The Anavlochos mountain range, located in the Mirabello region (Lasithi, Crete), consists of a 5 km long North-West/South-East crest of limestone extending above the village of Vrachasi. This naturally defensible ridge controls the major communication axis linking Central and Eastern Crete.

To the North, it overlooks the coastal plain of Milatos, where a Greek city-state was established probably from the 7th c. BC onwards. The Kastellos of Milatos, which was occupied since the Late Minoan IIIC period, may have been its urban centre during the Archaic and Hellenistic period, as suggested by surface remains. To the North, the Anavlochos ridge overlooks the coastal plain of Sissi, where an important Minoan settlement abandoned in Late Minoan IIIB is currently under excavation by the Belgian School at Athens. The urban centre of the Archaic polis of Dreros, from where the first laws of the Greek world were recovered, is located on a hill less than 10 km to the South-East. This site is also currently under excavation, by the Greek archaeological Service and the French School at Athens.

The highest peak of Vigla, located at the South-East limit of the ridge, forms the most distinctive part of the massif and makes it identifiable from all the main ancient settlements of the Mirabello Bay. From there one can see the entire Mirabello bay and identify all the distinctive hilltop sites of the region up to the Siteia mountains. The North-West extremity of the ridge offers a view on the bay of Malia and in clear weather up to Iraklio.

Bibliography:

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 archéologiques 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 archéologiques des Écoles françaises à l’étranger 3.

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.

F. Gaignerot-Driessen, C. Judson, V. Vlachou 2020. Prospection de l’Anavlochos II, Bulletin archéologiques des Écoles françaises à l’étranger.

F. Gaignerot-Driessen, L. Fadin, R. Bardet, M. Devolder (2015-2016). Prospection de l’Anavlochos I, BCH 139-140.2 (2015-2016), 951-974.