GREECE CRETE LASITHI MIRTOS MIRTOS PIRGOS

On the east side of the river Mirtos, a steep path leads up to the hilltop where Gerald Cadogan between 1970 and 1982 excavated the Minoan site of Mirtos Pirgos. The settlement and its "country house" (or "villa") offer a superb view over the Libyan sea and the Mirtos valley. - Like Phournou Koryphi, just a few kilometers to the East, Mirtos Pirgos was settled in the Early Minoan period (EM IIA) and destroyed by fire in EM IIB. Then in Middle Minoan (MM IA) it was rebuilt and the settlement here continued until the Late Minoan period (LM I).

A stepped street leads from the eastern side of the hill along a facade of very fine ashlar masonry to the summit, where the "villa" was built. The palatial quality of its architecture along with the elegant pottery (displayed in the museum of Agios Nikolaos), Linear A tablets and clay sealings make clear, that this was the social, economic and administrative centre of the region.

Above right: On the north side of the summit, a deep cistern can be seen, the largest known from Minoan Crete. It is dated to the Middle Minoan period. - Below left: The paved courtyard in front of the "villa" is made of stones in beautifully contrasting colours. - Below right: Near the staircase that led to the upper storeys of the building, a bench was discovered (the photograph shows part of a back panel). Since both are of gypsum, they have now been covered with stones to protect them from weathering.