The excavation in Zominthos of Crete

An altar with Linear A symbols in the excavation of the Minoan palace of Zominthos

Important archaeological findings were discovered in recent years during the excavation of the Minoan palace in Zominthos, at an altitude of 1200 meters in mountain Psiloritis (or Mount Ida), Crete, which is being continued by the archaeologist Dr. Efi Sapuna-Sakellaraki.

"A great administrative, political and religious center, luxurious seat of the priesthood of Idaios Andros, was this palace" said Mrs. Sapouna-Sakellarakis. "Because its operation could not be limited to only the three months that, due to altitude, it is accessible. Thus, for the rest of the year the priesthood was established here in Zominthos" she adds.

At the same time he points out the productive functions of the palace, with the workshops of ceramics, metallurgy and crystal cutting, which have already been revealed - apart from the obvious management of natural wealth, of course. Control, however, seems to have belonged to Knossos. On the nearest road leading to Mount Ida and the Idaean Cave (Idaion Andron), which functioned as a cult center since the time of the first palaces in Crete, the palace of Zominthos was apparently controlled by the sovereign Knossos, who also had the sanctuary under her authority.

The building, with over 55 ground floor rooms, second or even third in a large part of the space, is the largest known residential center of the Minoan period on the mountains. A long corridor 17.40 m long (as far as the excavation has reached so far) and 1.55 m wide divides the palace into two wings, the east and the west.

"The entire eastern wing seems to have had a religious use," says the archaeologist. With an area of over 1,600 sq.m. the building had been constructed on the western slope of a low hill in a position commanding the entire plateau.
The area of the site amounts to approximately four acres, while the geomagnetic survey, which was also carried out in 2013, showed that around the palace there are many buildings of the settlement.

This site was identified in 1982 by the late archaeologist Dr. Giannis Sakellarakis, who, however, started the research in 2006. He was also an excavator of Idaios Andros and considered Zominthos, with its pre-Hellenic name, as a "Minoan uniqueness". After his death, in 2010, the excavations were continued by his partner Dr. Efi Sapuna-Sakellaraki.

The stone altar with the inscribed symbols of Linear A (excavation 2013)

In the recent findings of the 2013 excavation there are various ritual objects, which are the first evidence to reveal the type of religious rituals that took place there 4,000 years ago. One of the most important finds was a stone stepped altar, with an unusual shape that was found well protected under a stone table resting against a wall. It consists of three stepped levels that grow from bottom to top, with a cavity on its upper surface. But the importance of this altar, of the Minoan Era, is due to the fact that on each of its sides - twelve in total - it is also engraved with a symbol of the Linear A script.

"It is a ritual altar, hence its small dimensions (20X20 cm)," explained the archaeologist Dr. Efi Sapuna-Sakellarakis who brought it to light during the excavation of the huge building complex of Zominthos.

"Studying it and trying to read the symbols is something that will take time and will certainly be done by scientists, experts in Minoan writings, in the hope that important evidence may be revealed about the rituals that took place at an altitude of 1,200 m before 3,500 -4,000 years. After all, the altar was not the only ritual object that was discovered this year: a series of nearby finds amply prove the sacred character of the complex, which beyond any doubt is now characterized as a palace."

The altar area (excavation 2013)

A room that hid impressive finds, such as are found only in sanctuaries, is the other great discovery. Because in one corner of it a semi-circular space bordered by upright slabs hid a real treasure: a copper censer with a handle, two copper double chisels and a smaller one. Also, two imitations of a chisel and a sword, also bronze, and below them a number of clay vessels. All the ritual objects that Mrs. Sapouna-Sakellarakis together with the late Yiannis Sakellarakis had previously located in Idaion Antron and in the summit sanctuary of Kythira.

But the findings don't stop there. A second stone ritual altar was also found inside this area, but sufficiently burned by the fire, so that it is impossible, at least at the moment, to determine whether it also bears engraved symbols. Finally, wild boar's teeth were also placed around the stone partition, while the horns of goats and a deer were scattered in the room.
"This is a typical altar environment," explains the excavator, pointing out that in this room, under the table, the altar with the symbols was also found. Also characteristic of Zominthos is the fact that all ritual vessels have been found carefully stored. "They had a religious conservatism in the Prehistoric Era, so they kept all ritual objects, even from the earliest times, as sacred relics," he adds.

In addition, he specifies that there should have been several altar areas in the building, possibly with some differences between them, in order to cover all the rituals. The proof is in another room of the palace, which preserves on one side of it a higher level of special use, a kind of altar to which one ascends by a small ladder.

The Column (excavation 2013)

How long can wood be preserved? An answer is provided by the find located on the other side of the room of tables and stone altars (a wall that does not close at its ends divides the room in two). It is the base of a stone column, initially square, with dimensions of 70x100 cm wide and 15 cm high, and then cylindrical (55 cm in diameter and 17 cm high) used as a holder for the wooden column. At a height of about 30 cm and with a diameter of 26.5 cm, this wood is thus preserved in its place, which the Minoans had apparently cut from the mountain where they were and was famous for its timber, in order to construct the building.

It is also known that all Minoan palaces were built in this way as the use of wood allowed the light superstructure to be able to add two and three floors. This particular one was removed with great care in order to preserve it, while Mrs. Sapouna-Sakellarakis reminds us that a similar find had been brought to light during the excavation of Archana, at the entrance of the palace.

In one of the rooms on this side, a three-legged clay bench with blue mortar was found, while in another, a group of bronze objects of religious use came to light, including double chisels, devotional manuals, but also a long, narrow bronze object, of as yet undetermined use, with a hook at one end of it.

Here should be added all the other great finds of recent times, such as the bronze figurines, the priest's scepter with the engraved snakes, the censers, the bronze manuals and the bronze cups, the animal-shaped rytas, the communion cups but and many votives, prongs and periapts, jewels, plates.

Wall paintings

The volume of mortar resulting from the excavation is enormous. Especially the walls of the rooms on the upper floor, not only had good quality mortar, but were also well painted, as can be seen by the colors that come to light: red, yellow and blue. But it will be possible to talk about the performances after the preservation of the frescoes - although already, in a small part of them, some branches and a bird can be seen.

Another valuable piece of information from the excavation also emerged from the cleaning of the courtyard area on the north side of the building where the beginning of two processional corridors of the palace was identified.

A genius Minoan architect

It was built with large one-meter-long blocks, and all its floors were well paved with nice, large slabs. The palace of Zominthos seems to have had a genius architect with a special knowledge of the function and use of the spaces, as the archaeologist Mrs. Efi Sapouna-Sakellaraki, who is conducting the excavation, says.

The findings show that it was built in the prepalatial years (2100-1900 BC), since inside the building are preserved as "islets" relics of that period which were incorporated into the next phase of the palace by the later residents - now in the Palaiopalatial period.

However, after the earthquake of 1700 BC. about, which caused great destruction, the building was abandoned by its inhabitants, who left taking their possessions with them. Evidence suggests that they returned quickly, within 30-50 years at the most, and then rebuilt the building, slightly altering its layout. A few centuries later, however, another earthquake caused greater destruction. But the people returned once more... and rebuilt. Then the Mycenaeans came, the Romans came, then the Byzantines, the Venetians, the Turks, all of them leaving their footprints on Zominthos, but in no way did they succeed in surpassing those of the first Minoan inhabitants.

Excavation 2016 and the digital museum in village Anogia

During 2016, the excavation continued under the direction of Mrs. Sakellarakis with a large number of personnel from various specialties. The excavation showed that the central building before its main phase (around 1750 BC) which was known until today, extends over a larger area during the immediately preceding period.

Corridors, staircases, new colonnaded halls are added to the magnificent spaces that had been revealed in earlier excavation periods and were completed this year with porticoes and skylights. The building was two or three stories high in some places. The walls, which are preserved at a height of 2.5 to 3 meters, are frescoed.

Meeting rooms with desks around the perimeter have been found, an element interpreted to mean that the building was not only a luxurious residence for important figures of the Knossos dynasty, but also a place for religious gatherings during times of the year when the neighboring international religious center of Idaean Cave was not accessible, due to weather conditions. The multitude of objects, bronze religious objects, such as double chisels, censers and other objects, indicate the religious use of this space.

Tributes such as seals (this year's were particularly important with a representation of a "sacred knot" and a stylized bucranium with a solar disk), bronze figurines of worshipers, necklace beads, but also other items, such as clay censers, fruit bowls and a number of special vessels confirm this use.

The Minoans, who took advantage of the wealth of Psiloritis, had organized workshops for the production of ceramic works in Zominthos, as shown by the ceramic workshop and the kiln, the workshops for the processing of crystal ore, material that exists in the area and the metallurgical furnace, which was revealed during this year's excavation period . The number of coppers found this year is no coincidence.

Objects from Mycenaean times were also found, sporadically in the area, which show the relationship with the Mycenaean settlement that was discovered by Giannis Sakelarakis, 100 meters further east, while its use in historical times is confirmed by architectural remains (Roman) and mobile findings that indicate the timelessness of the space, just like the neighboring Idaean Cave.

Since there are no guards, the findings of the excavation go to the Rethymno Museum. But in a neighboring village, in Anogeia, with the assistance of the Municipality of Anogeia, there is a pioneering digital museum that was set up by Efi Sapouna-Sakellarakis and includes the entire history of the excavations of Zominthos and Idaion Andron. In particular, three LCD screens have been installed inside the space that show documentaries with material from the excavations of Idai Andros and Zominthos, two hologram exhibitions that reproduce digital copies of excavation findings, an interactive table containing digital applications and educational games and an interactive display dedicated to in the findings of the excavations. Particularly impressive is the central three-dimensional (3D) cinematographic projection, which projects a stereoscopic documentary, which follows the route from Anogeia to Idaean Cave.

The Municipality of Anogeia believes that this is a strong development project for the region, whose benefits to society will be multiple. This happens due to the excellent depiction of the area and especially with the modern technology used, which manages to transport the visitor in an amazing way to Minoan antiquity and to the role played by Psiloritis and Idaean Cave, in the creation of this great civilization.
Below are various findings from the 2013 and 2016 excavations.

Sources: To VIMA (www.tovima.gr), Y.P.P.O (http://www.yppo.gr), http://www.iefimerida.gr