Excavations at Kalo Khorio, East Crete

Abstract

This report presents the results of an excavation in the area of Kalo Khorio–Istron in eastern Crete, which recovered a portion of a Protopalatial (Middle Minoan I-II) cemetery and a well-preserved Early Minoan I house. Although Prepalatial and Protopalatial house tomb architecture from the eastern end of the island is well documented, all too frequently the internal configuration of burials—particularly larnax and pithos interments—is ill defined or poorly preserved. The possible internal arrangement of a group of larnax burials is illustrated here, and questions of chronology, function, and secondary burial practices are considered. Well-stratified Early Minoan I domestic or habitation remains have previously been fully published from only two sites on the island, Debla and Knossos, while none had been reported from East Crete. The presentation here of the EM I architecture, stratigraphy, and pottery from Kalo Khorio contributes to the definition of EM I ceramic phases and relative chronology, as well as to an understanding of the formal relationship between EM I and EM IIA material culture in eastern Crete.