Hagia Triada (also Ayia Triada, Agia Triada, Agia Trias, Greek: [ˈaʝa triˈaða]) is the archaeological site of an ancient Minoan settlement.[1] Hagia Triada is situated on a prominent coastal ridge, with the Mesara Plain below.[2] Hagia triada sits at the western end of the ridge, while Phaistos is at the eastern end. Hagia Triada means holy trinity in Greek.
Contents |
Hagia Triada is in south central Crete, 30-40 meters above sea level. It lies four km west of Phaistos, situated at the western end of the Mesara Plain. The site was not one of the "palaces" of Minoan Crete, but an upscale town, and possibly a royal villa. After the catastrophe of 1450 BC, the town was rebuilt and remained inhabited until the 2nd century BC. Later, a Roman period villa was built at the site. Nearby are two chapels, Agia Triada and Agios Georgios, built during the Venetian period, as well as the deserted village of Agia Triada.
Hagia Triada, as nearby Phaistos, was excavated from 1900 to 1908 by a group from Italian Scuola Archeologica Italiana di Atene, directed by Federico Halbherr and Luigi Pernier. They unearthed a sarcophagus painted with illuminating scenes from Cretan life,[3] now at the Archaeological Museum in Iraklion.The sarcophagus was used for the burial of a prince during the period of the Mycenean occupation (1400 BC).The main scene is a bull sacrifice and shows all the stages of the sacred ceremony. On it appear a large number of religious symbols,a male figure playing a flute and a man playing a seven-string lyre.[4]This is the oldest picture of the lyre known in classical Greece.
The site includes a town and a miniature "palace", an ancient drainage system servicing both, and Early Minoan tholos tombs. The settlement was in use, in various forms, from Early Minoan I until the fires of Late Minoan IB.
Hagia Triada has yielded more Linear A tablets than any other Minoan archaeological site. Other famous finds include the Chieftain's Cup, the Boxer Vase, and the Harvest Vase.