Pétrographie characterization of rocks from the Mirabello bay region, Crete, and its application to Minoan archaeology: the provenance of stone implements from Minoan sites

Abstract

The Minoans of East Crete used a variety of igneous and metamorphic rocks as stone implements. These were probably procured in dry riverbeds and beaches located in a region along the Bay of Mirabello or from an onlap conglomerate, which geologically dominates that region and contains rock types of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary origin. Several rock samples were collected for pétrographie investigation to examine and confirm the source for the igneous rocks. Detailed pétrographie description of natural samples provides the identification of the rocks employed by Minoans and confirms the source of their origin. Apparently the Minoans were able to evaluate the hardness of the stones procured according to the desirable usage and their expected fatigue, thus avoiding unnecessary timeconsuming treatment. The identification of the variable lithotypes used for these implements and the verification of their source regions reveal the time it took to procure the raw materials as well as the time period during which the rocks were employed.