Itanos Submerged Harbour — East Crete
Minoan to Hellenistic (2200 BCE–100 BCE)·Minoan / Hellenistic·🇬🇷 Crete, Lasithi, Greece
About
About Itanos Submerged Harbour — East Crete
Itanos Submerged Harbour — East Crete in Crete, Lasithi, Greece is a Minoan to Hellenistic (2200 BCE–100 BCE) submerged-city attributed to Minoan / Hellenistic. Minoan harbour submerged with breakwaters and warehouses at Itanos ancient port of Erimoupolis. Hadjidaki: Itanos harbour 4 m depth with Minoan ashlar and Hellenistic quay.
Why it mattersKey submerged harbour illustrating Minoan / Hellenistic maritime engineering
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Sea-level change marker
- 02Harbour engineering
Theories
- 01Canopic branch shifting
- 02Mediterranean port typology
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 2200 BCE Minoan anchorage; 300 BCE harbour
- Period
- Minoan to Hellenistic (2200 BCE–100 BCE)
- Culture
- Minoan / Hellenistic
- Purpose
- Minoan harbour submerged with breakwaters and warehouses at Itanos ancient port of Erimoupolis
- Excavation
- Submerged
c. 2200 BCE Minoan anchorage; 300 BCE harbour
Initial construction
c. 1500 CE
Submergence by sea-level rise
c. 1995 CE
Underwater survey
On the ground
Structures & features
35.2600° N · 26.2600° E · -4 m · 3 mapped features
Itanos Submerged Harbour — East Crete — Breakwater / Mole
moleHarbour mole or breakwater structure
35.2601° N · 26.2601° EItanos Submerged Harbour — East Crete — Anchorage Basin
basinHarbour basin with mooring stones
35.2598° N · 26.2601° EItanos Submerged Harbour — East Crete — Storehouse / Quay
quayWarehouses or quay wall
35.2604° N · 26.2598° E