Vassiliki Minoan Town in Lassithi

The Ancient Minoan Site of Vassiliki, Lassithi Crete: Vassiliki is an important Minoan archaeological site located on a small hill at the far north of Ierapetra town, near the modern village of Vassiliki. The site of Vassiliki was a subject of debate among the archaeologists. At first, this site was identified as an original Minoan palace.

However, later, the modern archaeologists found that Vassiliki was a settlement that went through a series of building phases and was destroyed by three successive fires, in early and middle Minoan periods. Each time the village was rebuilt and the culture was revived. There is no indication that the village ever faced any threat from neighboring towns or foreign civilizations.

A.A. Zois, who explored the site from the 1970s till the 1990s, identified four areas of equally sized structures there. According to Zois, these equally sized houses that were built side by side give an indication that Vassiliki was not a Minoan palace but a society of equal residents.

Two types of houses exist in Vassiliki: the Red House and the West House. The Red House took its name from the red-painted lime plaster on the walls and is situated in the center of the settlement, while the West House is found to the west. They were both built in the early Minoan settlement.

Another notable finding in Vassiliki is the Vassiliki Ware, which showed the development of pottery in this site and resulted in the production of jugs, teapots, dishes and other ceramic pieces. The Vassiliki Ware lasted until the end of the early Minoan period. The ancient town of Vassiliki continued to flourish till the last Minoan period when the last buildings were constructed.