- Zominthos
Zominthos (Greek: "Ζώμινθος", alternative spellings "Ζόμινθος" or "Ζόμιθος"), is the name of a small plateau in the northern foothills of
Mount Ida (Psiloritis), οn the island ofCrete . Zominthos is roughly 7.5 kilometers west of the village ofAnogia , on the path fromKnossos toIdaion Andron , the greatsanctuary cave near the peak of Ida. Zominthos is best known for the large Minoan building discovered there; signs of permanent settlement date back to about1800 BC .Archaeology
In
1982 , Greek archaeologistYannis Sakellarakis unveiled a large, two-story Minoan building at an altitude slightly below 1200m. The building's unusual size and careful construction, which incorporates some features pertinent onlyto palatial architecture [ [http://www.enet.gr/online/online_text/c=113,id=84445392 Ζώμινθος: τεχνολογική πρωτεύουσα των Μινωιτών, Ελευθεροτυπία onLine, 1 Οκτωβρίου 2007] ] , has attracted the interest of archaeologists. The significance of the discovery is emphasized even further by the fact that it lies considerably above the attitudinal limit of Minoan and modern Cretan settlements. Excavations have unearthed only a small part of the building and are still under way. However, they have made clear that the structure has been strongly built and is unusually well-preserved, with some of the remaining walls rising up to 3 meters in height. It has a strict north-south orientation and extends to at least 1350 m², with 40 rooms on the ground floor alone, some of which withfresco es [ [http://tovima.dolnet.gr/print_article.php?e=B&f=14879&m=C04&aa=1 Ζώμινθος, η «ελίτ» του Ψηλορείτη, το ΒΗΜΑ onLine, 1 Οκτωβρίου 2006] ] . Unique to Minoan Crete is the discovery of a large pottery workshop. The building belongs to the Neopalatial period and was abandoned after a bigearthquake around1600 BC . Archaeological research is being conducted under the directions of Profs. Yannis Sakellarakis and Diamantis Panagiotopoulos in order to provide answers to important questions concerning the inhabitants of Zominthos and the role played by it in Minoan Crete.External links
* [http://www.uk.digiserve.com/mentor/minoan/zominthos.htm Zominthos photos]
* [http://www.zominthos.org/ The Zominthos Project 2004-2008]References
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