A Minoan Maginot Line

Two Greek archaeologists, Stella Chryssoulaki and Maria Agouli, working at Karoumes Bay in eastern Crete this summer have found an undisturbed Minoan fort, part of a huge and complex system of military defences which indicates that these renowned Bronze Age Cretans were not always confident of their invulnerability to attack from the sea.

While many historians believe that the Minoans were so powerful they were somehow able to live in unfortified palaces, towns and country villas, these latest excavations show that, for at least two centuries, the palaces were protected by monumental defence works and a communications network which would allow rapid warning of any invasion.

The defence system, which the two archaeologists have been studying for the past six years, involved protected roads linking strategically sited 'mother' forts with secondary forts and with look-out towers on the mountain peaks. A detailed pilot study at Karoumes, north of the Palace of Zakros and south of Palaikastros has involved excavation of five forts, including a mother fort which was very well built but had been disturbed by Myceneans and Romans.