6/30 - Crete Day Six - Azoria, INSTAP, Gournia, Boat!

I've talked to the absolutely amazing IT guy at the Blegen Library here and it appears my computer's adapter is no longer working so it will not charge. We're working on getting a replacement, but until then, no photos. 

An early start sent us off to Azoria, which is high on a hill overlooking a village. We arrived at the village and were met by two workmen from the site with pickup trucks. We hopped into the beds of the trucks and headed up the mountain. We also convinced Jessica to play country music on her phone to make the experience of riding in the bed of a truck complete. The trucks could only take us so high though, so we had to hike for about 10 minutes to reach the site, where Doctor Donald Haggis met us.

The site at Azoria.

The site was in an active state of excavation, with dirt being hauled off and pottery shards being picked at. Dr. Haggis led us across the site, stopping for a while to discuss different archaeological and historical ideas about how we view time and the occurrence of history. One awesome thing he pointed out to us was the presence of Etio-Cretan (sp?) on the site. It’s an indigenous language that was being written with Greek letters at Azoria. So the settlement was somewhat bilingual, which is interesting to think about.

Back of the truck on the ride down. Left to right: Abi, Cassia, Jessica, Luke Munson, Tim.

On the way down we passed by a massive olive tree. At the site, Dr. Haggis said that it was probably roughly 1500 years old and had been used to make victory laurels for the 2004 Olympic Games. We stopped briefly to take pictures and then continued down the mountain. After a quick break, we got back on the bus and headed for the Institute of Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP). On the way, we stopped for an hour to eat lunch in a small seaside town with a gorgeous view, pictured below. The food was excellent and the crashing of the waves no more than 30 yards from our table made for a great meal.

The view from lunch. Picturesque.

Then we were off to INSTAP. Funded by Martin Wiener, a U.S. lawyer turned hedge fund manager, the Institute provides support for many sites on Crete. For example, Mochlos and Mallia, where we visited previously, both conduct analysis there. We spoke to Dr. Tom Brogan, director of the Institute and archaeological veteran. He took us on a tour, showing off the large stoa, or open air area covered with a roof, where pottery is sorted and catalogued. We also got to tour the basement of INSTAP, and wound up in the metals room, where we saw some of the most beautiful pieces of ancient metalwork that we have to this day. The standout for me was the trident from Mochlos, which made waves in the journals when it was discovered. I did not take pictures unfortunately, but I can try to get some from my other session participants.

Finally, we left INSTAP and headed for Gournia, which is a site nearby that also analyzes at the INSTAP compound. We were given a tour by Dr. Matt Buell, director of the excavations. Gournia is a site that was initially excavated by Harriet Boyd-Haws (sp?), the first American to excavate on Crete, and the first woman to do so in all of Crete. She’s a bit of an archaeological legend and contributed significantly to the field during the early 1900s. Her legend continues in the name Harrieta, which is not unheard of in the nearby village. Gournia consists of “Sixty-four houses, one palace, planned streets, and two cemeteries,” according to Doctor Buell. We toured many of the salient points of the site and eventually ended after the site monitor started blowing a whistle at us because the site was technically closed.

From Gournia. The site is pretty sprawling.

So back on the bus! We drove to Herakleion and while we got off at the wrong exit the first time, successfully made it to the port city. We had some free time, so I went and found the delicious bougatsa place from when we were previously in the city. I also used my free museum card (ASCSA perk, does not expire for several years) to get into the archaeological museum with the express purpose of using their restroom. I also did wander a bit to look at some of the highlights from the trip. After that it was back on the bus for the drive to the port and the ferry. So here I sit in the cabin, writing this post. Tomorrow is an early start with the alarm at 5:30 am.

Crete was fantastic. I learned so much information about the Minoan and later civilizations on the island. I really hadn’t before, either, so this stuff was all new. The group really bonded on the bus rides and I’m excited to be learning with these amazing eighteen other people for the next four weeks.