Petras

Petras is the archaeological site of a Minoan town on a low hill overlooking the Aegean Sea, 2 km southeast of Sitia in eastern Crete. First settled in the Neolithic period (c. 3500 BC), it flourished during the Old and New Palace periods (2000-1450 BC). The palatial complex occupied 0.3 hectares with a central court, magazines, monumental staircases, and workshops. The town was fortified with a cyclopean wall and three towers. Excavations since 1985 by M. Tsipopoulou uncovered a hieroglyphic archive and a Linear A inscription on a clay lump reading 'perfume oil'.