Many Late Minoan (LM) IIIC sherds, mostly belonging to pithoi, were collected in the necropolis area, but they all come from the surface or from very disturbed contexts. In the current state of research, it is impossible to securely date any funerary structure recorded in the necropolis to the LM IIIC period, nor to specify the use of this area at that time.

Clear evidence for the funerary use of the necropolis area dates to the Protogeometric (PG) period. The boss of a LM IIIC-PG bronze shield was notably recovered from the foot of the very ruined tumulus 52.01. More importantly, two funerary tumuli (40.01 and 42.01) in use during the PG period were brought to light on the hill of Lami, which marks the Eastern entrance to the necropolis.

The Late Geometric-Early Archaic period is remarkably well documented by the remains from the necropolis. At least five (47.04, 51.01 and 52.1 to 3) and perhaps up to seven tumuli were used during this period. Most of them were looted and severely ruined by erosion and agro-pastoral activities.

On the hill of Lami, which marks the Eastern entrance to the necropolis, two funerary tumuli (40.01 and 42.01) in use during the Protogeometric period were brought to light. At the Northwestern end of the Lami hill, the center of Tumulus 42.1 (diam: ca 12 m) notably yielded two superimposed secondary burials (FE 455 and FE 460) containing the remains of cremations and an impressive assemblage of vessels an iron weapons.

In the earliest burial (FE 460) two spindle whorls incised with geometric motifs were also found, which are similar to some of those which were recovered from a small apsidal stone enclosure (FE 451) in the surface of the tumulus. We can therefore hypothesize that these spindle whorls had been assembled into a necklace, offered to the flames at the time of cremation. After cremation, all but two – either accidentally or deliberately – of the spindle whorls would have been collected and deposited in Enclosure FE 451 on the surface of the burial mound.

From Tumulus 52.03, only a rectangular pyre-burial (FE 201) founded on the bedrock is partly preserved. On top of the pavement that was sealing the burial, fragments of a Late Geometric-Early Archaic amphora containing an iron spearhead was recovered. This tomb yielded the cremated remains of an individual, mixed with an Early Archaic amphora that was broken before or during the cremation, according to the heterogeneously burned fragments.

The best preserved tumulus (47.04) is delimited by a circular peribolos with a diameter of 15 m. It consists of local limestone rubble, but the centre was marked by a sandstone ashlar block, possibly originating from the Late Bronze Age coastal sites of Sissi or Malia. A line of stones was also observable on the surface, which was actually part of a stepped installation for the pyre built in Pit FE 7 for the first deceased associated with the tumulus. This rectangular pit, whose location was indicated by the central ashlar block until the last phase of use of the tumulus, was also the place for the burial of the first deceased. It actually represents the only primary burial associated with the tumulus. Part of the material it yielded is remarkable for its intentional breakage before or during the cremation. In particular, the burned half-part of the cup was recovered from the pit itself, while the unburned second half part was found stuck in the Eastern side-wall of the pit.

Slightly to the North-East of Pit FE 7 and above it, was later built a rectangular pyre (FE 9) where the remains of at least three successive cremations were found. However, most of the bones were removed from Pyre FE 7 after the cremation. These bones may have been deposited in circular chambers (FE 2 and 3), that had been robbed and were found empty, but at the entrance of which some burned splinters of bones were collected, probably moved from their original context by the looters.

In contrast with FE 2 and 3, the apsidal chamber FE 6 was found almost intact and yielded an impressive assemblage of five iron spearheads distributed in two groups and 15 Late Geometric-Early Archaic complete vessels. No human remains come from FE6, which was either a repository of funerary objects or a cenotaph, and was accessible through an opening in the peribolos that was later carefully blocked. From the surface of the tumulus numerous fragments belonging to 11 decorated amphoras and two stands were recovered that may have been left in situ after the end of the funeral as markers. Interestingly, a large decorated fragment of one of these amphoras was selected and deposited in FE 6, possibly as a reminder of a funerary ritual.

In the last phase of use of the tumulus, a cist grave (FE 8) serving as secondary cremation burial for an immature individual was attached to the peribolos.

Further investigations in the South part of the tumulus did not reveal any other structures. Only the North part was designed to build burials and pyres, compensating the natural slope of the bedrock. In other words, the shape and impressive size of the tumulus, which represents an area of more than 175 m², mainly respond to a desire for ostentation and to serve a communal function. It constitutes a monumental platform designed to perform funerary rituals above and around the pyre-burial of the first deceased: libations, ritual breakage of offerings, selection of fragments, cremation and removal of bones.

Interestingly, other types of funerary structures are co-existing with these tumuli in the Late Geometric-Early Archaic period. Some small ruined tholos tombs have been recorded and below Tumulus 47.04, a poorly preserved, rectangular structure was brought to light that yielded secondary deposition of at least two human cremations and a number of objects.

Based on the pottery recovered, the necropolis was seemingly abandoned by the end of the first half of the 7^th c. BCE.

 

Bibliography:

F. Gaignerot-Driessen forthcoming. Before the Polis: Recent Excavations at Anavlochos, Lasithi (2017-[2020]2022), in I.D. Fappas and P.P. Iossif (eds), Αρχαιολογικές Συμβολές. Ανατολική Κρήτη (Archaeological Contributions 5), Museum of Cycladic Art: Athens.

F. Gaignerot-Driessen, P. Baulain, R. Channell, G. Erny, B. Jagou, A. Lattard, R. Machavoine,  S. Sorin 2023. Fouilles de l’Anavlochos V: La nécropole et l’agglomération urbaine du vallon central, Bulletin archéologique des Écoles françaises à l’étranger 4.

F. Gaignerot-Driessen, P. Baulain, G. Erny, B. Jagou, C. Judson, A. Lattard, R. Machavoine,  A. Paillard 2022. Fouilles de l’Anavlochos IV: L’agglomération urbaine du vallon central et la nécropole, Bulletin archéologique des Écoles françaises à l’étranger 2.

F. Gaignerot-Driessen, P. Baulain, G. Erny, B. Jagou, R. Machavoine, O. Vanwalleghem 2020. Fouilles de l’Anavlochos III: L’agglomération urbaine du vallon central et la nécropole de Lami, Bulletin archéologique des Écoles françaises à l’étranger 1.

F. Gaignerot-Driessen, M. Anastasiadou, P. Baulain, G. Erny, C. Judson, A. Lattard, R. Machavoine, O. Vanwalleghem, V. Vlachou 2020. Fouilles de l’Anavlochos II: La nécropole de Lami, le sanctuaire de Kako Plaï et ses abords, le dépôts votif 1 et ses abords, les terrasses du sommet Nord-Ouest, Bulletin archéologique des Écoles françaises à l’étranger 1.

F. Gaignerot-Driessen, P. Baulain, G. Erny, C. Judson, R. Machavoine, O. Mouthuy, O. Vanwalleghem 2020. Fouilles de l’Anavlochos I: La nécropole de Lami, le sanctuaire de Kako Plaï et les dépôts votifs 1 et 2, Bulletin archéologique des Écoles françaises à l’étranger 1.