Agios Georgios Galatas

It is the second in size archeological site of west Mesara, after Phaistos. The distance between them is about 3km. It took its name by a small deserted settlement of the Venetian period, which is preserved west from the archeological site, and by its homonym church. The Minoan palace, the settlement and its cemeteries were excavated by F. Albert and his partners in 1902-1904. The site was inhabited since the beginning of the pre-palatial period. The most imposing monuments from this period are two domed tombs. The diameter of the largest is 9m. Their entrance is in the east and in the south there were burial and ritual chambers.From the pre-palatial period, we only have a vague image of the settlement. During the neo-palatial period, Aghia Triada was the political and administrative center. There are many findings from this period (Linear A inscriptions, stamps, ect.).In 1450 the settlement of Aghia Triada was destroyed along with Phaistos, and after 1400 Aghia Triada became once again the center of Mesara. The new plan of the palatial city includes monumental buildings that are not found anywhere else in Crete. The southern sector includes the palatial hall, the headquarters of the local authority and next to it an arcade facing the paved plateau with the altars. In the western extremity of the arcade there was an independent temple with paintings of octopuses and dolphins on the floor. The new plan also included storage chambers on the market plateau. North from the plateau, there were two large -probably administrative- buildings.

The Minoan tholos tomb at Kamilari was discovered 3 km west of Phaistos, on the hill of Grigori Korfi, about 80 m high. It was built on the north side of the hill, in a spot with a panoramic view of the Asterousia Mountains, Psiloritis and the Messara Plain.

The tomb was discovered in the summer of 1959 following the excavations by Italian professor Doro Levi, who dated it to circa 2000 BC, detailing its historical phases on the basis of the cult and funerary finds. The tomb was used at different times, in 1800 BC, 1700 BC and 1500 BC - this last is the date of most of the offerings found during the excavation.

The Kamilari tomb was half underground, built in the usual tholos tomb method, of stones of varying sizes and mud. It is quite large, 2.15m high, with circular walls 1.75m thick and an outer perimeter measuring 33.8m. The entrance to the tomb faces east and was sealed with a large slab measuring 1.15 x 1.05m.

The tomb consisted of five smaller rooms with an inner courtyard which was located outside the tomb. The tomb had a wooden roof set on a base.

kamilari dancersThe tomb contained significant finds now housed in Heraklion Archaeological Museum. They include a clay figurine of worshippers and a statuette of four dancers in a circle, resembling a modern Cretan dance, now known as the “Kamilari Dancers”.

Cretan funerary customs, as indicated by the excavation finds, were linked to the worship and honouring of the illustrious dead. The tholos tombs of the Minoan period were grand, imposing buildings, constructed with great care in a particular style of architecture, demonstrating the social organisation of the time.

The care of the dead in Crete did not include only the standard rituals on the burial day, but also lasted for a considerable time afterwards, with memorial services, funerary repasts and offerings to the dead. The offerings and grave goods which the Cretans buried with the body provide historians with much important information on dead person’s status.