KNOSSOS - Teke - 2010

Knossos, Teke (property of G. and N. Frangiadakis). M. Rousaki (ΚΓ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports the discovery, in the course of rescue excavation, of Protogeometric to Orientalising tombs (plus a few of later date) from the Teke section of the Knossos North Cemetery was uncovered (Fig. 1).

Most burials were cremations and enchytrismoi, with one inhumation only. Three types of tomb were found. There were two chamber tombs cut into the kouskouras bedrock, oriented northwest-southeast, with a long sloping dromos with burial niches in the sides and a round or elliptical chamber. The entrances, framed by large limestone slabs, were blocked with stones. One tomb was robbed. The vases (Fig. 2), found in the chamber, were mostly complete but broken by the roof fall. The numerous finds include: amphorae, kraters, pithoi with conical lids (Fig. 3), bell-skyphoi, lekythoi, oinochoes, cups, a prochous, askoi, a kalathos, a pyxis and feeding-bottle, terracotta figurines (a horse and a quadruped), a bronze lebes and a bowl, brooches and pins, chains and earrings, iron blades and fire-dogs, a silver pin, and glass, faience and rock-crystal beads.

In the Late Geometric period the tomb roof collapsed, leaving a depression into which were placed 24 items including cremation urns. The vases range from the Late Geometric/Early Orientalizing transition to the end of the Orientalizing period.

The second tomb type (with 17 examples) is a roughly-dug pit. The third consists of scattered cists of irregular form: 12 are recorded, with associated ash-urns and burial pithoi. Grave goods are mostly pots (pithoi, pithoid amphorae and amphorae, cups, lekythoi, an aryballos and an alabastron), plus a few metal items (gold beads, a silver pin, and bronze brooches, pins, rings and a necklace).