"The Archaeological Sites of the Aegean Minoans"

154 Minoan Archaeological Sites and Geographical Features

Source: MinoanAtlantis.com

Over the past few years, I've had a large archaeological (Neolithic through the Bronze Age) and mineralogical geospatial (GIS) database of Europe and the Mediterranean Basin based on Google Earth compiled for my own research purposes. I have decided to begin sharing some of this database and the discoveries I have made from it with other interested users.

This three-dimensional (3D) GIS database is my first public offering and includes the sites listed below for the Aegean Minoans of Crete and Thera. It is intended to be a free, comprehensive, and definitive source for the geographical distribution of the Minoan archaeological sites in the Aegean Sea area.



Each one of the sites has a link to additional descriptive and visual information with some exceptions. Wherever possible I have included 3D virtual reality panoramas like Bruce Hartzler's excellent Metis QTVR catalog and the British School at Athens' 3D virtual reality tour of Knossos. All sites that had entries on Ian Swindale's Minoan Crete site are linked to it. Sites that had no entries are linked to other sources of information.



I would like to thank all those that has so far contributed to and assisted in this effort. I especially want to acknowledge the very generous contribution of Ian Swindale (Minoan Crete) whose on-site GPS readings and additions have significantly enhanced the dataset. Another important source was the publications of Cretan Hieroglyphics and Linear A texts by John G. Younger as well as many others listed below.

Every entry has been validated and verified for quality assurance. While many sites have precise positions there are several, especially the newer ones, that need to be more accurately set and confirmed on the ground. The peak sanctuaries and caves have been quite difficult to pinpoint and verify. I would sincerely appreciate any additions, corrections, comments, or suggestions that anyone may have.

Best Regards,

W. Sheppard Baird
www.minoanatlantis.com

Crete:

Caves:

• Agios Charalambos
• Arkalochori
• Ayios Phaneromeni
• Chosto Nero
• Eileithyia
• Idaean
• Kamares
• Kefala-Liliano
• Patso
• Psychro
• Pyrgos Tylissos
• Skoteino
• Trapeza

Geographical Features:

• Lassithi Plateau
• Mesara Plain
• Mt Dikte
• Mt Ida
• Mt Pachnes
• Tallaia Mountains

Palaces:

• Archanes
• Galatas
• Gournia
• Knossos
• Knossos - Little Palace
• Knossos - Royal Villa
• Kydonia (Chania)
• Mallia
• Phaistos
• Zakros

Peak Sanctuaries:

• Atsipadhes Korakias
• Dhemati
• Iuktas
• Kardamoutsa
• Kophinas
• Maza
• Petsofas
• Spili Vorizi
• Traostalos
• Vrysinas

Sites:

• Achladia
• Adromili
• Aghios Stephanos
• Alagni
• Amnissos
• Anemospilia
• Apodoulou
• Armeni
• Avdou
• Ayia Photia
• Ayia Triadha
• Ayios Georgios
• Chamaizi
• Choiromandres
• Chrysokamino
• Chrysolakos
• Fournou Koryphi
• Galeni
• Gazi
• Gonies Philioremos
• Gortys
• Gouves
• Heraklion
• Itanos
• Kalathiana
• Kalo Horio
• Karphi
• Kastelli
• Kavousi
• Klimataria
• Kommos
• Kritsa
• Kroussonas
• Larani
• Lastros
• Lebena
• Lithines
• Lyktos
• Makriyialos
• Matala
• Mochlos
• Monastiraki
• Neapoli
• Nerokourou
• Nipiditos
• Nirou Khani
• Palaikastro
• Papadiokambos
• Papoura
• Petras
• Phylaki
• Pinakiano
• Plati
• Poros Herakleiou
• Poros Katsamba
• Prassa
• Pressos
• Priniatikos Pyrgos
• Pseira
• Pyrgos
• Simi
• Sitia
• Skhinia
• Sklavokambos
• Stylos
• Tripiti
• Troullos
• Tylisos
• Vasiliki
• Vathypetro
• Vitsila
• Voni
• Xeri Kara
• Xida
• Ziros
• Zominthos
• Zou

Tholos Tombs:

• Apesokari
• Apodoulou
• Kamilari
• Koumasa
• Krasi
• Nea Roumata
• Nekropolis Minois
• Odigitria
• Papoura
• Phourni
• Platanos
• Stylos
• Yerokambos

Cyclades & Aegean Islands:

• Akrotiri - Thera (Santorini)
• Asomatos Kremastis - Rhodes
• Ayia Irini - Keos (Kea)
• Emporio - Chios
• Ialysos - Rhodes
• Kastri - Kythera
• Kastri - Syros
• Kephala - Keos (Kea)
• Mikri Vigla - Naxos
• Mikro Vouni - Samothrace
• Paroikia - Paros
• Phylakopi - Milos
• Poliohni - Limnos
• Prodromos - Paros
• Serayia - Kos
• Serraglio - Kos
• Skouries - Kythnos
• Thermi - Lesbos
• Trianda - Rhodes

Mainland Greece:

• Kolonna
• Pylos

Western Anatolia:

• Iasos
• Knidos
• Miletus
• Troy

Thanks for posting this on AegeaNet. I have no trouble getting the maps, but I'm unable to open the .kmz file in Google Earth. Is this just my problem, or a more general one?

Dear Judith,

You are the only one that has so far indicated a problem. Are you having this problem with any of the other posts?

Best Regards,

W. Sheppard Baird

http://www.minoanatlantis.com

Everything else seems to work. It could just be my abysmal inexperience with Google Earth and its files. Do let me know if it turns out to be a more general problem (with a solution).

Judith

Dear Judith,

It doesn't appear to be a general problem. If you wish, contact me through the Aegeanet or send me an email directly from my website by clicking on the Contact selection in the top right of any web page. I can then walk you through the problem and give you instructions on how to use Google Earth.

Very Best Regards,

W. Sheppard Baird

http://www.minoanatlantis.com

Try this, Judith:

Open an Explorer window (Windows Key + E)
Go to Tools > Folder Options> File Type tab.
Scroll down to the kmz and kml file types.
Highlight each one and click the 'restore' button.

That should do it.

Dear Lucia,

I haven't heard anything back from Judith so I think she is doing fine and able to view the dataset. I just wanted to thank you for your "Master Guide" technical assistance in helping her.

Best Regards,

W. Sheppard Baird

Hello W Sheppard Baird,

very impressive, and from just reading the bare post.............

I will go to "view in GE" or "view in GE map" after this response..............one more addition to the growing list of professional and well researched posts on GEC!!!

Five globes from me!!!!

Have you got more data that brings us closer to find out why this civilisation vanished?
Is the Santorini eruption still seen as the cause of the disappearance of the Minoan civilisation..............

here is a picture from me, I remember from school days(48 years) and later read ups on this. Ofcourse, the picture here is borrowed from wikipedia ...............but then thats the internet boom!!!!
the very famous fresco at the Minoan palace at Knossos, I remember from far back in my school history textbook!!!

Between my first response and this one, I have been busy reading from your website minoanatlantis.com and read your preface, for Minoan Psychopath, first.................very educative.

I then went on to read your publication section: The Origin of the Sea Peoples.

My previous readups on the Minoans and the Mediterranean world, left an impression that the Minoans and the later Mycenaean peoples were confined to the eastern part of this world with some trading links to the western parts of Mediterranean Europe.

Your write up The Origin of the Sea Peoples conclusively shows that the whole of this region was one great civilisation!!!

And , one corrects the lop-sided perception that ancient civilisations on a large scale were confined to areas from the eastern part of the Mediterranean eastwards - Minoans in Crete, eastwards to include Eygptians and Hittites and Mittani, and Sumerians/ Mesopotamia, and the Elamites etc in Iran, to the Indus Valley centres..........and then through the desserts of Central Asia to China( the last a little later!!!)
The correct picture is one huge sweep of civilisations from Spain through the whole mediterranean world and then eastwards as detailed above.

Thank you.

The Minoans and their western reach all the way to Spain is geographically in Europe...........but I would love to know if these peoples were Europeans as we understand for later periods..........can you throw some light on this?

You are a very valued addition to the GEC family!!!

geveN

Very nice, thanks.

I think we can put this in Moderated.