Excavations at Gournia, 2010–2012

• DOI: 10.2972/hesperia.84.3.0397
• Publication Date: 2015-08-28T19:57:26Z
• Authors: L. Vance Watrous; D. Matthew Buell; John C. McEnroe; John G. Younger; Lee Ann Turner; Brian S. Kunkel; Kevin Glowacki; Scott Gallimore; Angus Smith; Panagiota A. Pantou; Anne Chapin; Evi Margaritis
• Keywords: Bedrock; Pottery; Palaces; Plasters; 930; Rooms; 06 humanities and the arts; Pebbles; Excavations; Trenches; Stone buildings; 900; 0601 history and archaeology; Houses

This article presents previous research at Gournia, the overall goals of our project, a new plan of the settlement, and our 2010-2012 excavations in eight areas: the Pit House, the Northwest Area, the North Cemetery, North Trench, the Northeast Area, House Aa, several rooms in the palace, and House He. Analytical sections discuss the textual evidence; the painted plasters; and the botanical remains. Our excavations indicate that Gournia was first settled in the Final Neolithic period and grew into an industrial town by the Protopalatial period. Following a Middle Minoan II destruction, the town was reorganized in Middle Minoan IIIA to include the palace, which in Late Minoan IB employed Linear A.