Temple of Anemospilia
General overview:
The temple of Anemospilia is a rather unique find, not only for its size but for its location and the way it is built. Most agree that it was most definitely destroyed by an earthquake and resulting fire; some say the earthquake was a result of an eruption by the nearby volcano Thera. When J. Sakellarakis excavated the site in 1979, he found three bodies, along with many pots, pans, food items and jars. Most temples of that time in Crete were built with labyrinthine-like walls and doorways, whereas this temple is built with simple walls, floors and doorways. It is also a lot smaller than most buildings of its type, this has led to many questions, both by historians and archaeologists. Why was the temple built in such a way? Was the man in the West Room sacrificed because the people knew the earthquake was coming and wanted to please the gods?
Each room sheds more light onto the mystery, however, as with many cases like this, it is merely a form of guesswork when it comes to working out what really happened here.
Purpose of each room:
Inside the temple, there are three chambers, along with an annex that leading into the rooms.
The east chamber was probably the holding room, or pantry to the gods. A stepped alter was found inside it, along with countless vessels of pottery. On the floor were remnants of honey, milk, peas and grains, which were also found in the bottoms of some of the jars. When these jars were put back together, some showed religious scenes and rituals. This evidence all points towards this room being used a storage chamber.
The annex, a room on the outside of the building; contained a skeleton who most probably died when the earthquake hit. It is impossible to tell if the person is male or female, as their entire pelvic area has been completely obliterated by the falling stones in the roof. A jar was found in their hands, along with woven cloth, vases, pithoi and cooking pots scattered all around. As this room held pots
The temple of Anemospilia is a rather unique find, not only for its size but for its location and the way it is built. Most agree that it was most definitely destroyed by an earthquake and resulting fire; some say the earthquake was a result of an eruption by the nearby volcano Thera. When J. Sakellarakis excavated the site in 1979, he found three bodies, along with many pots, pans, food items and jars. Most temples of that time in Crete were built with labyrinthine-like walls and doorways, whereas this temple is built with simple walls, floors and doorways. It is also a lot smaller than most buildings of its type, this has led to many questions, both by historians and archaeologists. Why was the temple built in such a way? Was the man in the West Room sacrificed because the people knew the earthquake was coming and wanted to please the gods?
Each room sheds more light onto the mystery, however, as with many cases like this, it is merely a form of guesswork when it comes to working out what really happened here.
Purpose of each room:
Inside the temple, there are three chambers, along with an annex that leading into the rooms.
The east chamber was probably the holding room, or pantry to the gods. A stepped alter was found inside it, along with countless vessels of pottery. On the floor were remnants of honey, milk, peas and grains, which were also found in the bottoms of some of the jars. When these jars were put back together, some showed religious scenes and rituals. This evidence all points towards this room being used a storage chamber.
The annex, a room on the outside of the building; contained a skeleton who most probably died when the earthquake hit. It is impossible to tell if the person is male or female, as their entire pelvic area has been completely obliterated by the falling stones in the roof. A jar was found in their hands, along with woven cloth, vases, pithoi and cooking pots scattered all around. As this room held pots