Agia Marina

South of Archanes we find the archaeological site of Vathipetro, which is open daily from 08:00 - 15:00, except Tuesdays. One can visit the settlement of Vathipetro going south the central street. In about 1km distance the settlement is found and the visitor can relax there. The Minoan villa in Vathipetro, came to light by Spyros Marinatos in 1949 and is found in the place Piso Libadia, 4 kilometers south of Archanes. It can be characterized as a “small palace” as it includes central and western courtyard, two floors with exterior walls from hewer stones, small tripartite holy place, a gallery and a storage facility. It was the residence of a local ruler. It was built about in 1550 BC and after its destruction in 1450 BC it was used as a cottage.

In the south wing a grape pressing installation was discovered while oil press was found in the courtyard. A 30 m corridor leads to a lab and ceramic kiln.

Text: www.archanes.gr