Archaeological investigations have brought to light the remains of an important Minoan settlement of the palaeopalatial period (19th century BC – 1600 BC) about 1 km northwest of the village on the slope of a hill. In a strategic mountainous position with great visibility in the wider area that reaches the southern Cretan Sea, the settlement used to extend over the “road” that connected the palace of Phaistos with the large old palace center of Monastiraki and it probably operated as an intermediate station. Archaeological findings confirm the connection and contacts of the settlement with these large Minoan centers.
In this location, six building complexes have been revealed. The buildings with one or even two floors were built in steps, following the relief of the ground and giving the impression of multi-story buildings from a distance. They had workshops and were organized with storage areas where a large number of vases were found.
The settlement was destroyed around 1700 BC, when earthquakes and fire destroyed the old great palaces of Phaistos and Knossos, as well as many other Minoan centers. However, during the later neo-palatial period, habitation continued at a higher point, as architectural remains at the top of the hill confirm.
