Pendlebury, John D.: The archaeology of Crete: an introduction (London, 1939)

Chapter III

THE MIDDLE MINOAN PERIOD

i. middle minoan i (m.m.l)
(See Map 7)

IN M.M.i the swing of power has gone to the North and
centre of Crete, and the first elements of the great palaces
appear. When the pottery is discussed reasons will be given
for believing that in this part of the island the period overlapped
E.M.iii elsewhere 1 and that the earliest style of vase painting,
M.M.i a, was almost confined to Knossos. It is symptomatic
of this centralization that M.M.nnever reaches most sites which
continue with a local form of the M.M.16 style until M.M.m.
M.M.ll will be treated in a separate chapter, but it must not
be forgotten that it is a local development of M.M.i, nor that
the earliest protopalatial remains at Knossos and Mallia are
contemporary with the latter half of E.M.iii in the Messara and
in the East.2

To some time early in the period must be attributed the
regularization of the great route across the island from Komo
in the South to Knossos, for not only does the fort at Anagyroi 3
guard the road but it is clear that the monumental entrance
to the Palace at Knossos was also founded.4 Another route
to the coast from the Messara was considered worth guarding
and remains of a small station are visible at Agia Paraskeve at
the top of the Goulopharango Gorge which leads down from

1 P. of M., I, 108.

2 Very good evidence for this was found in June 1937 on the
Kastellos Tzermiadhon in Lasithi. Here a house was excavated
which had clearly been continuously occupied. Below the floors and
in the interstices of the walls was M.M.i. pottery. The deposit on
the floors was uniformly M.M.ill, and outside, round about the base
of the walls, was a mixed dump of M.M.i and M.M.ill. Not a single
M.M.11 sherd was found.

3 Is this a local contraction for Agioi Anargyroi ?

4 Ibid., II, 146. In its final form it no doubt dates from M.M.in.

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