Roussolakos Minoan Town
Rousolakos can be found 91km southeast of Agios Nikolaos, adjacent to Hiona beach. In this area, archaeologists have uncovered a significant Minoan town in Crete, spanning over 50 acres. This town thrived particularly towards the end of the Minoan Age, until around 1450BC.
Excavations of the city began with the British School of Archaeology in the early 20th century and continue to this day. Artifacts discovered in Palekastro are displayed at the Museum of Sitia.
Anthropologists have studied the physical characteristics of the Minoans by examining bones found in graves. Men had an average height of 1.60m, while women stood at around 1.50m.
The town consists of nine districts, separated by a main road. As with many great Minoan towns, visitors are often struck by the impressive sewage system. Other notable features include large rooms, shrines, storage houses, olive and wine presses, and more. One of the most important structures is a shrine dedicated to Diktaean Zeus (which belonged to Itanos), likely destroyed in the 4th century by early Christians.
Location
Roussolakos Minoan Town is located at Roussolakos Minoan Town, in the Lassithi region of Crete. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
