Petras

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Petras is the archaeological site of an ancient Minoan town on northeastern Crete.

Contents 1 Geography 2 Archaeology 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Geography

Petras is just east of the modern Cretan town, Siteia. The site is situated on top of a small plateau and overlooks the sea north of Crete.

[edit] Archaeology

Metaxia Tsipopoulou began excavations at Petras in 1985.

The main building, which was two stories when it stood, is 2800 square meters.

Petras has a drainage system, double staircases, dadoes, frescoes and cut slab pavements. Marks appear on the architecture of double axes, stars, branches, double triangles and Linear A signs. Petras has yielded only one Linear A tablet from its archives so far, but a hieroglyphic archive was excavated in 1995 and 1996.

The central building shares many of the features that are used to identify a Minoan palace apart from a regular building: pier and door partitions, alternating columns and pillars, and ashlar masonry.

Additions and building modifications were occurring as late as Late Minoan IB.

[edit] References

• Swindale, Ian http://www.uk.digiserve.com/mentor/minoan/petras.htm Retrieved 4 February 2006

[edit] External links

• http://www.uk.digiserve.com/mentor/minoan/petras.htm