DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7519#0042
THE ISLAND
7
most are dry beds only. The Platanias West of Khania, the
ancient Iardanos, the Gazanos, West of Candia, the ancient
Triton, the Metropolitanos in the Messara, the ancient Lethaios,
the Anapodhari flowing from the Messara to the South coast,
the ancient Katarrhakhtes, and the Mylopotamos, the ancient
Oaxes, are the only rivers which have never been known to
dry up completely.
Springs have disappeared and sites such as Omalais to the
North of Dikte which evidently supported a considerable
population in ancient times are now completely deserted, save
for a few mandras or shepherds' huts to which water must
be brought from a distance.
None of the Cretan rivers, however, can have been navigable
even in antiquity and the natural means of communication has
always been by mountain paths suitable in many cases only
to pedestrians. Such paths frequently begin as mere game
tracks. It is not till the coming of wheeled traffic, and swift-
wheeled traffic at that, when gradients have to be considered,
that artificial roads are cut; the ' kalderims ', or roughly
paved roads made by the Romans, Venetians or Turks for
military purposes, merely followed the prehistoric paths, and
although there are few cases where Minoan banking or Greek
bridges survive we are justified in considering that the means
of communication between ancient sites was the same as that
in use to-day or rather before the network of car roads was
begun.
B. ROUTES AND TOPOGRAPHY
It is most important when considering the distribution of
sites at certain periods to look at the means of communication
each had with its neighbours ; whether easy access from one
quarter has caused a site to favour in its style of pottery the
technique of another which may lie at a considerable distance
from it ; through what sections of the country would pass the
traffic from Egypt, influencing perhaps one group of sites
while another group is in closer touch with the Cyclades.
Only those who have actually walked the mountains can tell
how misleading a map may be, and the maps of Crete are in
any case woefully inaccurate. Who would think that from
Souia on the South coast to Lakkoi South of Khania is as long
a day's journey as from Tsoutsouros, the ancient Priansos,
on the South coast to Amnisos on the North coast ? Distances
are useless. Times alone matter. The times given here are
7
most are dry beds only. The Platanias West of Khania, the
ancient Iardanos, the Gazanos, West of Candia, the ancient
Triton, the Metropolitanos in the Messara, the ancient Lethaios,
the Anapodhari flowing from the Messara to the South coast,
the ancient Katarrhakhtes, and the Mylopotamos, the ancient
Oaxes, are the only rivers which have never been known to
dry up completely.
Springs have disappeared and sites such as Omalais to the
North of Dikte which evidently supported a considerable
population in ancient times are now completely deserted, save
for a few mandras or shepherds' huts to which water must
be brought from a distance.
None of the Cretan rivers, however, can have been navigable
even in antiquity and the natural means of communication has
always been by mountain paths suitable in many cases only
to pedestrians. Such paths frequently begin as mere game
tracks. It is not till the coming of wheeled traffic, and swift-
wheeled traffic at that, when gradients have to be considered,
that artificial roads are cut; the ' kalderims ', or roughly
paved roads made by the Romans, Venetians or Turks for
military purposes, merely followed the prehistoric paths, and
although there are few cases where Minoan banking or Greek
bridges survive we are justified in considering that the means
of communication between ancient sites was the same as that
in use to-day or rather before the network of car roads was
begun.
B. ROUTES AND TOPOGRAPHY
It is most important when considering the distribution of
sites at certain periods to look at the means of communication
each had with its neighbours ; whether easy access from one
quarter has caused a site to favour in its style of pottery the
technique of another which may lie at a considerable distance
from it ; through what sections of the country would pass the
traffic from Egypt, influencing perhaps one group of sites
while another group is in closer touch with the Cyclades.
Only those who have actually walked the mountains can tell
how misleading a map may be, and the maps of Crete are in
any case woefully inaccurate. Who would think that from
Souia on the South coast to Lakkoi South of Khania is as long
a day's journey as from Tsoutsouros, the ancient Priansos,
on the South coast to Amnisos on the North coast ? Distances
are useless. Times alone matter. The times given here are