The Area Pi at Malia, Crete. Archaeology of a Minoan urban district

Malia was a major Minoan town on the north east coast of Crete, about 30km east of Knossos (N 35° 16' 59.4048", E 25° 27' 46.3284"). The site has been excavated since 1915, firstly by J. Hazzidakis who recognized a Minoan palace similar to that of Knossos, and from 1922 by the French school of archaeology (école française d’Athènes). Field works have exposed different urban districts around the Palace, dating from the Early Bronze Age (or Early Minoan) until the Late Minoan period (ca. 2600-1250 BC).

Most of the material published from Malia comes from early excavations. While some sectors and phases are relatively well known (in particular the MM IIB in Quartier Mu), others remain obscure, creating problems in the definition of the historical sequence and making it difficult to draw parallels with other sites.

The last program of excavations carried out at Malia in the ‘Area Pi’, 150m west of the Palace (2005-2020), aims to fill these gaps, based on a refined stratigraphy and ceramic sequence from the Prepalatial until the Late Minoan IA. Moreover, a systematic recording of ecofacts and geo-archaeological analysis for the first time on the site make it possible to characterize the way of life, production and consumption activities in a urban district, in the ‘longue durée’.

The publication project is directed by Dr. Maia Pomadère.

Please click on the images below for larger and expandable views

Aerial view of the archaeological site in front of Mount Selena (Lassithi):
Fig. 1. Aerial view of the archaeological site in front of Mount Selena (Lassithi): on the left, the Palace; on the center, Area Pi; on the right (under the roof), Quartier Mu (C. Gaston / EFA).
Aerial view of the Area Pi, bordering the paved street dubbed “rue de la mer”, during excavations
Fig. 2. Aerial view of the Area Pi, bordering the paved street dubbed “rue de la mer”, during excavations (C. Gaston / EFA).
Area Pi, space 19: a MM IIIA in situ deposit, cut on the right by a MM IIIB pit
Fig. 3. Area Pi, space 19: a MM IIIA in situ deposit, cut on the right by a MM IIIB pit (L. Manousogiannaki / EFA).