Listed 60 sub titles with search on: Archaeological sites for wider area of: "HERAKLIO Prefecture CRETE" .
ARCHANES (Ancient city) CRETE
Excavations are being performed in the area under the direction of
E. Sakellarakis. Palatial-style buildings were discovered in the location of Turkogitonia
within the village of Arhanes (200m east of the clock-tower). The excavations
brought to light major discoveries including a large rectangular altar fresco
and numerous artefacts. The buildings had an extraordinarily sophisticated architecture
and the site is considered to be comparable to the other known Minoan palaces.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
ARKALOCHORI (Small town) HERAKLIO
ARCHANES (Ancient city) CRETE
Tel: +30 2810 752712
Fax: +30 2810 241515
Rectangular building with three narrow chambers, each opening into
a long corridor to the north, which extends along the whole width of the building.
The area is enclosed with a stone wall and the whole structure has
been interpreted as a shrine; in the central room was found a "xoanon" (statue)
of the deity worshiped here. In the west room, where the altar stood, was uncovered,
according to the excavator, the first human sacrifice to have ever taken place
in Minoan times.
The building at Anemospelia was used for only half a century, as it was
suddenly destroyed by an earthquake in the middle of the 17th century BC.
The site was excavated in the summer of 1979 by John Sakellarakis.
In the location of Anemospilia (signposted at the main square), a
Minoan shrine was discovered. The shrine was destroyed in the large earthquake
of 1700 B.C. that destroyed the old palaces. The archaeologists believe that a
human sacrifice was taking place at the time of the disaster, probably attempting
to avert the danger of the quakes.
APESSOKARI (Village) GORTYNA
ARCHANES (Ancient city) CRETE
Tel: +30 2810 752712
Fax: +30 2810 241515
Excavations at Phourni have brought to light one of the most important cemeteries of the Minoan civilisation.
The cemetery dates from 2400 BC until 1200 BC and each funerary complex was used for a long period of time, bearing multiple
and successive burials. The long term and systematic excavations on the site, which began in 1964 and lasted for about three decades,
were conducted by Efi and John Sakellarakis under the auspices of the Athens Archaeological Society.
The most important monuments of the site are:
•Mycenaean Grave Enclosure.
The funerary complex in the northern part of the cemetery contained seven graves of the LM IIIA period (14th century BC). The peribolos is rectangular
and the graves, also rectangular, are hewn from the rock. In each of the shafts a sarcophagus (larnax) has been placed. All graves yielded a variety
and wealth of offerings.
•Tholos Tomb A.
It was constructed in the first half of the 14th century BC and has a dromos, tholos and a side chamber, which contained an intact royal burial inside a
sarcophagus with rich offerings (gold necklaces, beads of sardium and glass-paste, gold signet-rings, bronze and ivory vases).
•Building 4,
the so-called "Secular Building". It lies almost at the centre of the eastern part of the cemetery. It is a complex rectangular structure, built on different levels,
in two separate wings. It was probably used for the preparation of the dead, during the LM IA period (1550-1500 BC).
•Tholos Tomb B.
It is the largest and most complex structure of the cemetery, built before 2000 BC and used until the first half of the 14th century BC. Additions made during
the long period of its use, resulted in its complex form, comprising twelve rooms in total. The whole building is rectangular outside, with an inscribed tholos at
the centre.
•Funerary Building 6.
It is an ossuary with six parallel, oblong rectangular rooms, built in the MM IA period (before 2000 BC). The deposits inside the structure are the result of the clearing
of the neighbouring funerary buildings, and consisted mostly of skulls and numerous grave offerings.
•Funerary Building 3.
Square, symmetrical building, extremely well-built and well preserved, containing significant offerings. It imitates the domestic architecture of the period
(doorways, antae, thresholds). It was used from the MM IA period (before 2000 BC) until after 1400 BC.
•Tholos Tomb C.
It is built above ground level, with an entrance on the east side and a built hearth in the SW part of the tholos. A remarkable architectural peculiarity is the construction
of a window on the south side of the tholos. Burials were placed inside sarcophagi or directly on the floor and contained numerous offerings. The tholos dates from the
EM III period (2250-2100 BC).
•Funerary Building 19.
It is the only apsidal funerary structure in Crete, used for burials and depositions during the MM IA-MM IB period (2100-1950 BC). The walls surrounding the apse are
exeptionally thick, obviously for the support of the building, which was roofed with a vault. The burials contained wealthy and numerous offerings.
•Tholos Tomb E. This is probably the first
funerary building to have been erected at Phourni, as the earliest burials date from 2400-2300 BC but it was re-used two centuries later (2100-2000 BC). It is built above
ground level, with an entrance to the east, antae and lintel, and contained several burials with numerous offerings.
•Tholos Tomb D.
It yielded an undisturbed, rich female burial, dated to the 14th century BC. The tomb is cut in the hard rock, part of which was used as a section of the tholos wall while the rest is
built of stones in irregular horizontal rings. The body of the deceased woman was placed on a wooden stretcher.
In the location of Fourni (signpost at the main square), three well-preserved tholos tombs of the Postpalatial Period were discovered. One of them was a royal tomb containing 140 pieces of gold jewellery now displayed in the Iraklion Museum. The tomb has a very long dromos (entry road), possibly the longest in Crete. This Minoan cemetery was used for several centuries and has revealed much about burial practices. Within the cemetery compound there are buildings which show evidence of occupation, possibly by caretakers of the dead.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
GEROKAMBOS (Settlement) GORTYNA
KAMILARI (Village) TYMBAKI
This large tomb was used communally for several centuries and although
it was robbed in antiquity, excavations revealed important Minoan burial customs.
The tomb consisted of five small rooms and a paved patio outside the circular
tomb. The tomb is thought to have had a wooden roof supported by a cement structure.
The walls of the tomb are very thick and still stand two metres high. The important
finds from this tomb are displayed in the Iraklion Archaeology Museum (Room 6)
and indicate the funeral rites of this time. Two of these Late Minoan Period pieces
show food being offered or eaten in a ceremonial fashion and a third object shows
dancing in a circle, similar to today's Cretan dancing.
This text is cited Dec 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
KATO VATHIA (Village) GOUVES
Near the village at a place called Artsa was discovered a tomb of the Late Minoan period with interesting findings.
MONI ODIGITRIAS (Monastery) MIRES
PLATANOS (Village) GORTYNA
In Platanos, two large tombs containing ivory seals and gold jewellery
dating from 3500 B.C. have been discovered. They are among the largest and most
important tombs on Crete because of their age. They are free-standing and were
probably roofed. The diameter of the largest of the tombs was 13 metres and its
walls were 3 metres thick. They were used for a long period of time.
This text is cited Dec 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
AGII DEKA (Village) HERAKLIO
Tel: +30 28920 31144
Gortyna was first inhabited at the end of the Neolithic period (3000 BC)
and by the Late Minoan period (1600-1100 BC) it became a flourishing settlement.
Remains of the Archaic period (7th century BC) were located in the area of the Acropolis,
while the large inscription, the Gortyn Law Code, dated to the 5th century BC, attests
the prosperity of the city, which continued throughout the historical times. However
Gortyna reached its peak during the Roman era (1st - 5th centuries AD), as an ally of
Rome and the capital of the Roman provinces of Crete and
Cyrene.
The city remained an important center of Crete in the following Early Byzantine
period and, according to tradition, it was the first Cretan city which espoused Christianity.
Gortyna became the seat of the first bishop of Crete, Apostle Titus, to whom was dedicated
a monumental temple. The conquest of Crete by the Arabs put an end to the history of the
ancient Gortyna, which was destroyed in 824 AD.
The first archaeological research on the site was conducted in 1884 by the
Italian archaeologist F. Halbherr. Since then, excavations have been carried out
by the Italian Archaeological School and the local Archaeological Service.
The most important monuments of the site are:
- The Odeion.
It is a typical Roman theatre of the 1st century AD with two entrances on the north side and an almost semicircular
orchestra. The north wall of the formerly raised skene (stage) had four niches for statues. Only three rows of the cavea
benches are preserved.
- The Gortyna Law Code.
The inscription with the Code is to be seen in the north round wall of the Odeion, sheltered in a small structure. It is a
complete code of law, based on Minoan tradition, which survives in the Doric city of the historical times. Dated to 450 BC.
- Isieion.
The sanctuary of the Egyptian Divinities (1st-2nd centuries AD) is a rectangular area dedicated to the cult of many gods,
such as Isis, Serapis-Zeus and Anubis-Hermes. It had an underground cistern. The cult statues of the gods stood on an oblong
podium with crepis.
- Temple of Apollo Pythios.
It was built in the Archaic period (7th century BC) and originally was a rectangular house with a treasury. In the following,
Hellenistic and Roman periods (4th century BC-2nd century AD) several additions were made to the building, including the prodomos,
the colonnades, and a conch which sheltered the statue of Pythios Apollo.
- The Praetorium was the seat
and residence of the proconsul of Crete. It is divided into two parts: the administrative section, in which the central building is the basilica,
and the residential section. The preserved ruins are dated to the 2nd century AD and seem to have been repaired in the 4th century AD.
- The northeastern cistern and the Nymphaeum. They lie immediately to the north of the Praetorium. The first cistern
was a rectangular, open-air structure with conches on all sides, where the statues of Nymphs were placed. It was converted into a vaulted
cistern in the 7th century AD.
- The Acropolis on the hill of Aghios Ioannes. Large sections of a polygonal fortification wall are preserved with towers at the
corners (10th-6th centuries BC). Within the enclosed area there was an Archaic temple, on the ruins of which an Early Christian basilica was
later erected.
- The Church of St. Titus.
It is a cross - shaped three - aisled basilica with cupola; the northern and the southern arm of the cross end up in conchs. The church was
built with rectangular hewn stones and is dated in the 7th century AD. It was destroyed by the Arabs in 824 AD and rebuilt after the recapture
of Crete by the Byzantines during the 10th century.
- Triconch church founded probably over the tomb of the Ten Cretan Martyrs. The narthex communicates through a tribelon
with the central rectangular part of the church. The mosaic floor and the remaining capitals are exquisite. The church is dated in the 5th century AD.
APOLLONIA (Ancient city) GAZI
The most significant archeological site up to now is situated at Souda's cape in Agia Pelagia. At this beautiful bay, excavations brought to light parts from private houses and public buildings of the Hellenistic town that was identified with ancient Apollonia
This extract is cited Oct 2002 from the Municipality of Gazi URL below, which contains image.
CHERRONISSOS (Ancient city) CHERSONISSOS
The Romans were the first invaders of Hersonisos and during their
occupation built a large aqueduct as well as an amphitheatre, a harbour and a
fountain. The surviving Roman fountain has mosaics depicting fishermen and it
is near the east end of the harbour. Remains of the Roman mole of the harbour,
one of the best in Crete at this time, are still visible. The Roman quay is on
the eastern part of the harbour, partially submerged. On the northeast side of
the peninsula cuts in the rock are thought to be Roman fish tanks. In Kastri,
on the east side of the peninsula above the church of Agia Paraskevi, was a solidly-built
Roman fort.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
GORTYS (Ancient city) HERAKLIO
Tel: +30 28920 31144
Gortyna was first inhabited at the end of the Neolithic period (3000 BC)
and by the Late Minoan period (1600-1100 BC) it became a flourishing settlement.
Remains of the Archaic period (7th century BC) were located in the area of the Acropolis,
while the large inscription, the Gortyn Law Code, dated to the 5th century BC, attests
the prosperity of the city, which continued throughout the historical times. However
Gortyna reached its peak during the Roman era (1st - 5th centuries AD), as an ally of
Rome and the capital of the Roman provinces of Crete and
Cyrene.
The city remained an important center of Crete in the following Early Byzantine
period and, according to tradition, it was the first Cretan city which espoused Christianity.
Gortyna became the seat of the first bishop of Crete, Apostle Titus, to whom was dedicated
a monumental temple. The conquest of Crete by the Arabs put an end to the history of the
ancient Gortyna, which was destroyed in 824 AD.
The first archaeological research on the site was conducted in 1884 by the
Italian archaeologist F. Halbherr. Since then, excavations have been carried out
by the Italian Archaeological School and the local Archaeological Service.
The most important monuments of the site are:
- The Odeion.
It is a typical Roman theatre of the 1st century AD with two entrances on the north side and an almost semicircular
orchestra. The north wall of the formerly raised skene (stage) had four niches for statues. Only three rows of the cavea
benches are preserved.
- The Gortyna Law Code.
The inscription with the Code is to be seen in the north round wall of the Odeion, sheltered in a small structure. It is a
complete code of law, based on Minoan tradition, which survives in the Doric city of the historical times. Dated to 450 BC.
- Isieion.
The sanctuary of the Egyptian Divinities (1st-2nd centuries AD) is a rectangular area dedicated to the cult of many gods,
such as Isis, Serapis-Zeus and Anubis-Hermes. It had an underground cistern. The cult statues of the gods stood on an oblong
podium with crepis.
- Temple of Apollo Pythios.
It was built in the Archaic period (7th century BC) and originally was a rectangular house with a treasury. In the following,
Hellenistic and Roman periods (4th century BC-2nd century AD) several additions were made to the building, including the prodomos,
the colonnades, and a conch which sheltered the statue of Pythios Apollo.
- The Praetorium was the seat
and residence of the proconsul of Crete. It is divided into two parts: the administrative section, in which the central building is the basilica,
and the residential section. The preserved ruins are dated to the 2nd century AD and seem to have been repaired in the 4th century AD.
- The northeastern cistern and the Nymphaeum. They lie immediately to the north of the Praetorium. The first cistern
was a rectangular, open-air structure with conches on all sides, where the statues of Nymphs were placed. It was converted into a vaulted
cistern in the 7th century AD.
- The Acropolis on the hill of Aghios Ioannes. Large sections of a polygonal fortification wall are preserved with towers at the
corners (10th-6th centuries BC). Within the enclosed area there was an Archaic temple, on the ruins of which an Early Christian basilica was
later erected.
- The Church of St. Titus.
It is a cross - shaped three - aisled basilica with cupola; the northern and the southern arm of the cross end up in conchs. The church was
built with rectangular hewn stones and is dated in the 7th century AD. It was destroyed by the Arabs in 824 AD and rebuilt after the recapture
of Crete by the Byzantines during the 10th century.
- Triconch church founded probably over the tomb of the Ten Cretan Martyrs. The narthex communicates through a tribelon
with the central rectangular part of the church. The mosaic floor and the remaining capitals are exquisite. The church is dated in the 5th century AD.
KOMMOS (Beach) HERAKLIO
This is the site of on-going archaeological excavations of a Minoan
settlement on a very beautiful sandy beach east of Matala. Kommos was a Minoan
harbour from the early time of Minoan civilization. It was probably the major
port of entry in the Mesara Plain, and monumental buildings near the shore and
paved roads towards Mesara suggest a customs house. Remains from the Greek era
have also been found in Kommos. A temple built here in the tenth century B.C.
is one of the oldest known in Greece. Remainders of later temples dating from
the fourth to the first century B.C. are now visible.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
LEVIN (Ancient city) GORTYNA
Tel: +30 2810 226470, 226092, 224630, 288484
Fax: +30 2810 241515, 288484
LYKTOS (Ancient city) KASTELI
Lyttos was one of most ancient and powerful cities of the Greek (Doric)
era. Its territory was from the north to the south of Crete, extending to the
Lassithi Plateau. Its harbour was Hersonisos. Lyttos was one of the most aggressive
city states of the Hellenic era and it was continually at war with Knossos and
Gortyn. In 220 B.C. it expedited against Ierapytna, the strong city state in the
site of today's Ierapetra, leaving the city with little protection. The Knosseans
found the opportunity to occupy and destroy the city completely. The city was
later rebuilt, however, and put up strong resistance to the Romans. Today few
remains can yet be seen from recently-begun excavations of the site. However,
the site has a commanding view of the valley below and the mountains of Lassithi
making it worthwhile to visit. In Roman times the city flourished again. Today
a part of the formidable Roman wall that enclosed the city is visible. Many statues
were found here.
This extract is cited Feb 2003 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
MALIA (Small town) HERAKLIO
Tel: +30 28970 31597
Human presence at Malia
during the Neolithic period (6000-3000 BC) is attested only by potsherds, but
habitation was continuous from the middle of the 3rd millennium BC until the
end of Prehistory. Houses of a Prepalatial settlement (2500-2000 BC) have been
found under the palace, while graves of the same period are located near the sea.
The first palace was built in around 2000-1900 BC. The already existing significant
settlement of which are preserved parts around the palace, was then converted
into a palatial centre-city. The palace was destroyed in around 1700 BC and
rebuilt in 1650 BC at the same site, following the plan of the older palace,
while a few changes took place 50 years later. The destruction of the new palace
came in c. 1450 BC, along with the destruction of the other Minoan palatial
centres. The site was reoccupied for a short period in the 14th-13th century BC
Remains of a Roman settlement cover an extensive area at the site called "Marmara",
where a basilica of the 6th century is also preserved.
The English admiral Th. Spratt, who travelled in Crete in the middle
of the 19th century, reports the finding of gold sheets at the site "Helleniko
Livadi". In 1915, Joseph Chatzidakis started a trial excavation on the hill called
"Azymo", and brought to light the southern half of the west wing of the palace,
as well as the tombs by the sea, but he stopped the investigation. Finally, the
French School of Archaeology at Athens resumed the excavations, which are continued
until today with intervals, at the palace, the sectors of the town and the cemeteries
on the coast. The results have been published in the series of "Etudes Cretoises"
since 1928, and in the works of H. Van Effenterre and O. Pelon. The finds are
exhibited in the Museum
of Herakleion, and some in the Museum
of Aghios Nikolaos.
The most important buildings of the site are:
The Palace. The largest part of the ruins visible
today belongs to the New Palace period; of the first palace only a section is
preserved, to the NW of the building, while a small oblique structure in the north
court dates to the Post-palatial period. Access to the palace today is through
the west paved court, which is crossed by slightly raised paths, the so-called
"processional ways". Every side of the complex had an entrance, but the main ones
were those in the north and south wings.
The palace is arranged around the central court, which had porticos on
the north and east sides, and an altar at the centre.
The largest and most important part of the palace is the two-storeyed
west wing with cult and official appartments, and extensive magazines. Impressive
is the Loggia, a raised hall opening to the court, and the rooms to the west,
all related with cult practice, the "pillar crypt" with an antechamber, also of religious character,
and between these two, the grand staircase leading to the upper floor. Another broad
flight of steps, possibly used as a theatral area, is located to the SW of
the central court, beside the famous "kernos" of Malia.
The south wing, also two-storeyed, included habitation
rooms and guests' rooms, a small shrine, and the monumental paved south entrance
to the palace that led directly to the central court.
The SW corner of the of the palatial complex is occupied by eight circular
structures used for the storage of grain (silos).
The east wing is almost completely occupied by magazines of liquids,
with low platforms on which stood pithoi (large storage vessels), and a system
of channels and receptacles to collect liquids.
Behind the north stoa of the central court is the "hypostyle hall" and its
antechamber. Above these rooms, on the upper storey, there was a hall of equal
size, interpreted as a ceremonial banquet hall. To the west of these rooms, a
stone paved corridor connects the central court with the north court, which is
surrounded by workshops and storerooms, and with the NW court, also called "court
of the dungeon". To the west of this lie the official rooms of the palace: at
the centre, the reception hall with the typical Minoan polythyra, and behind this,
the sunken lustral basin.
The palace is surrounded by the town, one of the most important Minoan
towns in Crete. To the north of the west court is the agora and the curious "hypostyle
crypt", which has been interpreted as a kind of council chamber, connected with
the prytaneia of historic times.
The most important of the excavated sectors of the town and isolated
houses are sector Z, houses E, Da, and Db; very important is sector M, dated to
the First Palace period, which covers an area of c. 3,000 sq.m. and is actually
the most important settlement of this period in Crete. The unusually extensive
buildings of this neighbourhood included religious, official, and storage rooms,
and workshops, and it seems that in general, it had functions similar to those
of the palace.
The cemetery of the First Palace period is located
to the NE of the palace, near the north coast. The most important of the graves
found is the large burial complex called Chryssolakkos, which yielded the famous
gold bee pendant.
RIZINIA (Ancient city) AGIA VARVARA
About 1km north of the village Prinias, is the site of the ancient
city Rizinia on top of a hill named Patela. There are no signs to the site but
the hill is easily seen. There is a path to the summit and a caretaker will open
the gate. The site attracts few visitors as the excavations are not extensive,
but there is a spectacular view north to Iraklion, south over the Mesara Plain,
and east to the mountains of Lassithi. The site of Prinias had been in use since
1500 B.C. through the Late Minoan and the Greek Periods. It is believed that Prinias
was also a refuge site for Eteocretans, similar to the one in Karfi. A sanctuary
found at the eastern part of the hill revealed numerous finds associated with
the snake cult, as well as a goddess figurine with raised arms similar to the
one found in Karfi. Two seventh century B.C. temples were also found in the middle
of the plateau. One shows a strong Minoan influence. Its temple was probably dedicated
to Rhea and it had reliefs of the lion goddess. The temple has been reconstructed
in the Iraklion Museum. The other temple is similar to the temple of Apollo in
Driros and has more Greek influence. On the western side of the hill was a castle
dating from the fourth to fifth century B.C. and a cemetery.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
AGIA TRIADA (Archaeological site) TYMBAKI
The Royal Villa was built in the 16th century B.C. (New Palace period). After the destruction of the palaces in 1450 B.C., only a small "megaron" of the "Mycenaean" type was built in their place. There is evidence that in the Geometric period (8th century B.C.) the site had religious function.
In the Hellenistic period (4th-3rd centuries B.C.) the sanctuary of Zeus Velchanos was founded and much later, during the Venetian occupation, the area of the courtyard was occupied by the church of St. George Galatas (14th century A.D.).
The Italian Archaeological School at Athens located and excavated the site of Aghia Triada in the years 1902, 1903, 1904-1905 and 1910-1914.
The Villa at Aghia Triada consists of two wings which form an L-shaped structure enclosing a court. Although it does not have the dimensions of the palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, it presents all the typical features of Minoan palatial architecture. It has halls with polythyra (pier-and-door partitions), light-wells, shrines, storerooms, repositories, workshops, staircases, porticoes, courtyards, terraces and balconies, streets and courtyards paved with flagstones. Numerous finds were uncovered in the villa during the excavations.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture URL below, which also contains image.
GONIES (Village) TYLISSOS
Sklavokambos is 22km from Iraklion on the Iraklion - Tilisos - Sklavokambos
road. The fenced in Minoan site there, comes up to the road. There is a sign to
the site on the main road. Sklavokambos is the site of a Minoan villa dating from
the late New Palace Period. It is simpler in style than the villas at nearby Tilisos
and consists of three different sets of apartments within three levels. The villa
has a north-south orientation with an entrance to the east and a veranda on the
north side looking towards the valley. The villa had also a small temple, store
rooms full of jars and a toilet. It was destroyed by an intense fire. The villa
was a part of a larger settlement in the area. Many jars and seals were found
in the villa.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
KOKKINI CHANI (Settlement) HERAKLIO
Luxurious house, two storeys high, built of large ashlar blocks. The walls were strenghtened by timber-frames and covered with a thick layer of plaster and marble slabs. The building has a paved courtyard, a shrine, storerooms for agricultural products, a staircase, and rooms with benches. It has been interpreted as a High Priest's house, due to the numerous ceremonial vessels it contained.
The house was probably built in the 16th century B.C. (MM III period) and, after its destruction by fire in the 15th century B.C. (LM IB period), was finally abandoned.
The "Minoan Megaron" at Nirou was excavated in 1918 by St. Xanthoudides. In 1960, under the supervision of the Ephor of Antiquities N. Platon, the site was fenced and the building restored. The monument is consolidated and cleared at intervals by the 23rd Ephorate.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture URL below, which also contains image.
Earlier in this century archaeologists excavated a Minoan villa, known today as the Nirou Hani dated from the New Palace Period (1600-1450 B.C.). The remains of the villa are well-preserved. The huge double axes they found are on display in the Iraklion Museum. Many tripod tables for offerings were found stacked in piles, suggesting exports of religions instruments from the nearby harbour. The site is open to the public.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
MITROPOLI (Village) GORTYNA
Near Mitropolis in the location Kannia (1.5km) are the remains of
a Minoan farmhouse of the New Palace and Postpalatial Periods.
LEVIN (Ancient city) GORTYNA
The temple is built on an artificial terrace at the SW edge of the sanctuary and is oriented to the east. The walls of the cella, preserved to a height of 3.40 m., are built of mudbricks, reveted with white marble slabs. Similar slabs cover the central part of the floor, while the rest of it is mosaic. Two of the columns (4.70 m. high) and the bases of the cult statues of Asklepios and Hygeia are preserved inside the temple.
It was constructed in the first centuries of the Roman Empire (1st-2nd century A.D.). After the expansion of Christianity the temple (and the sanctuary) were abandoned and gradually destroyed. Architectural members of the temple were used for the construction of the Byzantine basilica. In 1856, Onorio Belli drew the groundplan of the Asklepieion of which only the outline and two of the columns are still preserved today.
The temple of Asklepios was excavated, along with the rest of the sanctuary, by the Italian Archaeological School at Athens in 1900, 1910 and 1912-1913. The columns of the temple were immediately restored by the excavators.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture URL below, which also contains image.
Lendas is the site of the ancient city Lebena. Although there was an early Minoan site in the area, Lebena flourished mainly during the Greek and Roman period when it was the harbour of Gortyn. There was a famous sanctuary for healing here with a temple of Asklipios from the fourth century B.C. At the site of the sanctuary, which is at the beginning of the modern village, one can see traces of Roman mosaic, Greek coloured pebble mosaic representing a sea horse, and marble steps among other features.
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AGIA FOTIA (Settlement) ASTEROUSSIOI
ARCHANGELOS (Village) KASTELI
In a location known as Trochalos, archaeological finds have brought to light a series of Minoan tools dating back to the first and second Late Minoan periods.
KOMMOS (Beach) HERAKLIO
Professor, Aegean and Greek Art and Archaeology; Homer and Archaeology, Univercity of Toronto.
Recent Publications:
Numerous articles on Aegean fresco painting and Aegean-Egyptian interconnections; Co-editor (with J.W. Shaw) and author in a series of volumes on the Excavations of Kommos, Crete.
Topics of currrent research:
Votive sculpture from the Greek Sanctuary at Kommos; Study of textile patterns in Minoan wall paintings for a special exhibition (entitled Crete and Egypt) in the Archeological Museum in Herakleion, Crete; Ongoing research on the Minoan Civic Centre at Kommos, Crete; Book on Minoan Wall Painting.
Awards:
Fellowships and Awards for research in the field of Aegean wall painting and, indirectly, in the study of the archeological remains at Kommos; Honorary citizen of Pitsidia, Crete, with J.W. Shaw.
SMARI (Village) KASTELI
The excavations that are still being carried out here indicate that this Acropolis and its surrounding area were already inhabited in very ancient times, as far back as the Middle Minoan period.
The view from up here is panoramic, reaching as far as Gouves on the north coast. To the east, 100 m down from the Acropolis in the direction of Smari, you can see the traditional village of Lagos, and the church of Profitis Ilias among the trees and gushing water, a real oasis to visitors suffering from the hot Cretan summer. Next to it, the church of Agios Giorgos with wonderful wall paintings. Right in front of you, the ravine of Lagos offers a splendid sight.
ARCHONDIKO (Village) ARKALOCHORI
FESTOS (Minoan settlement) HERAKLIO
Tel: +30 28920 42315
Phaistos was one of the most important palatial centres of Minoan civilization,
and the most wealthy and powerful city in southern Crete. It was inhabited from the Neolithic period until the foundation and development of the Minoan palaces. The Minoan city covered a considerable area around the palace. After the destruction of the palace in the 15th century, the city continued to be inhabited in the Mycenaean and Geometric periods, that is, until the 8th century BC.
Later, the temple of Rea was built to the south of the old palace. The Hellenistic city was extremely prosperous; houses of the period are to be seen in the west court (upper terrace) of the palace. In the middle of the 2nd century BC it was destroyed and dominated by the neighbouring city of Gortyn.
THE PALACE
The Palace of Phaistos
with its superb architectural composition and its almost perfect construction, is considered to be the finest and most typical of all Minoan palaces. The ruins of the old and new palace are preserved today, the former having been protected under a shed. The nucleus of the new palace is a
central peristyle court around which the rooms are arranged:
the storerooms and
shrines on the west side,
the royal quarters on the north and the workshops on the east.
To the west of the storerooms is the "theatral area"
with the "processional ways" and, in the lower strata, the granaries of the Old Palace period (first palace).
The West Propylon,
the monumental entrance to the palace, is the most impressive known structure of its kind,
while large staircases
facilitate access to the successive terraces.
Like at Knossos,
the first (old) palace was built at the beginning of the 2nd millenium BC (MM I period) and remained in use for about three centuries (2000-1700 BC). It was destroyed by fire in ca. 1700 BC. On its ruins a new palace was erected but was also destroyed in the mid-15th century BC (LM IB) along with the other Minoan palatial centres. The palace was abandoned thereafter and only some of its parts were occupied in the late Post-palatial period. In the Archaic period the temple of the Great Mother or Rea was built in the southern part of the old palace.
The archaeological investigation of the palace started in 1884 by the Italians F. Halbherr and A. Taramelli. After the declaration of the independent Cretan State in 1898,
excavations
were carried out by F. Halbherr and L. Pernier in 1900-1904 and later, in 1950-1971, by Doro Levi, under the auspices of the Italian Archaeological School at Athens. Along with the excavations, consolidation work was carried out by the Italian Archaeological School. Some of the monuments, mainly the old palace and the royal quarters of the new palace, were protected under plastic sheds, while others, like the storerooms of the new palace, were covered with a concrete roofing.
KNOSSOS (Minoan settlement) CRETE
Tel: +30 2810 231940
Fax: +30 2810 241515
Knossos is the heart of the Minoan civilization, according to tradition the seat of the
legendary king Minos and the birthplace of thrilling stories, such as the myths of the Labyrinth with
its Minotaur and of Daidalos and Icaros. The site was inhabited continuously from the Neolithic
period (7000-3000 BC) until the late Antiquity. The first epigraphical testimony derives from the 14th
century BC Linear B tablets, where the city is referred to as Ko-no-so. The Minoan settlement of
Knossos develops especially during the palatial era, which is defined by the periods of the Old
(19th-17th centuries BC) and New Palaces (16th-14th centuries BC) respectively. In the latter period
the Minoan civilization reaches its peak, with a vigour that is reflected at all levels: population growth
and subsequent residential expansion, economic prosperity and social complexity, flourishing of the
material culture with the palatial art reaching its apogee. In 1450 BC the palaces of Crete are destroyed
by causes, for which there is no consensus among researchers. Nevertheless, the fall of the palaces
marks the end of the Minoan civilization. Only the palace of Knossos will survive for a century still, as
the seat of the new rulers of Crete, the Mycenaeans. The city of the historical times left behind scarce
remains, mainly sanctuaries and graves; throughout Greek antiquity, Knossos will survive in the literary
sources, from the time of Homer till the Hellenistic historian Diodorus Sikeliotes, as the glorious kingdom
of the mythical Minos. Knossos flourished again during the Hellenistic period, while in 67 BC the city was
occupied by the Roman consul Quintus Caecilius Metelus Creticus and became a Roman colony. In the
medieval times, a few kilometers northwards of Knossos, would emerge the new capital of the island, the
city of Chandax, namely the contemporary Heraklion.
The location of ancient Knossos was first spotted in 1878 by the Cretan antiquarian and
merchant Minos Kalokairinos.
Arthur Evans
conducted systematic excavations at the site between 1900 and 1931, bringing to light the palace, a
large section of the Minoan city, and its cemeteries. Since then, the site and its wider region have been
excavated by the British School of Archaeology at Athens and the local Archaeological Service. The
restoration of the palace to its present form was carried out by Arthur Evans. Conservation and
consolidation works are carried out by the Archaeological Service of the Ministry of Culture, imposed
by the need to preserve and protect the monuments uncovered.
KNOSSOS (Settlement) HERAKLIO
Tel: +30 2810 231940
Fax: +30 2810 241515
Knossos is the heart of the Minoan civilization, according to tradition the seat of the
legendary king Minos and the birthplace of thrilling stories, such as the myths of the Labyrinth with
its Minotaur and of Daidalos and Icaros. The site was inhabited continuously from the Neolithic
period (7000-3000 BC) until the late Antiquity. The first epigraphical testimony derives from the 14th
century BC Linear B tablets, where the city is referred to as Ko-no-so. The Minoan settlement of
Knossos develops especially during the palatial era, which is defined by the periods of the Old
(19th-17th centuries BC) and New Palaces (16th-14th centuries BC) respectively. In the latter period
the Minoan civilization reaches its peak, with a vigour that is reflected at all levels: population growth
and subsequent residential expansion, economic prosperity and social complexity, flourishing of the
material culture with the palatial art reaching its apogee. In 1450 BC the palaces of Crete are destroyed
by causes, for which there is no consensus among researchers. Nevertheless, the fall of the palaces
marks the end of the Minoan civilization. Only the palace of Knossos will survive for a century still, as
the seat of the new rulers of Crete, the Mycenaeans. The city of the historical times left behind scarce
remains, mainly sanctuaries and graves; throughout Greek antiquity, Knossos will survive in the literary
sources, from the time of Homer till the Hellenistic historian Diodorus Sikeliotes, as the glorious kingdom
of the mythical Minos. Knossos flourished again during the Hellenistic period, while in 67 BC the city was
occupied by the Roman consul Quintus Caecilius Metelus Creticus and became a Roman colony. In the
medieval times, a few kilometers northwards of Knossos, would emerge the new capital of the island, the
city of Chandax, namely the contemporary Heraklion.
The location of ancient Knossos was first spotted in 1878 by the Cretan antiquarian and
merchant Minos Kalokairinos.
Arthur Evans
conducted systematic excavations at the site between 1900 and 1931, bringing to light the palace, a
large section of the Minoan city, and its cemeteries. Since then, the site and its wider region have been
excavated by the British School of Archaeology at Athens and the local Archaeological Service. The
restoration of the palace to its present form was carried out by Arthur Evans. Conservation and
consolidation works are carried out by the Archaeological Service of the Ministry of Culture, imposed
by the need to preserve and protect the monuments uncovered.
KATO SYMI (Village) VIANNO
This isolated site was a place of worship during Minoan, Hellenistic,
and Roman times. The Sanctuary of Hermes and Aphrodite may have provided a continuation
of the cult of the Young God and the Goddess of Minoan times.
MALIA (Small town) HERAKLIO
Site: Mallia
Type: House
Summary: E of the Palace at Mallia, House Delta alpha is an especially
well preserved building that reveals the typical agglutinative building style
of Minoan architecture.
Date: 1700 B.C. - 1450 B.C.
Period: Middle Bronze Age
Plan:
Entrance from W to a flagged floor vestibule; storage rooms N and S of vestibule.
At E side of the house a double main hall is divided by 4 pier doorways. There
was a single central column and light well in the smaller part of the main hall.
In the N center of house is a bath or lustral basin and a small room with a thin
partition that contained a toilet. The S central area seems to have been used
for work and storage and a stairway at S center of building suggests an upper
story.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 1 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
Site: Mallia
Type: House
Summary: House E, located ca. 100 m S of the palace at Mallia, is
a large building sometimes referred to as the Little Palace.
Date: 1700 B.C. - 1450 B.C.
Period: Middle Bronze Age
Plan:
The large complex of irregular rooms has a S and a N entrance. From the N entrance
a paved vestibule and corridor leads to a large flagged court and to a smaller
court with a L-shaped colonnade of 4 columns. W of the smaller court are storerooms
and workshops. In the SW is a small sunken court with piers. The S central part
of the house presumably contained the living quarters and a bath or lustral basin
is located just W of the S entrance. Immediately E of the bath is the "Room of
Frescoes." There is no evidence for a 2nd story stairway.
History:
The remains are difficult to interpret because elements of an earlier (MM I) house
were incorporated into the building and there was a later (LM III) reuse of the
building after its partial destruction in LM I.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 1 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
Site: Mallia
Type: Sanctuary
Summary: An independent bench sanctuary complex W of the palace.
Date: 1800 B.C. - 1700 B.C.
Period: Middle Bronze Age
Plan:
The sanctuary, entered by a angular passageway, has an anteroom and a main cult
room to the E with a fixed rectangular terracotta altar in the center and a bench
in the SE corner. There is also a libation jar and pit near the entrance. At the
NW corner of the anteroom is a doorway to an irregular shaped room which may have
been for storage.
History:
The sanctuary is one of the few structures at the site that predate the MM III
(ca 1700 B.C.) palace.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 1 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
Site: Mallia
Type: Palace
Summary: The Palace at Mallia, ca. 40 km E of Knossos, is considerably
smaller than at Knossos and less richly decorated than the other Minoan palaces.
Date: 1700 B.C. - 1450 B.C.
Period: Middle Bronze Age
Plan:
The Central Court, with a shallow pit (possible altar) at the exact center and
uncharacteristic porticos along its E and N sides, is enclosed in the SE sector
of the palace. E of the court are magazines and workshops. Immediately W of the
court is a group of rooms of probable religious function. Farther W are additional
magazines and service rooms. N of the Western Magazines is the North Service Court
which probably served as the food preparation area. The upper stories seemed to
contain a royal Residential Quarter at the NW and a Banquet Hall just N of the
Central Court. In general, the palace has an unusually large number of work areas
and storage rooms, including the 2 rows of circular granaries at the SW corner.
This and the scarcity of rich decoration give it an agrarian, villa-like character.
History:
With the exception of a small, LM III A-B (ca. 1350-1300 B.C.) shrine built off-axis
25 m N of the Central Court, the original Neopalatial Period ground plan of the
Palace remained virtually unaltered since ca 1450 B.C.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 5 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
Region: Crete
Periods: Middle Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age
Type: Settlement
Summary: Minoan palace with associated town and cemeteries.
Physical Description:
Located on the N coast of Crete ca. 34 km E of Knossos, in
a small fertile plain near the foothills of Mount Dicte. As at Knossos and other
Minoan palaces, the rooms, magazines, and corridors of the palace were arranged
around a rectangular central court. At Mallia, however, there were more utilitarian
work rooms, storage rooms, and grain silos and fewer luxurious private rooms which
gives the Mallia palace more of a country villa or farm estate character. Associated
with the palace are the houses and buildings of a considerable town, paved roadways,
and cemeteries, including the Khrysolakko cemetery which has yielded some of the
finest examples of Middle Minoan gold work and jewelry. Mallia is one of the smaller
(ca. 8000 sq. m) of the known palace sites and its ancient name is unknown, but
it has the best preserved ground plan of all palace sites and extensive well-preserved
remains in the associated town.
Description:
The site of Mallia was 1st settled in the Early Minoan
I period (ca. 3000 B.C.) and the 1st palace construction dates to the beginning
of Middle Minoan I (ca. 1900 B.C.). Although the original structure at Mallia
had all the essential elements of a Minoan Palace, it was less elaborate and complex
that the other known palaces and there was less extensive use of upper stories,
light wells, and staircases. As a result, when the great earthquake struck Crete
near the end of the Middle Minoan II period (at ca. 1700 B.C.), Mallia suffered
less damage than the other palaces and was rebuilt with little alteration. At
Knossos and the other palaces, however, there was extensive rebuilding and renovation.
The excavations at the palace and town of Mallia, therefore, provide much information
about earlier (Old Palatial Period, or pre-earthquake) Middle Minoan architecture.
Mallia, as almost all of the Minoan palaces and sites, suffered a violent destruction
and burning at the end of Late Minoan Ib (ca. 1400 B.C.), and was completely abandoned.
Only one small building was later built over the site and a settlement of the
Geometric period at Mallia avoided the ancient site itself. This later history
has helped to make Mallia one of the best preserved and most informative of all
Minoan sites.
Exploration:
Discovery and preliminary investigations by J. Hatzidhakis.
Excavations: 1922 - present, French School of Archaeology.
Donald R. Keller, ed.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 30 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
RIZINIA (Ancient city) AGIA VARVARA
Region: Crete
Periods: Late Bronze Age, Dark Age, Geometric, Archaic, Classical,
Hellenistic
Type: Settlement
Summary: Early Iron Age Cretan refuge settlement in mountains.
Physical Description:
Near the modern village of Prinias in central Crete is a site
possibly to be identified with ancient Rhyzenia. The small, unwalled settlement
was established on the plateau (called Petela) of a steep and almost inaccessible
mountain. In addition to Archaic house remains, 2 small temples of the 7th to
6th century B.C. are located near the center of the plateau. There is also evidence
for a later cult to Athena at the E end of the plateau and on the W end are the
walls of a small Hellenistic fortress with corner towers.
Description:
The settlement is one of several Dark Age Cretan refuge
sites established at natural strong holds in the mountains. Its importance is
attested to by the Archaic temples and their sculptures, early inscriptions and
other finds. Religious activity at the site may have outlasted actual settlement
which had ceased by the 2nd century B.C. at the latest.
Exploration:
Halbherr and J. Alden explored the site in 1894. Excavations,
1907-1908, and since 1969 by the Italian School.
Donald R. Keller, ed.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 1 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
AGIA TRIADA (Archaeological site) TYMBAKI
Tel: +30 28920 91564
ARCHONDIKO (Village) ARKALOCHORI
CHONDROS (Village) VIANNO
In Hondros, in the location Kefala, a Late Minoan site has been excavated.
Kefala is a double-peaked hill above the village. The Minoan settlement is one
of the few examples that have been rebuilt after the destruction of the palaces.
It has very thick walls in the houses and low benches.
This extract is cited Feb 2003 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
HERAKLIO (Town) CRETE
Tel: +30 28210 53033, 56119
Fax: +30 28210 56118
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