 An
Archaeological Study Tour
Minoan-Mycenaean
Crete Revealed
September
2 – 15, 2010
Led
by Professor Robert
Stieglitz
Shortly
after the beginning of the 2nd millennium BCE, the people
of Crete invented a writing system and began to build complex
palaces noted for their splendid architecture, decorative
art and waterworks. We call the people Minoan, after the
legendary King Minos of Knossos, first mentioned by Homer.
Archaeological and epigraphic evidence indicates that sometime
in the 15th century BCE Mycenaean overlords from the Greek
mainland displaced the Minoan palace rulers, and established
at least two Hellenic kingdoms on the north coast of Crete,
at Knossos and Kydonia. From these major urban centers,
where they became acquainted with Minoan literacy, they
maintained intensive commercial relations not only within
the Aegean-Anatolian world, but also with Cyprus, Egypt
and the Levant. Seafaring merchants ventured to several
regions in the western Mediterranean, a phenomenon duly
reflected in myths that tell how King Minos was killed while
waging war in Sicily.
The
Heroic Age of Mycenaean Crete ended a few decades after
the fall of Troy, as the old ruling class was displaced.
After the 11th century BCE, the island was gradually transformed
by waves of Greek settlers from the mainland and Aegean
islands. Surviving pockets of pre-Hellenic people persisted
in a few centers in eastern Crete, but it was the rich religious
heritage of Minoan-Mycenaean times that left an indelible
impression in myths and legends. Archaeologists only rediscovered
Minoan civilization at the beginning of the 20th century.
Our tour will explore the great palaces and cities built
by these peoples as well as Crete's fabulous museums, most
important Byzantine churches and traditional villages.
Thursday,
Friday,
September 2 & 3: KHANIA: Independent departures
from our home cities with connections in Athens to Khania,
in western Crete. We will be met and transferred to the
Porto Veneziano Hotel. Wednesday evening we will gather
for our opening lecture and dinner.
Meals:
Dinner
Saturday,
September 4: KHANIA: The focus of our twelve-day
stay on Crete is the Minoans, the first high civilization
of Europe, which flourished here from 2000 to 1400 BCE.
This maritime civilization was noted for its marvelous palaces,
amenities and artistic creations. Touring begins in a large
Venetian church, which is now the Khania Archaeological
Museum and the Minoan ship exhibited in a Venetian vault.
We will visit the site of the newly discovered Minoan palace
at the Venetian port of Khania and the extensive Late Minoan
necropolis at Armeni, where we will explore some of the
200 underground rock-cut burial chamber tombs.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Sunday,
September 5: KHANIA: Traveling along the highway
above the lovely Souda Bay we pass a Greek and NATO naval
base as well as site made famous by World War II. Our destination
is the large Graeco-Roman site of Aptera, a powerful walled
city built on the heights above the bay looking south to
Akrotiri. The fortifications, which date to the 4th century
BCE, still stand in place to a height of 3 meters. Ongoing
excavations recently revealed two 2nd century CE funerary
monument, one with an underground burial chamber possibly
constructed during the Hellenistic period. Nearby is the
Minoan settlement of Stylos and a well-preserved tholos
tomb with stone-lined dromi and a vaulted circular chamber.
Touring continues into the White Mountians, where we will
visit the church of Ayios Nikolaos at Kyriakoselia, renowned
for its 13th-century wall paintings. It is ranked among
Crete’s best examples of Byzantine architecture. The
day ends at the traditional village of Gavalokhori, renowned
for its women’s co-op, which is revitalizing local
crafts, including pottery, needlework and the distillation
of raki. Their crafts are sold in the local taverna, which
they also run. We will visit the small folklore museum before
returning to Khania.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Monday,
September 6: KHANIA: This spectacular day will
take us across the island to Souyia and then by boat or
4 X 4 to the Graeco-Roman Lisos, famed in antiquity for
its temple dedicated to Asklepios, god of healing. En route
we will traverse the forested western flank of the White
Mountains, the wild and beautiful landscapes of the western
pass and the area between the mountains known as the Omalos
plain. We will pass the ancient site of Elyros, from which
the “Philosopher of Elyros,” seen in the Khania
museum, was excavated. Finally we descend to the Libyan
Sea to Souyia. After completing our visit to this wonderfully
remote site we retrace our journey back to Khania.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Tuesday,
September 7: HERAKLION: We will make our way eastward
across the island to Heraklion, stopping at the Rhethymnon
Museum, which has an outstanding collection of Late Neolithic
through Minoan to the Roman period material, including
the finds from the Armeni necropolis. We then continue to
the Minoan villa complex at Tylissos. The villas here were
built during the 16th to 15th century BCE, with additons
to some of the homes during the 15th to 14th centuries BCE.
The site was destroyed by fire in the 14th centuries BCE.
We will spend the next three nights in Heraklion at the
centrally located Astoria Hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast & Lunch
Wednesday,
September 8: HERAKLION: We will drive southward
to Gortyn, the most powerful city on the island during Graeco-Roman
times. It was here that archaeologists found stone blocks
inscribed with one of the earliest law codes of the ancient
world. The blocks are now exhibited at the site. Inhabited
from the Early Iron Age through the Early Byzantine period,
material from the , including evidence for a Minoan presence,
is on display in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. We
then continue to the great Minoan palace of Phaistos, where
the famous Phaistos disk was discovered. Our last stop today
is the royal villa complex at Ayia Triadha, beautifully
situated overlooking both the plain and the Mediterranean
Sea. Although the site was occupied from the Neolithic period
to the 13th century BCE, our visit will mainly be to buildings
of the Late Minoan I period, when the architecture and construction
material were of exceptionally high quality.
Meals:
Breakfast & Lunch
Thursday,
September 9: HERAKLION: Our full morning will be
spent at the Heraklion Museum, which houses the world’s
greatest collection of Minoan artifacts from the island’s
palaces, towns and villas. The rest of the day will be at
leisure to explore Heraklion on our own.
Meals:
Breakfast
Friday,
September 10: AYIOS NIKOLAOS: Today’s touring
begins at the palace of Knossos, where, according to tradition,
Minos ruled and conversed with Zeus every ninth year in
order to obtain laws for his kingdom. The palace buildings
have been reconstructed and preserved, giving us an excellent
picture of royal lifestyle. We continue to Vathypetro to
visit a Minoan villa of the 16th century BCE, and to the
museum at Archanes, housing the remains of a nearby Minoan
palace believed to have been the summer residence of the
kings of Knossos. We then travel east to a beautiful area
of beaches and small villages, where we will spend the next
five nights at the lovely Minos Beach Hotel, just outside
Ayios Nikolaos.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Saturday,
September 11: AYIOS NIKOLAOS: This morning’s
touring takes us to Gournia, set above a sandy cove that
was once its port. Here the well-preserved remains of an
ordinary ancient Minoan town, with small houses crowded
along narrow cobblestone lanes, are laid out much the same
as Cretan mountain villages of today. The afternoon will
be at leisure to enjoy the facilities at our hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast & Dinner
Sunday,
September 12: AYIOS NIKOLAOS: Today we will travel
to the furthest point on the east coast of Crete, stopping
en route to visit Chamaizi, the only known oval house of
the Middle Minoan period, and the Siteia Museum, which houses
the finds from the area, including the Palaikastro kouros.
Our spectacular drive will take us along scenic mountain
roads and through tiny old villages. The region is dotted
with ancient sites, but we will visit the two most spectacular,
starting with Palaikastro. Here we will explore a grand
Minoan town with remains of elaborate buildings of the Neopalatial
period. The cult of Diktaian Zeus is in evidence as excavations
have identified the site of the temple and inscriptions
recording part of the Hymn to Diktaian Zeus. After lunch
at a nearby taverna, we continue to the Minoan palace and
harbor town built at the gorgeous bay of Kato Zakro. This
evocative site is believed to have been one of the four
main administrative centers of the Minoans, and its protected
harbor and strategic location made it an important commercial
hub for trade to the east. We will spend the afternoon visiting
this fascinating site, returning to our hotel late in the
day.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Monday,
September 13: AYIOS NIKOLAOS:
This morning we will visit the Ayios Nikolaos Museum, which
displays the finds from the region. We drive into the hills
to visit Kritsa for the frescoed church of the Panayia Kera.
This church, built in the early years of Venetian occupation,
was lavishly decorated in two stages, both in the 13th century.
The village of Krista is renowned for its weaving, which
is displayed everywhere along the village’s narrow
old streets. We continue to Lato, one of the most important
Doric city-states in Crete, which was founded in the 7th
century BCE and flourished into Hellenistic times. Here
we will find the typical town plan of a Classical city.
Meals:
Breakfast & Dinner
Tuesday,
September 14: AYIOS NIKOLAOS:
Touring begins at the Minoan palace of Mallia. Excavations
here have revealed Neolithic habitation, including the first
palace, erected circa 1900 BCE, about the same time as the
old palaces at Knossos and Phaistos. We will make a brief
stop at the Temple of Apollo Delphinios, 8th century BCE,
in ancient Dreros, one of the earliest temples to have survived
in Greece. Lastly, we visit the large Minoan villa at Nirou
Chani. Forty rooms have been excavated on the ground level,
along with courtyards and evidence of stairways leading
to an upper floor. The remainder of the afternoon is at
leisure before our farewell dinner.
Meals:
Breakfast & Dinner
Wednesday,
September 15: There will be one morning transfer
to the airport for our flights home.
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