Mochlos Archaeological Ruins

The Mochlos archaeological ruins occupy a small islet off the north coast of eastern Crete, a designated site that is still being excavated. The islet was inhabited from 3650 BC and grew into a Minoan port, and the digging that started there has not finished. What visitors see today is a settlement, a cemetery and a workshop quarter spread across a rock that was once joined to the mainland.

The site sits directly opposite the village and the shore, with the strait between the two never deeper than 2.5 metres. Traces of Roman buildings have been found on the seabed in that strait, which is the clearest evidence that the water now covers ground people once built on.

The islet and its neighbours

The small islet Scoglio de Muflo, also known as Psilos, meaning flea, lies opposite the island of Mochlos and served as a commercial centre and port from antiquity until the Byzantine era. The naming runs in a set. To the west lies a larger island called Psira, meaning lice, and a further islet called Konida, meaning lice egg or nit, sits opposite Pahia Ammos.

The island is also called Agios Nikolaos, after the chapel of Saint Nicholas that stands on it. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, which fits a rock that made its living from the sea.

How Mochlos became an island

Mochlos was not always an island. It was the tip of a narrow peninsula, and that shape gave the settlement 2 natural harbours, one on each side of the neck. When the land link went under, the harbours went with it, and the prosperity of ancient Mochlos was cut short.

The evidence of the older coastline is still underwater between the islet and the mainland. Roman building traces lie in a channel no more than 2.5 metres deep.

A Minoan port and its trade

Mochlos thrived in the Minoan period because of the natural harbour and the fertile plain behind it. Both counted for a great deal on a coast of stormy seas and rugged mountains, where sheltered anchorages are rare and flat land rarer.

The port imported obsidian from Milos and raw materials from the East, and it kept close trade relations with both. That traffic ended when the eruption of the Santorini volcano destroyed the settlement, although Mochlos was rebuilt afterwards.

Tombs and the golden ring

Tombs from every period of the Minoan era have been found on the islet, and their contents are the reason the site matters to archaeology. The recorded grave goods include the following.

• Seals and golden jewellery.
• Pottery and steatite vases.
• Axes, and a jewellery storage box holding a knife shaped like a dog.

The single most significant find is a golden ring. It shows a nude goddess seated on a peculiar ship, having just left a small house on the rocky coast behind her.

The neighbourhood of artisans

An entire quarter of workshops has been uncovered on the islet, known as the neighbourhood of artisans. Gold jewellery, gems and stone vessels were made there, so the site produced the sort of goods it also traded rather than simply shipping other people’s work.

Roman and Byzantine Mochlos

In Roman times Mochlos came under the control of Ierapytna, which fortified the island against enemy attack. The settlement carried on into the Byzantine era and then emptied, abandoned like every other coastal site in Crete once pirate raids made the shoreline unsafe.

Things to do near the Mochlos ruins

5 other sites and walks lie within 9 km of the islet, listed here nearest first.

1. Swim below the site. The Mochlos beaches are 0.3 km from the ruins, on the shore facing the islet.
2. Look across to the second island. Psira Islet is 3.9 km west, the larger island whose name means lice.
3. Walk to a waterfall. Richtis Gorge starts 7.3 km away and finishes at Richtis beach, 7.2 km from Mochlos.
4. See where copper was smelted. The Chrysokamino Copper Workshop at Kavousi is 8.3 km off, with Havgas Gorge 8.1 km away, also at Kavousi.
5. Find a quieter beach. Tholos lies 5.6 km from the ruins and Agriomandra 9.2 km.

Getting to the Mochlos archaeological ruins

Drive to Mochlos village on the north coast of eastern Crete and look out to the islet from the waterfront. The ruins are on the island rather than the mainland, so reaching them means crossing the shallow strait.

2 more Minoan sites sit within a short drive for anyone building a day around the period. The Archaeological Site of Gournia and the Minoan village of Vasiliki lie 13.4 km and 14.5 km away, and Faneromeni Monastery near Sitia 14.6 km.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the Mochlos archaeological ruins?

The ruins are on a small islet off Mochlos, on the north coast of eastern Crete. The strait between the islet and the shore is no more than 2.5 metres deep, and the Mochlos beaches lie 0.3 km from the site.

How old is Mochlos?

The island has been inhabited since 3650 BC. It prospered through the Minoan era, was rebuilt after the Santorini eruption destroyed the settlement, and remained occupied until the Byzantine period.

Was Mochlos always an island?

No, it was once the tip of a narrow peninsula with a natural harbour on either side. The separation from the mainland ended the settlement’s prosperity, and Roman building traces now lie underwater in the strait.

What was found at Mochlos?

Minoan tombs holding seals, golden jewellery, pottery, steatite vases and axes, plus a workshop quarter. The outstanding find is a golden ring showing a nude goddess seated on a peculiar ship, leaving a small house on the rocky coast.

Why is the islet called Agios Nikolaos?

The islet is called Agios Nikolaos because the chapel of Saint Nicholas stands on it. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, and the islet also carries the names Scoglio de Muflo and Psilos.

Is Mochlos still being excavated?

Yes, the islet is a designated archaeological site where excavation continues. Work has already uncovered tombs from every period of the Minoan era and the quarter known as the neighbourhood of artisans.