Palatial center of Zominthos

Zominthos is the largest mountain palace of the Minoan period, built at an altitude of 1200 m on Psiloritis Mountain.

Professor Yiannis Sakellarakis and Dr Efi Sapοuna-Sakellaraki, systematically excavated the site. The excavation brought to light a Central Building of the Neopalatial period (1700-1650 BC), surrounded by an extensive settlement of more than four acres. Both in the building and in the settlement, remains of the Protopalatial period (1900-1700 BC) have been identified.

The outstanding Central Building consists of 75 ground-level rooms with a total extent of more than 1600 sq.m., many of which had a second or even third floor. These rooms include private residential quarters, public gathering spaces, places of worship, workshops and storage spaces. The entrance to the main building was from the northeast and the south. Corridor 10 divided the main building into the east and west wings, with orientation from North to South.

The east wing of the Central Building includes the Spaces east of the Central Corridor 10. In the easternmost part, the splendid north facade of the building, which has a crepidoma (steps), survives to a height of over 2.50 m and maintains its entrance and windows. Spaces 1-2, together with the ramp at Space 64, comprise the Complex of the North-Eastern entrance.

To the south of these spaces was a lustral basin (Area 3) covered with white and red plaster, with a small step and a water conduit. To the west of Rooms 1-2 was Antechamber 4, through which one could enter the luxurious residence quarters 7-9. Rooms 5 and 6/22 were possibly a staircase complex. Room 7 was two-story with a floor of slate rock slabs and colourful murals. Room 8 also had abundant colourful plasters and a circular construction, which has been characterized as a herb processing area. Room 9, the westernmost of the four compartments of the north facade, had a stepped altar and sacrificial pit as well as a tall built structure of unknown use in the NE corner. Also, in Room 9, fragments of colourful mortars and pithoi were located, even on the first floor. In Room 25, right south of Rooms 7-9, a paved floor and built-in benches were found on three sides. Room 50 is noteworthy, which had a long bench covered with white plaster and a circular hearth with a clay rim adorned with incised decoration. In front of the hearth was a column, while in another spot, the remains of a burnt, high wooden seat were found. A gold sheet depicting a ship came to light just in front of the hearth. Room 51, to the east of Room 50, was a lightwell with a polythyron (multi-door system). Interesting ritual finds from Room 51, such as fruit stands containing animal bones, probably come from the first floor. Notably significant is Room 30/52, which had a porch with two columns. Behind the columns, a built sacrificial altar was revealed, near which were found the remains of a large animal sacrifice, fragments of a jar-shaped vessel for collecting blood, and fragments of a rhyton in the shape of a bull. In the southernmost part, Rooms 41-42 had probably a religious/cult character, while Room 43 has been associated with a gathering space for women. Room 33 was a ceremonial space as it had a sacrificial altar and a foundation deposit. Rooms 45 and 48 were external verandas.

The west wing of the Central Building includes the spaces to the west of Corridor 10. There is the significant complex of Rooms 13-16 and the structures around the large pottery kiln to the northwest. The blind Room 13 was a pottery workshop and included a built tank, two basins in which ancient clay and a potter's wheel were found, as well as 250 vessels of twenty-three different shapes. In Room 14, 100 vessels were discovered among burnt wood, bones and fruit remains. Room 15 had a probably ritual character, as three finely crafted communion cups/rhyta were found in a niche decorated with reeds and a fragment of stone horns of concecration. In Room 15, the presence of rock crystal and tools suggests the existence of a stonework workshop. East of Room 15 are Rooms 11-12. In the north wall of Room 11, a niche was located on the ground floor, where a pig-shaped rhyton was found, one of three from the Minoan period that have been uncovered to date, the legs of a bull figurine as well as vases that indicate a special use of the space. In the neighbouring Area 12, clay vessels resembling the sauce-boat type, 1m long, were found.

Room 26/53 is noteworthy, which was initially single with two columns. Two benches run around the north and west walls of the single space. Under the western bench, a small stone altar inscribed with Linear A Script was found, while in the SE corner of the room, as well as in a niche of the eastern wall, several copper cultic utensils were found, including double axes and an incense burner. To the west of Room 26/53 is the complex of Rooms 49, 19 and 28. Room 49 was paved and had two floors, and ceremonial objects came from its first floor. Room 19 consisted of a paved lightwell with four piers and a bench. From the upper floor of Room 28 came the most important finds, such as bronze figurines of worshipers, seals with scenes of seabird, lion and scorpion, jewellery, possibly as offerings, and several vessels for food and drink consumption, indicating the ritual character of the site. To the west of Room 28, Rooms 27 and 58 were likely food preparation areas, as was partially Room 17. Along the western wall of Room 17, on a stone structure resembling a low bench, copper, lead and silver small objects indicate metallurgical activity. To the east, Room 35B was a staircase, while Room 35A preserved fragments of frescoes with marine and plant motifs. Room 37 was paved and hypostyle with 4 columns and a bench and had a mud-brick armoire on the floor. Room 39 contained 5 chestboxes made of stone slabs on the ground floor, which were found empty. In the West corner of the building, Room 47 was a multi-story building. A ritual pit and fragments of a stone offering altar were found in Room 47C. Intriguing is Room 58, which had a multitude of pithoi on the upper floor, while on the ground floor, there was a ritual pit with benches running around it.

Bibliography

Σαπουνά-Σακελλαράκη, Έ. (2016). Προσκύνημα στη Ζώμινθο. Ο Mινωικός πλούτος του Ψηλορείτη, Αρχαιολογία και Τέχνες περ.Β’ τ.120 (Απρίλιος 2016), 22-43.

Σαπουνά-Σακελλαράκη, Έ. (2022). Ζώμινθος- Ένα ανάκτορο στο. βουνό. Αθήνα : ΦΩΤΟΛΙΟ.