Palaikastro Excavation 1902-1906: Season 1903
Excavation: Research excavation
During the second season of work in 1903 by the British School at Athens in the Palaikastro region, the trenches from the previous year at main site of Roussolakkos were flooded due to bad weather. The delay allowed the team to investigate an area to the north at Kouramenos where there was an attempt was made to locate the temple of Dictaean Zeus. However, the excavation there revealed the ground plan of a Mycenaean farmstead with a hoard of bronzes including ceremonial or votive double axes. Also in an attempt to locate the temple of Dictaean Zeus, Marcus Tod undertook trial trenches at a site near the chapel of Agios Nikolaos, to the southwest of Palaikastro. As at Kouramenos, remains of early houses were found at Agios Nikolaos with crude 'Mycenean' style pottery. Three cliff shelters above the chapel of Agios Nikolaos was also investigated which proved to contain burials, probably contemporary with the settlement. Mr Duckworth examined the bones in the cliff shelters at Agios Nikolaos and also those to the south of Roussolakkos, primarily the cemeteries in the gravel ridge and in the 'bone enclosure'. The site of Petsofa, a hill to the south of Roussolakkos was excavated by J.L. Myres. Trenches here revealed evidence of an early sanctuary, producing a votive deposit of terracotta figurines of male and female human figurines, body parts and figurines of animals and miscellaneous objects. The main town site of Roussolakkos was also excavated, dividing the site into blocks and excavating several: Block B, Block Γ and Block Δ. More houses and streets were found. The pottery found was extensive and an effort was made by R.M. Dawkins to put it into categories and sequences providing several periods of occupation for the town: 'pre-Mycenaean' (Kamares period), early 'Mycenaean' and late 'Mycenaean'.
Active from 23 Mar 1903 to 03 Apr 1903.
Bosanquet, Professor Robert Carr
Dawkins, Mr Richard McGillivray
Myres, Sir John Linton
1903. Annual Meeting of Subscribers. BSA 9: 391-397. Direct link
Bosanquet, Robert C., et al. 1902. Excavations at Palaikastro. II. BSA 9: 274-387. Direct link