Palaikastro -MinoanCity of Rousolakkos

The Minoan city of Rousolakkos was an important unwalled settlement which was denselyinhabited and expanded in an areathatsurpassed50,000square meters. It was considered to be veryunique due to itsexceptionalsewerage system, charming districtsand acentralroadthat vertically divided the city into alleys. The city primarily flourished during the Late Minoan Period (1550 to 1220 BC) and it was based on thenorthernmosttip of the east coast of Crete, approximately 18 kilometerseastofSitia, right nexttothe coastline ofChiona. In the early 20th century and to this day, excavations are being carried out by the BritishSchoolat Athens.

Places to visit

A central street passed through the Minoan settlement which would be vertically divided into 9 districts bybiggerorsmallerpaved, sometimes stepped,roads. The city’s remarkableseweragesystembranched out towards all districts, whereashomesthat were situatedalongthecentralstreethadmonumentalfacades.

Different districtsconsisted ofresidenceswithmegalithicexterior wallsand interior walls built with mud bricks. The thresholds, pavedfloorsand column bases were constructedwithspeciallimestone that was carried from CapeSideros.Mostresidenceshad a second floor, as well as kitchen areas, lustral basins, wells, domestic shrines, bathroomsandstorage rooms. IndistrictC, various unearthed containerswere decoratedwith Egyptian-inspired motifs. Most houses in the settlement are presumed to have been destroyed by fire.

On the northeastsideofdistrictX, a shrine that was in constant use from the Geometric Period (8thcentury BC) until the Romanoccupation was unearthed. Neartheshrine, a sign broken into many small pieces was found,bearing ahymntoDiktaionZeus. From the shrine, only the surroundingwall and altar are preserved, as well asseveral antefixesin the shape of a lion’s head.

Not to be missed

A visit to Rousolakkos is well-worth your time in order to observe the central street that run through the settlement and vertically divided the Minoan settlement into nine distinct districts.The monumental facades along the main road and the uniquely impressive sewerage system are some of the highlights of the archaeological site. Equally interesting is districtB, where an oil press with an oil separator and pithoi for storing the oil were found. Moreover, a grape crusher is a unique finding in district Ε, andonthe northeast side ofdistrict Χ, you can marvel at the sight of a sanctuary that wasdedicatedto DiktaionZeus. Findings from excavations in theMinoan city of Rousolakkos are currently displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Sitia.