Hagia Pelagia 2001 Overview

Study of Historical Conditions in Crete Towards the End of the Bronze Age from Four Sites: Hagia Pelagia, Kastrokephala, Tylissos and Krya
Athanasia Kanta.

This project involves the publication of material from four Cretan sites, which are vitally important for understanding the historical developments in Crete during the closing centuries of the Bronze Age. The reason that four sites have been selected, instead of one, is that this way, a broad historical perspective can be achieved quickly because of the special character of the sites involved. Indeed, what international research lacks at this time is historical reconstruction of events based on a solid archaeological, factual base, limiting, thus, the filling of the existing gaps in our knowledge by non verifiable theories. The present scholar has experience in this type of work, which resulted in a number of publications.

The sites are as follows: Hagia Pelagia is a harbour town, mainly LM III B in date, ca. 20 HYPERLINK http://km.to km. to the west of Heraklion. Tylissos is a settlement site ca 14 km SW of Heraklion with late habitation from LM IIIC to SM and PG. Kastrokephala, ca 10 km to the west of Heraklion is the most prominent "Mycenaean" citadel in Crete with a large megaron and impressive fortifications. These three sites have been excavated by Dr Kanta who has publication rights. Krya is a cemetery in the interior of the island in the district of Siteia. It consisted of small tholos tombs excavated in the seventies by Prof. Costis Davaras. Dr Kanta is studying the material, which she will publish jointly with the excavator. This cemetery presents a great variety in the shape of its tombs, including one with a saddle roof of the type well-known from Ugarit and the Royal Tomb at Knossos.

An additional reason that all four sites have been chosen is that each of them illustrates a different aspect of the closing times of the Bronze Age and two of them continue into the Early Iron Age. Because of the inter-relations of Crete with the Greek Mainland, the West, the Aegean Islands, Syropalestine and Cyprus at this time, when the proposed work is completed, we should have a new evaluation of the period, based on a thorough study of unknown material, as well as a new perspective of interconnections. In other words, through a typological study and analysis of material we will have results, which will alter and complete our understanding of the history of the whole S.E. Mediterranean.