The citadel of Asine is situated on an arm extending on the gulf of Asine, 10 kilometres southeast of Nauplion. The Swedish excavations in the '20's revealed a Middle Helladic settlement on the west side of the citadel, the so-called Lower Town. Another Middle Helladic settlement was discovered on the nearby hill Barbouna and a Middle Helladic cemetery east of the citadel was excavated in the '70's. The first signs of settlement in the Lower Town date back to the Early Helladic period while the earlier strata of the Middle Bronze Age belong to the Middle Helladic III period (1650-1550 BC).

Asine includes various architectural types. The House B of the Lower Town has curbed walls suggesting the earlier apsidal buildings. Its contemporary or slightly later House D was a large rectangular building divided in two equal parts by a wall.

The later buildings E and C, as their contemporary ones on the hill Barbouna had a rectangular shape. On the upper strata fairly early Mycenaean pottery has been found

although none of the later buildings of the "Lower Town" dates after the end of the Middle Helladic period. Thus, it is likely that during the Late Helladic IA period the settlement was moved to the hillock in the plain.

During the same period graves were made in different parts of the abandoned settlement and the area was now used as a cemetery. However, east of the citadel a tumulus was found with a stone built bedding of 20 Middle Helladic and early Late Helladic graves. In this area no earlier or contemporary settlement has been found. Thus, in Asine, the cemetery and "intramural" burials seem to coexist. The Middle Helladic pottery of Asine presents the typical elements of the Argolid workshops but among these are many examples of Aeginetan and Cycladic ceramics and pottery of Minoan influence. The style of the regional pottery appears to be fairly traditional as the potter's wheel was rarely employed in the manufacture of regional vases.