163:, were all in a form of Greek associated with a Mycenaean upper class (BBC). The Dorians seem to have driven the local people up into the hills; the latest towns with Minoan material culture are in more and more inaccessible places, one of the largest and most extensive settlements being at Karfi, high in the Dikti Mountains. At this high, remote, ancient, and sacred site a fragment of Minoan civilization survived intact for about 400 years after the occupation of
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136:) that connected it with sightlines to other sites, typical of the network developed in the "first Palace period" (Middle Minoan IB–II, 1900–1800 BCE) onwards, but probably abandoned, perhaps under increased religious centralization, in Middle Minoan IIIA (ca 1650 BCE) (Soetens, Driesen
92:. The ancient name of the site is unknown; "Karfi" ("the nail") is a local toponym for the prominent knob of limestone that marks the peak of the site, especially when viewed from the north. Located approximately 1100 meters above sea level, and overlooking the northern entrance to the
187:, where the finds from Karfi are now displayed in the Archaeological Museum (Room 11). In the mountains of Eastern Crete a non-Greek language was still being spoken and sometimes inscribed into Classical times, and the people who spoke it were still identified as "
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building with central hearth, and a "Temple" or sanctuary, where votive figures were found. These clay religious figurines include the cylindrical skirted goddesses in cylindrical skirts with their hands raised in the
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140:). The rocky site is dominated by a bifurcated stone outcropping that is unmistakably like the carved and shaped crescent horn stone altars known in Crete and
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and the
British Archaeology School extensively excavated the ruins in 1937 and 1939. Some believe only one third of the site has been excavated (Swindale).
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edited by J. Wilson Myers, Eleanor Emlen Myers, and Gerald
Cadogan, pp. 116–119. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 1992.
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At Karfi the last of the
Eteocretan Minoan settlements retreated to the slopes of this barren mountain, from which they had a view of the
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after ca 1100 BCE, archaeological reconstructions suggest that they would have found the Minoan people living along with the
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The Minoan town includes a shrine with an altar, single story houses and paved streets. Two Minoan cemeteries with
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at XIV Congrès de l'Union
International des Sciences Perhistoriquews et Protohistorique, Liège 2001 (pdf file)
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S. Soetens, J. Driessen, A. Sarris, S. Topouzi, "The Minoan peak sanctuary landscape through a GIS approach"
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View from south on the summits Karfi (left) and Mikri
Koprana (right).
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288:"Holidays in Crete - Hotels, Car Rental - Crete TOURnet - Greece"
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period (around 1200–1000 BCE) at the beginning of the Greek "
302:"Bronze Age Sanctuary of Pigadhes - Guzelyurt, North Cyprus"
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tombs are located near the village. The village dates from
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When the warlike mixed group conventionally referred to as
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Photos from a hiker's point of view, omitting the outcrops
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348:cultural overview to put Karfi in context
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383:http://www.minoancrete.com/karphi.htm
340:http://www.minoancrete.com/karphi.htm
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318:Cadogan, Gerald. 1992. “Karphi.” In
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128:The peak of Karfi was originally a
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809:Minoan frescoes from Tell el-Dab'a
320:The Aerial Atlas of Ancient Crete,
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952:Former populated places in Greece
911:Archaeological Museum of Chania
906:Heraklion Archaeological Museum
834:Papoura Hill Circular Structure
370:Iraklion Archaeological Museum:
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346:BBC: The Minoan Civilization:
824:Minoan Moulds of Palaikastro
372:Room 11, ceramics from Karfi
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151:arrived on Crete from the
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749:Hagia Triada Sarcophagus
205:Jones declares Karphi a
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759:Snake goddess figurines
325:Jones, Donald W. 1999.
35:35.217798°N 25.470130°E
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342:Retrieved 13 Jan 2006.
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754:Horns of Consecration
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774:Prince of the Lilies
732:Art and Architecture
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419:Minoan civilization
259:Minoan civilization
200:J. D. S. Pendlebury
124:History of the site
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684:Psychro Cave
527:Hagia Triada
448:Minoan seals
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313:Bibliography
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277:Cadogan 1992
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211:loom weights
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181:Sea of Crete
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169:megaron-type
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102:Machu Picchu
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779:Stirrup jar
674:Arkalochori
667:Sanctuaries
633:Nea Roumata
577:Monastiraki
537:Palaikastro
520:Settlements
195:Archaeology
189:Eteocretans
153:Peloponnese
84:in eastern
38: /
931:Categories
714:Traostalos
658:Yerokambos
587:Vathypetro
433:Minoan art
354:589. Karfi
334:9170811539
265:References
157:Mycenaeans
44: (
25:25°28′12″E
22:35°13′04″N
689:Atsipades
638:Odigitria
613:Apesokari
592:Zominthos
176:gesture.
118:Dark Ages
894:See also
865:Linear B
860:Linear A
794:Kouloura
719:Vrysinas
709:Petsofas
623:Kamilari
582:Vasiliki
552:Troullos
496:Phaistos
228:See also
185:Iraklion
174:epiphany
161:Linear B
100:site of
937:Lasithi
853:Writing
679:Kamares
648:Phylaki
643:Phourni
628:Koumasa
567:Amnisos
557:Trypiti
547:Gournia
542:Kydonia
511:Galatas
491:Knossos
484:Palaces
244:Lasithi
165:Knossos
149:Dorians
653:Stylos
608:Armeni
572:Petras
562:Lakkos
532:Kommos
506:Zakros
426:Topics
332:
218:tholos
142:Cyprus
138:et al.
134:et al.
90:Greece
70:Karphi
68:(also
694:Karfi
601:Tombs
501:Malia
477:Sites
86:Crete
78:Καρφί
74:Greek
66:Karfi
46:Karfi
699:Modi
330:ISBN
106:Peru
98:Inca
120:."
104:in
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48:)
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