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Elipsoid house at Chamezi

On a conical hill called Souvloto Mouri lies the only known oval house of the Middle Minoan Ia period (2100-2000 B.C.). It belongs to an intermediate type of building, between the circular and the rectangular ones. Two architectural phases are distinguished; the earlier buildings, some with curvilinear walls, dated to the Early Minoan period (2800-2300 B.C.), were mostly farmers' houses and extended beyond the east side of the oval building. The discovery of a large number of figurines created the assumption that this was a peak sanctuary, but it seems that it originally was a domestic shrine, incorporated into the house. The main entrance of the Middle Minoan oval house (2200-1550 B.C.) is on the SE side, while a second one was uncovered on the NW, at the base of a staircase that leads to the upper floor. The structural nucleus of the house is a small open courtyard surrounded by rooms fronting on it. A well or cistern is located in the eastern part of the courtyard. One of the largest rooms on the NE side has been interpreted as a domestic shrine. To the earlier architectural phase belong the foundations of three rooms on the east external side, also slightly curved.

The house at Chamaizi was excavated in 1903 by St. Xanthoudides and a little later, in 1907, D. Mackenzie made some very interesting observations on the architectural plan of the building. In 1971, in the course of clearing and consolidation work conducted by the Ephorate of Antiquities under the direction of K. Davaras, new evidence was brought to light, which changed or reinforced some of the previous theories. Several observations on the function of the building have been made by St. Alexiou and N. Platon.

Author
Chr. Sofianou, archaeologist
http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/2/eh251.jsp?obj_id=1645

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