CHANIA - 2000

Chania. 11 Malinou Street (Rovithaki property). S. Preve (ΚΕ’ ΕΠΚΑ) reports the excavation in 1996 of five looted LM IIIA-B chamber tombs from the extensive Bronze Age cemetery. In 2000 the group was shown to continue west into the adjacent plot, where an LM IIIB tomb and the dromos of another of monumental size were revealed.

Tomb 1, at the south, was oriented approximately east-west. The steep dromos (14.4m long and 5.5m deep by the entrance) had at least six steps. In it were stones from the entrance blocking, sherds and bones scattered from the chamber, and a one-handled cup; in the surviving blocking wall were three stirrup-jars, a bronze fragment, a bone plaque and a stone bead. The chamber (2.95 x 3.55m, and 2.10 high) contained two poorly preserved burials on the floor alongside the bones of a dog. Painted plaster fragments (pink, red, yellow, light blue and black) once decorated a wooden bier. With the deceased were a stirrup jar, incense burner and one-handled cup, a rock-crystal amulet and a glass-paste bead, all dating to LM IIIB.

The large and once rich Tomb 2, 4m to the north and roughly parallel to Tomb 1, dates to LM IIIA. The dromos was followed for 11.4m without reaching the starting point: it is 8.55m deep by the entrance. It produced bones, sherds, and a bronze dagger ejected from the chamber; the blocking-wall at the entrance contained part of a Canaanite jar. The chamber (3.55 x 4.45m; 2.7 high) connects with a small side-chamber on the south (2.4 x 1.7m) once sealed off with a stone and clay wall. Much stone from this wall, plus scattered grave goods, were found in the main chamber. Vases include a four-handled amphora and two cups, plus two stone vessels (a spouted bucket-jar and an open form). Wood remains come from biers or chests. In the north part of the chamber was a handleless cup.

Near the side-chamber a rich burial had a bowl, a four-handled amphora, two incense burners, a footed cup, a kylix (containing beads), and a stone three-handled jar. Here and in the side-chamber were numerous pieces of decorative bone and ivory inlay, including plaques of hippo tusk with engraved spirals, helmeted warriors in relief, seated females, heraldic lions and figure-of-eight shields. These probably belonged to a chest or piece of furniture, as those from the tholos of Phylaki and Archanes. Jewellery included rock-crystal, faience and glass paste beads, and pieces of gold-sheet. A footed cup, some inlay pieces and ash with carbon (from some ritual activity) were found directly in front of the side-chamber entrance. Inside this chamber were fragments of an amphora.

South of this plot, the poorly preserved chamber of another tomb held a few goods. On the neighbouring Kritovoulidou Street, a chamber tomb with LM IIIB vases was excavated in 1967, and a tile-grave, cist-grave and chamber tomb, all destroyed, in 1997.