argia Hera (from Argos) was worshipped in these areas too and it she became one of the most sacred sanctuaries of Corinth.