‘Crete’ Archives
Under the Excavation
As we noted in an earlier report, excavations are a lot like peeling away the layers of a tall cake – where the newest layers are on top and the oldest on the bottom. You don’t know what is in the layer below until you actually get there. And getting there is a delicate and [Read More]
Palace to Peak
After exploring modern Arxanes, we decide to look into nearby archaeological sites uncovered during the past several decades. These might shed more light on the culture of ancient Arxanes, and help us understand why this palace was built so near Knossos. We have found that experts disagree about using the word “palace” to describe the [Read More]
A Palace Beneath the Vineyards
Setting off on another random expedition, we drive westward on the national highway. When the traffic becomes intolerable in Iraklion, we take the Knossos exit – although we do not plan to stop there. Passing the entrance to ancient Knossos, jammed with tourists, we soon emerge into farmland. We drop down into the gorge of [Read More]
Energy and the Environment
Visiting Greece over the past fourteen years, we have always been impressed by the hot water heating systems installed on the roofs of nearly every building. These are solar water heaters. In a country with so much sunshine, it makes perfect sense to use solar energy to heat water. More recently, we have also seen [Read More]
Accidental Discovery
We never know what our travels will reveal, and maybe that’s a good thing. Sometimes one discovers more by accident than through exertion – as we learned today. This morning we started out to find Nirou Hani, a large Minoan villa near the beach town of Kokkini Hani, about halfway to Iraklio. A very simple [Read More]
