Phourni, Bronze Age cemetery in Archanes-Asterousia, Greece
Phourni is an archaeological site near Archanes, built on a hilltop overlooking the surrounding Cretan landscape. The cemetery contains burial chambers with both rectangular and circular stone structures that served different groups over time.
The cemetery was used from the 24th to the 12th century BCE, covering periods when Crete experienced shifts from local rule to outside influence. The sequence of burials reveals how beliefs and social organization changed across these centuries.
The burial structures reveal how families honored their dead and what objects they placed in the graves for the afterlife. These remains show the beliefs and daily practices of early Crete's inhabitants.
The site sits on a hillside, so reaching it requires some uphill walking and climbing. Plan your visit for cooler parts of the day and bring water, as the exposed hilltop can get quite hot in summer.
Archaeologists found fragments of horse bones buried alongside the dead, a rare discovery in this region and period suggesting special funeral rituals. These and other unusual items make the site valuable for understanding how ancient people marked important deaths.
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