Anemospilia

Anemospilia (Greek Aνεμόσπηλια, wind caves ') the name of a Minoan peak sanctuary is on the northern slope of the mountain Giouchtas ( Γιούχτας ). It is located near Archanes Crete.

Discovery

The Archaeologist couple Efi and Iannis Sakellarakis leads since 1964 in this region excavations and discovered in 1979 Minoan Temple of Anemospilia.

Finds and reconstruction

Around 1700 BC, this temple was destroyed by an earthquake. Of particular interest are four human skeletons that were found in the rubble - a roughly 17- year-old man was tied up on an altar he had been cut shortly before the disaster, the carotid artery. For the other three skeletons there were apparently in priests and temple servants.

Human sacrifice was probably done to appease the gods and avert the earthquake. With this discovery, the first time the existence of human sacrifices in the Minoan culture was occupied. Further confirmation was the discovery of bones in children at Knossos.