Archanes (also Arkhanes, Godart & Olivier abbreviaton: ARKH) is the archaeological site of an ancient Minoan settlement in central Crete. The discovery of ancient roads leading from Archanes to Juktas, Anemospilia, Xeri Kara and Vathypetro indicate that Archanes was an important hub in the region during Minoan times. Archaeological evidence indicates that ancient Archanes spread out over the same area as the modern town of Archanes. Map of Minoan Crete The Minoans were a pre-Hellenic Bronze Age civilization in Crete in the Aegean Sea, prior to Helladic or Mycenaean culture (i. ... Crete (Greek Κρήτη / Kriti; see Wiktionary: Crete for the name in other languages) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ... Anemospilia is the archaeological site of an ancient Minoan temple on Crete. ...

Archaeology

In 1912, Xanthoudides noted the importance of Archanes, but Sir Arthur Evans was the first to characterize the site as palatial, declaring that Archanes was likely a Summer Palace for the Knossos kings. Spyridon Marinatos and N. Platon excavated minor areas in the region, but nothing supported Evans' theory. In 1964, J. Sakellarakis dug trial trenches at the Tourkoyeitonia site and uncovered the first evidence of a palace site. Since 1966, Archanes has been excavated by the Greek Archaeaological Society under the supervision of John Sakellarakis and Efi Sapouna-Sakellarakis. For Arthur Evans, the recipient of the Victoria Cross, see Arthur Evans (VC) Sir Arthur John Evans (July 8, 1851 - July 11, 1941), brought into the light of day the civilization he dubbed Minoan, which had been a dim mythic memory. ... Knossos Knossos (35°18′N 25°10′E; alternative spellings Knossus, Cnossus, Gnossus, Greek Κνωσσός; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete, probably the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan culture. ... Spyridon Nikolaou Marinatos (November 4, 1901 - October 1, 1974) was one of the premier Greek archaeologists of the 20th century, whose most notable discovery was the site of the Minoan port city on the island of Thera destroyed and preserved by the massive volcanic eruption, ca 1650-1600 BCE, spawning...

Troullos, the easternmost site of the settlement, is covered in detail in a separate article.

Tourkoyeitonia

Tourkoyeitonia, in central Archanes, is the site of its palace, likely built in the Middle Minoan period. Excavations began here in 1964 by J. Sakellarakis. Minoan pottery is more than a useful tool for dating the mute Minoan civilization. ...

Architecture

Architectural features at Tourkoyeitonia include:

• Building Materials: ashlar blocks, poros-stone plaques and blocks, plaster, wood, stucco floor tiles, gypsum, kouskoura slabs, mud bricks, ironstone blocks, schist plaques, blue marble flooring
• Incurved altars
• Wooden columns and pillars
• Wall-paintings

A woman with long curly hair in a frilled-dress holding a branch in Antechamber 2

• Polytheron - doorways with three openings
• at least three storeys in some areas
• Light-wells
• Drain system

Ashlar is dressed stone work of any type of stone. ... This article is about the building material. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Gypsum is a very soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. // Chemical structure Gypsum from New South Wales, Australia Heating gypsum above approximately 150°C (302°F) partially dehydrates the mineral by driving off exactly 75% of the water contained in its chemical structure. ... Black-band ironstone, 2. ... Schist The schists form a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. ... In geometry, concavity is a property of certain geometric figures, and in calculus, a property of certain graphs of functions. ... Fresco by Dionisius representing Saint Nicholas. ...

Artefacts

Movable artefacts found at Tourkoyeitonia include:

• Porphyrite stone lamps
• Vases, amphorae, cooking pots, cups
• Clay loom weights
• 30 plaster tripodal offering tables
• Plaster horns "of consecration"
• Black steatite lamp
• Bronze chisel
• Triton shell
• Marble pestle
• Terracotta figurines
• Silver earring
• Ivory pin
• Bronze pins
• Tweezers

Amphoræ on display in Bodrum Castle, Turkey An amphora is a type of ceramic vase with two handles, used for the transportation and storage of perishable goods and more rarely as containers for the ashes of the dead or as prize awards. ... A Turkish woman in Konya works at a traditional loom. ... This article is about the building material. ... An Egyptian carved and glazed steatite scarab amulet - circa 550 BC. Steatite (ste-a-tite), also known as Potstone and Lapis ollaris is a type of soapstone which is almost purely talc. ... Mortar and pestle A mortar and pestle are two tools used with each other to grind and mix substances. ... Terra cotta is a hard semifired waterproof ceramic clay used in pottery and building construction. ... An elaborately carved ivory decoration Ivory is a hard, white, opaque substance that is the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals such as the elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth, narwhal, etc. ...

The Archive

Southwest of Tourkoyeitonia, more of the palace is found. While little remains of the architecture, the walls that are preserved are Middle Minoan III-Late Minoan IA. Linear A tablets and the model of a house were excavated at The Archive along with MMIII-LMIA pottery and several unworked pieces of rock crystal, obsidian and steatite. Minoan pottery is more than a useful tool for dating the mute Minoan civilization. ... Minoan pottery is more than a useful tool for dating the mute Minoan civilization. ... Linear A etched on tablets found in Akrotiri, Santorini. ... Minoan pottery is more than a useful tool for dating the mute Minoan civilization. ... For other uses of this word, see Quartz (disambiguation). ... Obsidian from Lake County, Oregon Top stone is obsidian, below that is pumice and in lower right hand is rhyolite (light color) Obsidian is a type of naturally occurring glass, produced from volcanoes when a fluid felsic lava cools rapidly and freezes without sufficient time for crystal growth, for example... An Egyptian carved and glazed steatite scarab amulet - circa 550 BC. Steatite (ste-a-tite), also known as Potstone and Lapis ollaris is a type of soapstone which is almost purely talc. ...

The Reservoir

This man-made enclosure of a spring, first partially excavated in 1921 by Sir Arthur Evans was later completed by J. Sakellarakis in 1964. The floor is laid with pebbles and the walls are poros-stone. Evidence indicates that it was built between Middle Minoan IB and Middle Minoan IIIA, destroyed during Late Minoan IA and then restored and in various use afterwards. The Reservoir is within the palace grounds. For Arthur Evans, the recipient of the Victoria Cross, see Arthur Evans (VC) Sir Arthur John Evans (July 8, 1851 - July 11, 1941), brought into the light of day the civilization he dubbed Minoan, which had been a dim mythic memory. ... Minoan pottery is more than a useful tool for dating the mute Minoan civilization. ... Minoan pottery is more than a useful tool for dating the mute Minoan civilization. ... Minoan pottery is more than a useful tool for dating the mute Minoan civilization. ...

The Theatre Area

A large paved area, dissected by walkways which in the center form a triangle, is found at the site called "The Theatre Area" or Aghios Nikolaos. Two stepped altars are found here, one on a walkway and one on the pavement. There is a painting of a reconstruction of this area in Sakellarakis' Crete Archanes guidebook on page 49 which does this area more justice than a description. Agios Nikolaos or Ayios Nikolaos (Greek: Áγιος Νικόλαος, meaning Saint Nicholas) is a common place name in Greece and Cyprus since Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors and of all of Greece. ...

Reference

• Sakellarakis, J. and E. 1991 Crete Archanes ISBN 960-213-234-5 (guidebook)