Minoans at Aghios Nikolaos? Preliminary Results of the Khavania Topographical and Architectural Mapping Project

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This paper presents the preliminary results of the Khavania Topographical and Architectural Mapping Project (2019), whose primary objective was to document all natural and anthropogenic features at the coastal site of Khavania, East Crete. Exploration of the eastern and southern shores of the Mirabello Bay has produced abundant evidence for cultural development in the region, which stands in stark contrast to the lack of attention shown for the western side of the bay. Rescue excavations have produced a solid understanding of the historical landscape, but the earlier prehistoric remains continue to elude detection. It is in this context that Khavania begins to assume such importance. Utilizing both traditional and digital means of architectural recording, we identified a number of structural features, while limited collection of surface materials indicates activity spanning the Early Bronze Age through to the Medieval era. Finally, analysis of fixed and portable remains indicates that Khavania’s residents were interacting with contemporary settlements within the broader region throughout these periods. These results allow us to begin filling in a striking lacuna in the larger archaeological landscape that occupies a key, strategic position at the crossroads of several important communication routes running along the north shore of the island.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32152