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Gournia

Gournia - the ancient name of which is not known - is the best known of Cretes smaller
palaces. Dated to the period of the peak of Minoan culture 1550-1450BC it lies on a
small hill, a few hundred metres from the sea in the Gulf of Mirabello, close to the
north end of the Ierapetra Isthmus.
Today it is one of the best preserved Minoan settlements from the period of the
new palaces. It was excavated from 1901-1904 by the American archaeologist Harriet
Boyd-Hawes and her colleagues, who were urged by the discovery of a sealstone in the
site. The ruins of the settlement were visible before the excavation - hence the name
"Gournia" given by the villagers because of the stone basins (gournes - in Greek)
preserved in the area.
Harriet Boyd was a pioneer in archaeology for women. At a very young age
she was the first woman to discover and excavate a Minoan settlement though she had
very little support. This was a very brave move, since Crete was just emerging from
the...

Posted by: Jason Pinsky

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