EnglishGreekDeutschFrenchItalianRussian

Minoan Site in Gournia

A street in the Minoan site of Gournia
A street in the Minoan site of Gournia
Archaeologists believe that agriculture, animal husbandry, and handicrafts were the main occupations of the inhabitants. A large number of tools were found on the site. It is of great archaeological value and a refreshing change from the other popular sites, as it shows the practical rather than artistic aspects of Minoan life.
Narrow stone-paved alleys (sloped for drainage), wide enough for pack animals, but not for wheeled vehicles, cross the town and divide the houses that were built with stone and sometimes mud-brick. The houses most certainly were two storied and possibly higher as evidence of stone and wooden staircases were found. The houses are centred on a main square and at the highest point “the palace” was excavated. A shrine was about twenty metres to the north of the palace. It contained a number of terra-cotta figurines as well as religious vessels. Gournia's proximity to the sea and the fact that it is located on the shortest north-south axis of Crete, gave it strategic importance although its area of merely 15,000 square metres may lead visitors to believe otherwise. In ancient times, the sailors preferred to unload their ships there and transfer the cargo to southern Crete via land rather than to sail around the dangerous Akrotirio Sideros. This gave importance to the settlement which was a cramped but bustling town.
 

Photos of Minoan Site in Gournia:


The Minoan site of Gournia
The Minoan site of Gournia
The Minoan site of Gournia
The Minoan site of Gournia
The central courtyard in Gournia
The central courtyard in Gournia
The Minoan site of Gournia
The Minoan site of Gournia
The Minoan site of Gournia
The Minoan site of Gournia
The Minoan site of Gournia
The Minoan site of Gournia
A street in the Minoan site of Gournia
A street in the Minoan site of Gournia
 
Visit the area of the sight: Gournia