Zominthos
Encyclopedia
Zominthos is a small plateau in the northern foothills of Mount Ida
(Psiloritis), οn the island of Crete
. Zominthos is roughly 7.5 kilometers west of the village of Anogia, on the path from Knossos
to Idaion Andron, the great sanctuary
cave near the peak of Ida. Zominthos is best known for the large Minoan
building discovered there; signs of permanent settlement date back to about 1800 BC.
building at an altitude slightly below 1200m. The building's unusual size and careful construction, which incorporates some features pertinent only
to palatial architecture, has attracted the interest of archaeologists. The significance of the discovery is emphasized even further by the fact that it lies considerably above the attitudinal limit of Minoan and modern Cretan settlements. Excavations have unearthed only a small part of the building and are still under way. However, they have made clear that the structure has been strongly built and is unusually well-preserved, with some of the remaining walls rising up to 3 meters in height. It has a strict north-south orientation and extends to at least 1350 m², with 40 rooms on the ground floor alone, some of which with fresco
es. Unique to Minoan Crete is the discovery of a large pottery
workshop. Equally important are the
unearthed artefacts made from processed rock crystal.
The building belongs to the Neopalatial period and was abandoned after a big earthquake
around 1600 BC. Archaeological research is being conducted under the directions of Profs. Yannis Sakellarakis and Diamantis Panagiotopoulos of the
University of Heidelberg in order to provide answers to important questions concerning the
inhabitants of Zominthos and the role played by it in Minoan Crete.
Mount Ida
In Greek mythology, two sacred mountains are called Mount Ida, the "Mountain of the Goddess": Mount Ida in Crete; and Mount Ida in the ancient Troad region of western Anatolia which was also known as the Phrygian Ida in classical antiquity and is the mountain that is mentioned in the Iliad of...
(Psiloritis), οn the island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. Zominthos is roughly 7.5 kilometers west of the village of Anogia, on the path from Knossos
Knossos
Knossos , also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square...
to Idaion Andron, the great sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
cave near the peak of Ida. Zominthos is best known for the large Minoan
Minoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
building discovered there; signs of permanent settlement date back to about 1800 BC.
Archaeology
In 1982, the Greek archaeologist Yannis Sakellarakis unveiled a large, two-story MinoanMinoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
building at an altitude slightly below 1200m. The building's unusual size and careful construction, which incorporates some features pertinent only
to palatial architecture, has attracted the interest of archaeologists. The significance of the discovery is emphasized even further by the fact that it lies considerably above the attitudinal limit of Minoan and modern Cretan settlements. Excavations have unearthed only a small part of the building and are still under way. However, they have made clear that the structure has been strongly built and is unusually well-preserved, with some of the remaining walls rising up to 3 meters in height. It has a strict north-south orientation and extends to at least 1350 m², with 40 rooms on the ground floor alone, some of which with fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es. Unique to Minoan Crete is the discovery of a large pottery
Minoan pottery
Minoan pottery is more than a useful tool for dating the mute Minoan civilization. Its restless sequence of rapidly maturing artistic styles reveal something of Minoan patrons' pleasure in novelty while they assist archaeologists to assign relative dates to the strata of their sites...
workshop. Equally important are the
unearthed artefacts made from processed rock crystal.
The building belongs to the Neopalatial period and was abandoned after a big earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
around 1600 BC. Archaeological research is being conducted under the directions of Profs. Yannis Sakellarakis and Diamantis Panagiotopoulos of the
University of Heidelberg in order to provide answers to important questions concerning the
inhabitants of Zominthos and the role played by it in Minoan Crete.