Monastiraki, Crete

Monastiraki is the archaeological site of an ancient Minoan town on the island of Crete [1]. The site is on the plain of Amari, west of the Ida massif, 38 kilometres from Rethymnon [1]. Monastiraki likely dates to the Middle Minoan Old Palace period and was destroyed at the same time as the old palaces [1]. Its importance for archaeology lies in the fact that it was not subsequently built on and remains one of the best examples of Middle Minoan archaeology on the island [1]. The site may have been a Minoan palace, and has thus far yielded a complex of buildings, including storehouses, two archive rooms of earthenware stamps and sanctuaries [1]. Monastiraki was first excavated during World War II by the German Archaeological Institute [1].