Archanes Αρχάνες | |
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  Archanes Location within the regional unit  | |
| Coordinates:35°14′N25°10′E / 35.233°N 25.167°E /35.233; 25.167 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Crete |
| Regional unit | Heraklion |
| Municipality | Archanes-Asterousia |
| Area | |
| • Municipal unit | 31.5 km2 (12.2 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 400 m (1,300 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
| • Municipal unit | 5,064 |
| • Municipal unit density | 160/km2 (420/sq mi) |
| • Community | 3,901 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 701 00 |
| Area code(s) | 281 |
| Vehicle registration | HK, HP, HZ |
Archanes (Greek:Αρχάνες,Godart & Olivier abbreviation: ARKH) is a former municipality in theHeraklion regional unit,Crete,Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipalityArchanes-Asterousia, of which it is a municipal unit.[2] The municipal unit has an area of 31.516 km2 (12.168 sq mi).[3] Population 5,064 (2021). It is also thearchaeological site of an ancientMinoansettlement in centralCrete.[4] The discovery of ancient roads leading from Archanes toJuktas,Anemospilia,Xeri Kara andVathypetro indicate that Archanes was an important hub in the region during Minoan times.Archaeological evidence indicates thatancient Archanes spread out over the same area as the modern town of Archanes.
In 1912,Xanthoudides noted the importance of Archanes, butSir Arthur Evans was the first to characterize the site aspalatial, declaring thatArchanes was likely a Summer Palace for theKnossos kings.Spyridon Marinatos and N. Platon excavated minor areas in the region, but nothing supported Evans' theory. In 1964,Yannis Sakellarakis dug trial trenches at the Tourkoyeitonia site and uncovered the first evidence of a palace site. Since 1966, Archanes has been excavated by theGreek Archaeological Society under the supervision of Yannis Sakellarakis and Efi Sapouna-Sakellarakis.
In the Minoan era,aqueducts delivered water toKephala Hill from spring water sources at Archanes, which are also the source of theKairatos River.[5]
Troullos is the easternmost site of the Archanessettlement. Tourkoyeitonia, in central Archanes, is the site of its palace, likely built in theMiddle Minoan period. Excavations began here in 1964 by Y. Sakellarakis. It contains features such asashlar blocks,limestone plaques and blocks,plaster, wood,stucco floor tiles,gypsum,kouskoura slabs, mud bricks,ironstone blocks,schist plaques, blue marble flooring, carved concave altars, wooden columns and pillars, frescoes andPolytheron doorways. A variety ofporphyrite stone lamps, vases,amphorae, cooking pots, cups, lamps, tools and every-day domestic items such as tweezers have been unearthed at the site. Southwest of Tourkogeitonia, more of the palace is found. While little remains of the architecture, the walls that are preserved areMiddle Minoan III–Late Minoan IA.Linear A tablets and the model of a house were excavated at The Archive along with MMIII-LMIApottery and several unworked pieces ofrock crystal,obsidian andsteatite.
The man-made enclosure of a spring, partially excavated in 1921 bySir Arthur Evans, was completed byY. Sakellarakis in 1964. The floor is laid with pebbles, and the walls are limestone. Evidence indicates that it was built betweenMiddle Minoan IB and Middle Minoan IIIA, destroyed duringLate Minoan IA, and then restored and in various use afterward. The reservoir is within the palace grounds.
A large paved area, dissected by walkways that form a triangle, is found in the 'Theatre Area' or 'Aghios Nikolaos' (Saint Nicholas). Two stepped altars are found here, one on a walkway and one on the pavement. There is a painting of a reconstruction of this area in Sakellarakis'Crete Archanes guidebook on page 49, which does this area more justice than a written description.
The economy revolves around grape and olive processing and marketing. Both products account for some 96% of its total agricultural products. The Agricultural Cooperative of Archanes, set up in 1931, is one of the oldest in Greece, and consists of 1119 members. A quarter of the wine production is exported to Germany, France and the Netherlands, and the rest of the production is largely marketed domestically. Since the late 1990s, attempts have been made to convert part of wine making step by step to organic and integrated farming, beginning with the cultivation of table grapes.
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