THE PRE- AND PROTO-PALATIAL CEMETERY

The cemetery is situated on a high plateau of the Kephala Hill (altitude 54-60 m), a place dominating the whole of the Siteia bay and the plain to the west. The excavation started in 2004 and is still in progress. Τhe cemetery is extensive and comprises large house-tombs (50-80 m2) with complex plans. To the east there is an enclosure wall. 14 house tombs have been identified and completely or partially excavated. The use of the cemetery for burials stopped at the end of the Prepalatial (for Petras) Middle Minoan ΙΒ/beginning of ΙΙΑ. It is of particular interest that these house tombs are built on top of earlier ones, of which architectural remains are preserved, dated to the Early Minoan II. Furthermore two large votive deposits have been excavated in open spaces of the cemetery. Their use continued in the Protopalatial period, suggesting that the Petras cemetery was a well- organized cult center for the social coherence of the community, even after the foundation of the palace. House Tombs (HT) 1, 2 and 5 have been completely excavated and comprised 9, 8 and 7 rooms respectively. HT 2, which is connected with Votive deposit 1 is the most important and the most recent to date. είναι το σημαντικότερο και το νεώτερο μέχρι σήμερα του νεκροταφείου. Two of the rooms were used exclusively for the storage of vessels related to the cult activities. HT 2 included burials in two larnakes and a pithos, showing the change in burial customs at the end of the Prepalatial/beginning of Protopalatial. Furthermore, HT2 contained seals made of hard stones, of significant historic and artistic value, some of them with hieroglyphic inscriptions. HT1, earlier than HT 2, is the only one excavated to date that did not contain seals, although it produced other elite items, such as gold and stone vases. HT5 is built on the remains of an earlier building. It contained among other finds very interesting seals made of bone. Most burials in the cemetery are secondary, but there are also few primary burials in situ. All HTs contained good pottery, stone vases, jewelry made of various materials, including silver and gold, as well as bronze and stone tools. The votive deposits contained mostly elaborate cult vessels, some with plastic decoration (animal and human figurines), and a large number of plates, apparently because food consumption was included in the rituals. The latest occupation of the plateau of the cemetery is dated to the late Minoan IIIC period, and consists of remains of a settlement in the eastern part, in areas not previously occupied by HTs. The only exception is a large megaron, and a perivolos, of unknown use, but probably connected with the cult of the ancestors, built partially on top of HT1. Other particularly important finds of the Petras cemetery, found outside of the HTs, are three fragmentary imported marble Early Cycladic figurines, the first one to come from an excavation context in eastern Crete. They prove that the relationship of the area of the Siteia Bay with the Cyclades continued when the Aghia Photia cemetery was no longer in use. THE PRE- AND PROTO-PALATIAL CEMETERY AT PETRAS The cemetery is situated on a high plateau of the Kephala Hill (altitude 54-60 m), a place dominating the whole of the Siteia bay and the plain to the west. The excavation started in 2004 and is still in progress. Τhe cemetery is extensive and comprises large house-tombs (50-80 m2) with complex plans. To the east there is an enclosure wall. 14 house tombs have been identified and completely or partially excavated. The use of the cemetery for burials stopped at the end of the Prepalatial (for Petras) Middle Minoan ΙΒ/beginning of ΙΙΑ. It is of particular interest that these house tombs are built on top of earlier ones, of which architectural remains are preserved, dated to the Early Minoan II. Furthermore two large votive deposits have been excavated in open spaces of the cemetery. Their use continued in the Protopalatial period, suggesting that the Petras cemetery was a well- organized cult center for the social coherence of the community, even after the foundation of the palace. House Tombs (HT) 1, 2 and 5 have been completely excavated and comprised 9, 8 and 7 rooms respectively. HT 2, which is connected with Votive deposit 1 is the most important and the most recent to date. είναι το σημαντικότερο και το νεώτερο μέχρι σήμερα του νεκροταφείου. Two of the rooms were used exclusively for the storage of vessels related to the cult activities. HT 2 included burials in two larnakes and a pithos, showing the change in burial customs at the end of the Prepalatial/beginning of Protopalatial. Furthermore, HT2 contained seals made of hard stones, of significant historic and artistic value, some of them with hieroglyphic inscriptions. HT1, earlier than HT 2, is the only one excavated to date that did not contain seals, although it produced other elite items, such as gold and stone vases. HT5 is built on the remains of an earlier building. It contained among other finds very interesting seals made of bone. Most burials in the cemetery are secondary, but there are also few primary burials in situ. All HTs contained good pottery, stone vases, jewelry made of various materials, including silver and gold, as well as bronze and stone tools. The votive deposits contained mostly elaborate cult vessels, some with plastic decoration (animal and human figurines), and a large number of plates, apparently because food consumption was included in the rituals. The latest occupation of the plateau of the cemetery is dated to the late Minoan IIIC period, and consists of remains of a settlement in the eastern part, in areas not previously occupied by HTs. The only exception is a large megaron, and a perivolos, of unknown use, but probably connected with the cult of the ancestors, built partially on top of HT1.