Minoan Cemetery

The Minoan cemetery in Agia Fotia is the largest cemetery in the whole of Minoan Crete.

The graves consist of an antechamber and a main chamber, but there are also simple pit graves, which most probably contain children of a young age. Most of the graves contained more than one burial. All the graves have disintegrated and have become over-filled by the sun, the wind, and the rain.

There was an abundance of findings. A total of around 1800 ceramic vessels, of various forms, were discovered in excellent condition, and another element of great interest was a series of bronze objects, including fish-hooks, manuals, daggers, and spears etc.

Another important finding was the discovery of two lead amulets in the form of animals, which, according to antiquities Curator Mr. Costis Davaras, give credence to the view that during the early Minoan period, lead was considered as precious as silver. Many researchers claim that the cemetery belonged to pre-historic Cycladic settlers in Crete.

Source: book of N. Papadakis, archaeologist: ΣΗΤΕΙΑ, 2000

Translated and edited by: Yallou