Apesokari
Encyclopedia
Apesokari is the archaeological site of an ancient Minoan
cemetery. It is also a modern village with a population of 131 (2001) and is built at 155 m above sea level. It is in the municipality of Gortyna in the south of Heraklion peripheral unit, Greece
.
by Germans, and a small tholos tomb, a cult room and an outdoor altar was excavated. Later, Kostas Davaras excavated a second tomb to the east of the first.
The tomb is notable for the fact that burials did not only take place inside the tholos tomb, but also took place in some of the outer rooms which join the tholos tomb as well. It also had a cult room, most likely a pillar crypt, since it had a wooden pillar on a stone base. A small bench altar was built in a niche to the right of the entrance. A cult image, formed from natural rock, was found on this altar. There was also a large altar outside, surrounded by a paved area.
Again there was a large circular tomb with numerous rectangular side rooms. A Minoan settlement originally existed nearby.
Minoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
cemetery. It is also a modern village with a population of 131 (2001) and is built at 155 m above sea level. It is in the municipality of Gortyna in the south of Heraklion peripheral unit, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 156 |
| 1991 | 186 |
| 2001 | 131 |
Archaeology
Apesokari was first excavated during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by Germans, and a small tholos tomb, a cult room and an outdoor altar was excavated. Later, Kostas Davaras excavated a second tomb to the east of the first.
The tomb is notable for the fact that burials did not only take place inside the tholos tomb, but also took place in some of the outer rooms which join the tholos tomb as well. It also had a cult room, most likely a pillar crypt, since it had a wooden pillar on a stone base. A small bench altar was built in a niche to the right of the entrance. A cult image, formed from natural rock, was found on this altar. There was also a large altar outside, surrounded by a paved area.
Again there was a large circular tomb with numerous rectangular side rooms. A Minoan settlement originally existed nearby.
External links
- http://www.uk.digiserve.com/mentor/minoan/apesokari.htm (Excellent Photographs)
- Apesokari at the GTP Travel Pages