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Monastiraki, Crete
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Monastiraki (Greek: Μοναστηράκι) is the archaeological site of an ancient Minoan town on the island of Crete. The site is on the plain of Amari, west of the Ida massif, 38 kilometres (24 miles) from Rethymnon.
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Monastiraki likely dates to the Middle Minoan Old Palace period and was destroyed at the same time as the old palaces. Its importance for archaeology, then, lies in the fact that it was not subsequently built on and remains one of the best examples of Middle Minoan archaeology on the island. It is clearly located on a strategically important site, dominating the Amari Valley which connects the south coast of Crete to the west of Phaistos with the north coast of Crete at present day Rethymno. It is quite likely that Monastiraki was developed by Phaistos inhabitants founding a satellite center. (Hogan, 2007)
The site may have been a Minoan palace, and has thus far yielded a complex of buildings, including storehouses, two archive rooms of earthenware stamps and sanctuaries.