Vrokastro

Greece (Crete)

The Cretan site of Vrokastro was founded in Late Minoan IIIC and abandoned at the end of the Geometric period
(approx. 1100–750). Mazarakis Ainian interprets the remains of buildings found in the settlement as a "Chieftain's House" that would have served for the community's cults and would have been abandoned at the same time as the site, before the construction of a temple (Mazarakis Ainian, 1988:106).

Forms of occupation of the ásty

Sacred areas: deposits, temples, shrines, sanctuaries, altars

Building U 16–17 and its annexes, especially "rooms" 12 and 13, formed the largest and most remarkable building of the so-called "Upper Settlement" at Vrokastro. In Mazarakis Ainian's interpretation it would have been a "Chieftain's House". Finds: significant concentrations of votive offerings in "room" 17 and Corridor 11; fragments of a horse figurine in "rooms" 17 and 11; votive objects in "rooms" 13, 9, 6, 21, 25 and 26, which surround room 17. For Mazarakis Ainian the "Chieftain's House" would initially have been a single building, and the votive material discarded from its domestic shrine was periodically thrown out of the house. "Gradually the free space on top of the hill would have been occupied by new structures, perhaps to be identified with the buildings (each with annexes) of the other members of the families leading the expansion of the settlement" (Mazarakis Ainian 1988:107-109).

Restored plan of building U16-17 and annexes 12-13. "Chieftain's House" (?)

Bibliography (1)

Ainian, A. J. M.; Early Greek Temples: Their Origin and Function.