Our first Site Of The Day also happens to be California Jones' first excavation site! Palaikastro is a common name throughout Greece, meaning "Old Fortress" or "Old Castle", but this particular Palaikastro is located on the northeastern coast of the island of Crete. It is near the modern town of Angathya, and close to the larger site called Kato Zakros.
Palaikastro was a town inhabited in the Bronze Age period, from 2900 BC to 1300 BC. This means that the inhabitants of Palaikastro were part of the Minoan culture, a society that had its "capital" in the city of Knossos, also on Crete. Like many other sites on Crete, Palaikastro is home to a "palace", or wealthy residence for upper-class occupants. It is also home to a number of town-houses for people of lesser wealth in the community.
On Kastri, the large flat cliff behind Palaikastro (in the background of the photo above), there was probably a sanctuary to the Young God, an early Greek deity. Later Greek myths say that Zeus was born on Crete and raised in a secret island caves by nymphs, so there is a strong connection between the Young God and the later, more maturely portrayed Zeus.
The most famous object to come out of Palaikastro is the Palaikastro Kouros (left), a carved ivory figure of a young man who may represent the Young God. (It is now mostly black, as it was badly burnt by a fire long ago.) The young man is extremely thin and graceful, with the narrow waist and long limbs that are typical in Minoan art. The pegs on his feet would have been used to attach him to a base, thus allowing him to stand upright. The Kouros was uncovered by Dr Hugh Sackett and his team in the '80s and is now the star attraction of the nearby Sitea Museum.
For more info on Palakaiastro, visit:
http://projectsx.dartmouth.edu/history/bronze_age/lessons/les/15.html(scroll down to "Minoan Religion")
No comments:
Post a Comment