Zominthos
Zominthos (Greek Ζώμινθος ) denotes an archaeological site in the center of the Greek island of Crete. It is located in the municipality Anoghia of the Regional District of Rethymno on the northeast flank of Mount Psiloritis or Ida mountains. The Late Minoan remains of Zominthos were discovered in 1982 and excavated intermittently since 1986.
Location
The archaeological course is 1187 meters above sea level on the lightly wooded Zominthos - plateau between 4.5 kilometers northerly place Anoghia ( Ανώγεια ) and the Nida Plateau ( Oροπέδιο Νίδας ) 5.5 km to the southwest. The road that connects Anoghia and the Nida Plateau, leads about 80 meters northeast past the excavation site of Zominthos. This is close to the source of Agia Marina ( Αγία Μαρίνα ) and is surrounded by a fence. In ancient times, was on the water-rich plateau of Zominthos with its vast pastures of the main path of Knossos on the north coast of Crete to the sacred cave of the Cretan Zeus, the Idaean grotto.
Description
The name Zomi [n ] is thos pre-Greek origin. This naming of the plateau at the local shepherds led Jannis Sakellarakis 1982, the then director of the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, to investigations on the spot, where he discovered the locality in late August of the same year. A first small excavation in a limited area began in 1983. From 1986 to 1990 were made larger excavations under the direction of the discoverer. After an interruption of the excavations from 2005 were continued and are still continuing. Since the death of his wife Jannis Sakellarakis 2010 Efi Sapouna - Sakellarakis directs the excavations.
After only a few rooms of the central facility of the Fund space were studied in the 1980s, the Archaeological Society at Athens and the Institute of Classical Archaeology of the University of Heidelberg was after 2005, so far about 40 to 45 rooms of the ground floor of the monumental main building are exposed under the auspices of, of which only 10 are partially explored to complete. Built in east -west orientation building took up an area of about 1360 square meters and had at least one upstairs with a floor made of thin slates. The building referred to conventionally as the " Central Building " by Zominthos, so that was smaller than the Minoan palaces of Crete, but larger than any known Minoan villa. It was part of a settlement in an area of at least 3,000 m² ( 0.4 acres ), including a cemetery.
The central building with its asymmetrical facade is from east to west 54 feet long and has a width of 37 meters. The resulting massive walls of rock in the area extend to a height of 3 meters. In the 2.2 -meter high facade of the northern outer wall made cut-outs for a door and two windows. From there, " input", a long corridor to the south of the building. The steeply sloping walls of the corridor indicate that the main building was destroyed by an earthquake. Even traces of fire are visible on the walls of the ruin. The rubble of the former upper floor was high up in the system up to 3 meters. Under a thin Oberflächenstratum there were undisturbed cultural deposits.
Zominthos seems to have been settled in the early 17th century BC. Under a native of this century the main building remains of several earlier structures could be identified. The dating was based on the ceramic finds, dating from the Late Minoan IA Neupalastzeit phase ( LM IA ). The building was destroyed in the same ceramic phase around 1600 BC. The details of the research they refer to the " high date" of the Minoan civilization, which starts the LM IA section for the period from about 1700 to 1580 BC. Be found in many of the interior walls of the central building of fine white lime plaster, some with paint residues, indicating frescoes. In the rooms of large storage jars, amphorae, numerous smaller vessels, charred wood parts as well as many vessel fragments and animal bones were found. Also discovered water pipes that may belong to a drainage system.
The north-west wing of the main building housed a ceramic workshop with a round Tonschlämmbecken in which the sound has been cleaned before processing. Here we dug in situ from over 150 fully preserved clay pots that were on two narrow benches on the north and the south wall of workshop space. The dated in a mature stage of LM IA vessels appear to have been freshly prepared just before the destruction of the building. Has not been established but leave that the central building, provides a clue for the entire Minoan civilization in question, great catastrophe during the phase LM IA dar. Whether between this disaster and the volcanic eruption on the Cycladic island of Thera, known as the Minoan eruption, there is a connection is unclear. In the karst fillings in the region, there are significant amounts of tephra, which are attributable to the Thera eruption in view of their geochemical and mineral composition, so that to start from a volcanic ash fall in the mountainous areas of Crete. Scientists date the Minoan eruption on Thera in the period 1627-1600 BC
The function of the Minoan buildings of Zominthos is not released. One reason is the unusual height of the archaeological site. It is located about 400 meters higher than the present settlement boundary of Crete of 740 meters at Anoghia. Even the Minoan peak sanctuaries and escape settlements, such Karphi ranged only up to an altitude of 1100 meters. In the cold and snowy winters on the Zominthos Plateau partially prevail until early April before freezing temperatures. However, the elaborate design and size of the central building of Zominthos, the ceramics workshop and surrounding the building traces of settlement in favor of a permanent settlement. In the Minoan period, although a milder climate could have ruled, however, speaks against that so far no other large buildings of Minoan type of Zominthos were found in corresponding altitudes.
Was well suited and is the Zominthos Plateau in the summer months for cattle breeding. Moderate slope angles, adequate water supply and mild summers affect the good bottoming for extensive grazing. Most important source of income in the region was already in the Minoan period, sheep farming, which is still in the area of central importance and that time was particularly important for the production of wool. Zominthos belonged to a network of about 50 farms, which were located in economically or strategically important places of Crete. They were very likely part of a centralized administrative system, with one or several palaces, the economy of the island and controlled the traffic routes guaranteed. To what extent the situation on the way to Idaean grotto, wood decomposition or recovery of snow and ice for the supply of the low country played a role in Zominthos, is not clear from the previous excavations. The excavation results were documented in many areas due to the discovery and excavation director Jannis Sakellarakis and Panagiotopoulos of the University of Heidelberg.
- Views of the archaeological site
To the west of the corridor
Rooms in the west
Area in the southeast