Fig. 1. Map of the Mirabello Bay area, East Crete, with ancient sites plotted (Rendered by D.M. Buell).
This season’s iteration of the Khavania Archaeological Project ran as a study season, conducted from June 8th through August 3rd.
Located in East Crete, Khavania is situated on the western shores of
the Mirabello Bay, along the coastal road leading from Ayios Nikolaos to
Elounda (Fig. 1). The seaward side of the road is being rapidly developed today, with numerous hotels, luxury resorts, coffee stands, and peripteros
appearing, not to mention lobster-backed tourists zooming along on
quads. The coastal road, which follows a natural contour against a
slightly elevated plain to the west, was probably always the major
north–south course along the western side of the Bay of Mirabello.
Khavania is also well-connected to the broader seascape in that it
possesses good, natural harbors immediately on either side of the
promontory (Fig. 2). Natural land routes, created by seasonal rivers or revmata
running from the Dikti massif, provide an ease of communication,
leading westward to the interior of the island and the Lasithi plateau.
The site is, therefore, well-positioned to take advantage of both land
and sea routes, which could connect the settlement to other areas of
Crete. Indeed, we believe that in antiquity Khavania was a major node in
the local Mirabello interaction network, which was itself linked to the
broader Cretan and Aegean one. The site, therefore, provides a good
opportunity to study both intra- and inter-island connectivity and
exchange.
Curiously, outside of periodic rescue excavations, the western shores
of the Mirabello Bay have received little archaeological attention.
This is in direct opposition to the eastern and southern shores of the
Mirabello, which have been the subject of intensive archaeological
research since the turn of the 20th century (Fig. 1).
This work has included excavations at sites such as Kavousi Vronda and
Kastro, Azoria, Pseira, Vasiliki, Gournia, Priniatikos Pyrgos, and many
others, large and small. Three contiguous survey projects (Kavousi,
Gournia, and Vrokastro) have also yielded invaluable information
concerning local settlement histories, patterns, and systems of
land-use. The result of all this archaeological work is that we have a
detailed settlement history of the southern and eastern Mirabello
region, one which spans the Neolithic to Modern periods. The same,
however, cannot be said for the Mirabello’s western shores. As a result,
in 2018, operating on the advice of the local ephor, Ms. Sophianou,
Drs. D. Matthew Buell (Concordia University) and Rodney D. Fitzsimons
(Trent University) established the Khavania Archaeological project.
Fig. 2. Orthophoto of Khavania (Created by R. Bieńkowski).
The Khavania Archaeological Project’s overall research goals have been
to study the development of the site, especially in terms of its local,
East Cretan, and broader, island-wide, socio-political, economic, and
ideological relationships. In short, we have endeavored to provide
context to an important settlement in a little investigated area of East
Crete. To date, we have conducted two seasons of fieldwork at the site,
one in 2019 and another 2021. Over the course of these seasons we
identified, recorded, and studied some 77 extant architectural features,
as well as a quarry (Figs. 2, 3). Indeed, partial
outlines of at least three independent buildings have been identified on
the Khavania peninsula, with the largest possessing a measurable extant
area of about 100m2. All-in-all, the architectural remains
identified during these seasons and from test excavations conducted by
the Ephoreia in 2016 testify to the presence of several monumental
buildings, perhaps official buildings, which advertised the power and
authority of prominent members of the community (Figs. 4, 5).
Additionally, the dimensions and orientation of some walls suggest that
they also served as retaining walls. Their presence may be indicative
of substantial efforts to modify the local landscape. In other words,
their presence may be taken to be indicative of some degree of civic
planning.
Fig. 3. Plot of architectural features documented at Khavania in 2019 and 2021 (Created by D.M. Buell)
One component of both our 2019 and 2021 seasons was the systematic
retrieval of artifacts from across the site through a program of
intensive survey. We endeavored to study these objects during this
season’s program of study. This summer, we were joined by two
colleagues, Dr. Jane Francis (Concordia University), who studied the
post-Bronze Age pottery, and Dr. R. Angus K. Smith (Brock University),
who was concerned with the prehistoric pottery. In addition, Francis and
Buell brought five undergraduate students from the Department of
Classics, Modern Languages, and Linguistics (CMLL) at Concordia
University, while Smith was accompanied by six from the Department of
Classics and Archaeology Brock University. Students from both the
Concordia and Brock field schools split their time working in the
Archaeological Museum of Agios Nikolaos on Khavania materials and at the
INSTAP Study Center for East Crete on objects recovered from the
2010-2014 excavations of the Minoan town of Gournia, one of the
aforementioned sites on the southern shores of the Mirabello Bay (Fig. 6). Both Smith and Buell are senior members of the Gournia Excavation Project, which was established in 2010.
Fig. 4. Plot of walls identified on the
northern side of the peninsula. Wall 17 is a particularly impressive,
monumental construction, complete with a projecting plinth (Created by
D.M. Buell)
In working on materials from both sites, our field school students were
provided with the opportunity to actively process and study different
classes of objects, including pottery, stone tools, and architecture (Fig. 7).
Students were taught to identify material remains, sort and classify
them, document/record them (photography, drawing, detailed
notes/cataloguing), and, most importantly, help to seek some
understanding as to what these artifacts can tell us about the society
which produced them. In addition, they received a series of workshops
and one-on-one sessions, including ones on the study of floral and
faunal remains, human osteology, petrographic analysis, and
conservation, from several scholars at the INSTAP Study Center for East
Crete. In short, students were introduced to the various, up-to-date
methods that archaeologists employ to study the materials that they
collect, from the smallest stone tools to the largest, most impressive
buildings, and they were presented with the opportunity to work with a
multinational team of scholars from diverse academic fields. To
supplement and contextualize our studies, the Concordia and Brock field
schools also visited a few archaeological sites, both local and across
the island (Fig. 8). And, finally, each of the
Concordia students was assigned an object from either the Khavania or
Gournia research projects, which they will present on at an October 2022
conference at Concordia University, entitled Minoan to Roman
Seafarers and Traders: Concordia University’s Archaeological
Explorations in the Mirabello Bay Region, East Crete, Summer 2022. We hope to publish the proceedings from this event.
Fig. 5. Photograph of Wall 17 from the northwest (Photo by R.D. Fitzsimons).
Our immediate project goals for the 2022 study season were to wash,
clean, process, and study all objects that were collected at Khavania
during the 2019 and 2021 field seasons. We undertook these tasks to 1)
create a refined site history; 2) establish a ceramic profile for the
site during various phases of occupation, one which is based on general
morphology and fabric composition; 3) provide a ceramic template for
future studies in this part of Crete, especially; 4) understand how
local resources were used; 5) example possible activities conducted at
the site over time; and 6) develop an understanding of both inter- and
extra-island contact and exchange. All objects were cleaned and studied
in the comforts of the Agios Nikolaos Museum. The air-conditioned study
area was especially appreciated, since it was a hot, hot, hot summer. As
a side note, the Museum will open soon after a period of renovation.
This is a must-visit destination when on Crete!
Prior to studying the materials, all objects collected during the
2019 and 2021 seasons were washed and cleaned. Various classes of
objects were taken out of larger collection bags and placed within their
own bags. For the terracotta objects, each bag was laid and separated
first into prehistoric and historic (i.e., post-Bronze Age) phases for
study by Smith and Francis (Fig. 9). The usual issues
concerned with survey pottery were present. Despite washing, for
example, many fragments remained encrusted with dirt and lichens.
Moreover, the state of preservation was overall poor for the pottery
since surfaces were frequently broken away or worn. Preserved decoration
was limited. In addition, diagnostic pieces were few and it was
sometimes difficult to assign even broad dates. Finally, study was also
hindered by abundant post-deposition burning on objects. Indeed, it
seems as though the site suffered extensive fire damage in the past.
Nevertheless, we endeavored to persevere!
Fig. 6. Concordia field school students
at the Minoan site of Gournia. From left to right: Sophia Graham, Paige
Foley, Aiko Byrne, Luna Nikolic, and Raphaëlle Berberyan (Photo by D.M.
Buell).
All pottery was sorted according to identifiable parts and general
size (coarse and large, such as pithoi and tile, or small and fine, such
as table ware). Team members wrote descriptions of all fragments in
notebooks, including general observations on fabric, color, hardness,
shape, and decoration. During this process, individual sherds considered
to be diagnostic for either shape or fabric were set aside for
cataloguing and given a unique identifying number. Sherds were then
catalogued using paper forms developed in part for the Sphakia Survey
Project in west Crete and following the recording system described in
Moody et al. 2003. This approach combines the recording of the general
morphological characteristics of each sherd (e.g., part, shape,
dimensions, color, condition, surface/interior treatment, hardness) with
macroscopic analysis that identifies inclusions with a 40X
magnification handheld lens and describes their composition within the
matrix of the fabric. Study photographs were taken of each catalogued
fragment for shape, while photographs of the fabric were also taken with
a Dino-Lite microscope. Finally, these forms were then entered into the
project database for further research.
In all more than 2,000 pottery sherds were examined, and 231 were
selected for cataloguing. Prehistoric pottery ranges in date from the
Prepalatial (Early Minoan III-Middle Minoan IA) to the Postpalatial
period (Late Minoan IIIA2-Late Minoan IIIB). The Neopalatial period
(especially Late Minoan IA) and Postpalatial periods are especially
well-represented, suggesting that the site was particularly active
during these periods. A wide range of wares (fine, coarse, and cooking)
and vessel shapes (cups, bowls, jugs/juglets, pithoi, and cookpots) were
identified. Fabric analysis revealed a coarse ware fabric, tentatively
called “Khavania Ware,” which was, perhaps, locally produced. Phyllitic
and granodioritic fabrics also appeared, though in low quantities,
especially the latter. Since these fabrics are common in ceramic
assemblages from sites on the southern and eastern shores of the
Mirabello, they stand as evidence for interaction between Khavania and
these other sites.
Fig. 7. Brock students, Sukhmeet Dhur
(working hard) and Kaylee Janzen (smiling for the camera), catalogue
pottery in the Archaeological Museum of Agios Nikolaos (Photo by R.A.K.
Smith).
By far, most of the pottery for the historic era can be dated to the
Roman period. Other probable historic periods that may be represented
include the Archaic and Classical eras, while Hellenistic and Byzantine
are represented. Oddly, very few fine ware vessels were identified for
Roman period. Plain, coarse, and cooking wares are more common. Vessel
types represented included jugs, jars, bowls/basins, table and transport
amphoras, lamps, bins/dolia, pithoi, tiles, and beehives. The latter
was an especially welcome finding, given one of our team member’s
obsession with apiary. Importantly, several Roman transport amphoras,
which stand as evidence for interaction with a number of other sites on
the island, were identified. Fabric analysis of the historic era pottery
revealed fairly homogenous fabric data, similar to that identified in
the Prehistoric assemblage.
All stone tools were registered and provided with a unique
identifying number. Standardized forms, with fields for dimensions,
material, weight, shape, color, type, subtype, use/activity type, and
other specialized fields, pertaining to the particular class of object
(i.e., groundstone or chipped stone), were completed. Twelve groundstone
objects were identified, equally divided into querns and hammerstones.
All seem to have been constructed from local materials. Interestingly,
the querns were rather small in size (average length = 13.05cm),
suggesting that these objects were not utilized for large-scale domestic
tasks, such as grinding grain. Rather, it seems they were used to grind
small quantities of materials, perhaps, herbs, spices, nuts, or seeds.
In other words, they may have served as supplementary kitchen
implements. It is also, of course, possible that these small querns were
used for non-food production related tasks, such as mixing pigments or
medicines. Fourteen chipped stone objects were identified, consisting of
nine pieces of debitage and five tools (all prismatic blades). All the
chipped stone objects, with the exception of one flake of local chert,
were of Melian obsidian.
Fig. 8. Matt giving the Brock students a
tour of Khavania. From left to right: Matt Buell, Jessica Kroeze,
Desiree Southern, Kaylee Janzen, Sukhmeet Dhur, Samuel Kelly, and
Alexandra Farrow (Photo by R.A.K. Smith).
Finally, a green jasper sealstone which was recovered during the 2019
survey, was studied. This seal is a biconvex amygdaloid of green jasper
of the talismanic variety. The seal was studied at both the macroscopic
level, using a 40x hand-lens, and at the microscopic level using a
Dino-Lite. A proper catalogue form, which recorded all relevant data was
created, filled out, and entered into the project database. Both an
impression and plaster cast of the seal were taken for purposes of
documentation and future study. The well-preserved talismanic sealstone,
which is pierced along its central axis, bears decoration consisting of
three rows of alternating lunettes (numbering three, three, and two)
above a circular depression. This is a motif that is usually identified
as a stylized octopus, with the lunettes representing tentacles and the
depression, the body. Similar motifs appear on seven different green
jasper seals dated to the Late Minoan IA period. Given the similarity in
material and motif, it may be possible that green jasper “stylized
octopi” seals, were products of a single workshop. Unfortunately,
however, the location of the hypothetical workshop is unknown, since
only two, now three with Khavania, have a known provenience.
In terms of future plans, team members will continue to work with and
interpret the data that they collected during the 2022 study season.
Selected catalogued objects will be drawn and photographed over the
winter months. In addition, a selection of catalogued pottery will be
sampled for petrographic analysis. Here, it is hoped that the results
from both the macroscopic and microscopic investigations will establish a
template for the site’s ceramic fabrics but will also allow comparative
analysis with samples in the INSTAP petrography database that will
enrich knowledge about production centers, clay sources, chronologies,
and inter-island contact and exchange. And, finally, it is our hope to
return to Khavania next summer to conduct further investigations of this
fascinating site.
Fig. 9. Pottery laid out and ready to be sorted by Jane (Photo by Raphaëlle Berberyan).
We would like to conclude this blog post with a note of gratitude to
the various individuals who have helped us along the way. These include:
Chryssa Sophianou and Klio Zervaki (ΚΔ’ Ephorate of East Crete),
Jacques Perrault, Brendan Burke, and Jonathan Tomlinson (The Canadian
Institute in Greece), Tom Brogan, Kathy Hall, Eleanor Huffman, Eleni
Nodarou (INSTAP, Study Center for East Crete), Raphaëlle Berberyan, Aiko
Byrne, Sukhmeet Dhur, Alexandra Farrow, Paige Foley, Sophia Graham,
Kaylee Janzen, Samuel Kelly, Jessica Kroeze, Luna Nikolic, and Desiree
Southern (our absolutely fantastic field school
students from Concordia and Brock), Rafał Bieńkowski, Lily Bonga, Miriam
Clinton, Alice Crowe, Sophiana Drakaki, Carly Henkel, Sarah Hilker,
Kapua Iao, Konstantina Kokolaki, Tina McGeorge, Dimitra Mylona, and
Charles Sturge.
Generous financial support has been provided by the Bagnani Trust,
the Institute for Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP), and the Social Sciences
and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
D. Matthew Buell, Rodney D. Fitzsimons, Jane Francis, and R. Angus K. Smith
