Excavation uncovers rich Ancient Minoan graves on Crete

Two burials with rich grave goods were found in a pit from the Middle Minoan IA era in Siteia, NE Crete. The cemetery of Petras is dated to 2800-1700 BC. A primary burial of a man included the first weapon found in Petras, a bronze short sword. The first burial also included a “secondary burial of a woman with a large number of gold beads of very fine workmanship.” They were made of silver, crystal, carnelian, and jasper.

The Petras cemetery has proven to be by far the largest on Crete. It belonged to elite family members related to the palace in the area. In antiquity, Petras had a large port and served as the entry gate to eastern Crete.