ancient eleftherna crete

Ancient Eleftherna an excursion that you can't miss!

In Ancient Eleutherna building and other findings indicate the existence of civilization since ancient times. Civilizations like the ones during Early and Late Minoan Era have left important findings and buildings. Pottery items, paved Roman roads and structures have also been found. There is also a Byzantine church in the region.

When in 1929, during a short term excavation project conducted by the English Archaeological Faculty led by H. Payne in Ancient Eleutherna, no one could imagine the richness of the findings. Since 1985, the Section of Archaeology and Art History of the University of Crete conducts systematic excavations in the region.

Ancient Eleutherna is located south-east of Rethymno. It occupies a wide area that mainly includes two ridges, called Pyrgi and Nissi. Three streams flow around the foot of the hills and join to the north of them.

At a well protected location in a unique natural environment, suitable for grazing, felling trees and cultivation, and having potable water springs it is obvious why it was said to be a unique area to be populated until the middle of 8th century B.C., when the island was conquered by the Arabs. After their liberation with the help of Nikiforos Fokas, in 961 B.C., locals returned to the region, but this time they settled not far from the area they lived during ancient times, at the saddle of the hill. This settlement finally evolved to Eleutherna village in modern times.

Eleutherna is since 30 years among the designated areas of "outstanding natural beauty".

The urban centre of ancient Eleutherna was always located at Pyrgi. Ruins of Hellenistic walls and buildings, Roman structures and an Early Christian basilica are preserved on the east slope of the hill. On the west slope of the hill, at the site called Orthi Petra (standing stone), lies the cemetery of the Late Geometric and Archaic periods, part of which was covered by the Roman buildings. Remains of a settlement that flourished in the Hellenistic period have been uncovered on the Nissi hill.

Since 1985, the University of Crete has exclusively undertaken the excavation projects carried out within this region. Archaeologists and students of the Section of Archaeology, under the supervision of professors of Classic Archaeology Stampolidis, Themelis and Kalpaksis, conduct local archaeological research for the last 20 years, with undiminished interest.

Since September 2004, NIKOLAOS GOULANDRIS FOUNDATION -Museum of Cycladic Art, under the supervision of professor Nikolaos Stampolidis in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture - KE' Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, exhibits for the first time, excavation artifacts. The exhibition is devoted to the vicennial systematic excavation research conducted by the University of Crete in ancient Eleutherna and its' aim is to show the diachronism of human presence in an important cretan town continuously inhabited from the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC) to Medieval times (12th-13th century AD).

Thus, the visitor is asked to observe the transformations of a society through the years, under the influence of different social, economic and political conditions, having the opportunity to admire inscriptions, coins, statuary, anaglyphs, arms, jewellery, tools and other materials found in the excavation areas.

Excavation findings are exhibited in three main categories: Polis, Acropolis, Necropolis. The two first ones refer to the activities of everyday life (public and private) whereas the third one is related to behaviors and ideas with reference to life after death.

Due to the positive response to the exhibition "Eleutherna: Polis-Acropolis-Necropolis" shown by the public and school groups, Museum of Cycladic Art decided, having the approval of the Ministry of Culture, to prolong the duration of the exhibition until the 16th November 2005. The exhibition is accommodated in the New Wing (Stathatos Hall) and is open during the working hours of the museum.

map of Rethymno