Fylaki Domed Tomb
The Fylaki tholos tomb is a Late Minoan domed tomb on a hillside 1 km north-west of the village of Fylaki, in the Apokoronas district of Chania, built between 1370 and 1200 BC. The Fylaki tomb was excavated in 1981, and although robbers had broken into it, it still held gold, silver and carved ivory.
The Greek Ministry of Culture describes it as an important tholos tomb and compares its architecture with the tholos tomb at Maleme. It also has an unusual way of carrying the weight above its door.
How the Fylaki tomb is built
The Fylaki tomb is built in three parts: a passage, a doorway and a domed chamber. A long, narrow passage, or dromos, slopes down into the hill, cut into marly limestone. It runs 11.10 m and is 1.35 m wide.
The passage ends at a doorway 1.67 m high, between 0.90 and 1.06 m wide and 1.00 m deep, which was once sealed by a blocking wall. Scattered pottery lay in the earth that filled the passage, and there were traces of fire at two levels.
The doorway has a feature that sets the tomb apart. Above it, a vertical slab decorates the front of the dome, but there is no relieving triangle behind it, the gap that Late Bronze Age builders often left to take weight off a lintel. Instead, the three lintel slabs are set upright one above another, and that arrangement makes the lintel strong enough to do without one.
The chamber is almost square, 3.40 by 3.65 m, with a floor area of 12.40 m² and a height of 3.80 m. It is built of carefully cut, slab-like limestone. All four walls lean inward to form a pyramid-shaped roof, built by corbelling, with each course projecting a little further than the one below. A few stones are missing near the top, where robbers broke in at an unknown date.
The burials
The exact number of burials in the Fylaki tomb is not known, although bones were found scattered throughout the chamber. Among them were the burnt bones of at least one adult and one child. Traces of fire together with burnt cattle bones suggest that an animal may have been sacrificed there.
What was found in the tomb
The finds that escaped the robbers are listed below, according to the Ministry of Culture.
- Gold rosettes from a necklace, and beads of various shapes.
- Silver rings and 2 stone signet rings.
- 15 sealstones and 9 pendants in the form of animals or objects.
- Relief ivory plaques, probably inlays from a wooden object, showing helmeted warriors’ heads, sphinxes, wild goats, small columns and plant designs.
- An ivory pin showing male figures embracing, two small ivory male figurines carved in the round, and the head of a third.
- A few clay vessels, among them a tin-coated kylix and a pyxis.
One of the plaques is in the collection of the Archaeological Museum of Chania, catalogued as K 155. It is carved from hippopotamus tooth and shows a standing sphinx in profile, facing left.
Things to do near the Fylaki tomb
The Fylaki tomb has 7 villages, beaches and sites within 5 km, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Visit the village of Kastellos, 0.9 km south-west.
- Drive to Kournas, 1.9 km west.
- Stop in Episkopi, 2.2 km north-east.
- See the remains of ancient Lappa, 3.7 km south-east.
- Walk around Lake Kournas, 3.8 km north-west.
- Explore Argyroupolis, the springs village, 4.0 km south-east.
- Swim at Episkopi beach, 4.2 km north-east.
Getting to the Fylaki tomb
The Fylaki tomb is reached by car on the provincial road to the village of Fylaki, according to the Ministry of Culture. From the road, the tomb is about a 10-minute walk.
The north coast lies a short drive away. The resort of Georgioupolis lies 7 km to the north-west, on the shore.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Fylaki tholos tomb?
The Fylaki tholos tomb is on a hillside 1 km north-west of the village of Fylaki, in Apokoronas, Chania.
How old is the Fylaki tomb?
The Fylaki tomb dates from Late Minoan IIIA2 to IIIB, between 1370 and 1200 BC.
What is unusual about the Fylaki tomb?
The tomb is unusual because it has no relieving triangle above its door. Its three lintel slabs stand upright one above another, which makes the lintel strong enough without one.
What was found in the Fylaki tomb?
The tomb held gold rosettes, silver rings, 15 sealstones and carved ivory plaques, among other goods that escaped the robbers.
How do you get to the Fylaki tomb?
You reach it by car on the provincial road to Fylaki, then on foot for about 10 minutes.
Location
Fylaki Domed Tomb is located at Fylaki Domed Tomb, in the Chania region of Crete. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
