Pseira

Pseira (Greek: Ψείρα) is a small island in the Gulf of Mirabello in northeastern Crete. On this island, people found very old ruins from the time of the Minoan and Mycenean civilisation. These ruins help us learn about how people lived long ago in this part of the world. The island is special because it shows us clues about the history and culture of ancient societies that once lived there.

History

The small island of Pseira was studied by researchers in the early 1900s and again in the 1980s and 1990s. People lived there from around the time houses were first built until the Late Bronze Age, about 1550–1450 BC. At its peak, about 60 buildings stood around an open square.

Pseira was an important place for the Minoan people. They fished and grew food on terraced fields, using natural materials to help the soil. Burials showed many different styles, and special buildings held important ceremonies. Some rooms had painted walls and floors, used for gatherings and feasts. Special cups called rhyta were used in these ceremonies, often holding drinks like barley, beer, or wine.

Archaeological publications

Careful digging at Pseira led to many books and reports. All of these were published by INSTAP Academic Press.

Some of these books are:

• Pseira: A Bronze Age Seaport in Minoan Crete by Philip P. Betancourt
• Pseira I: The Minoan Buildings on the West Side of Area A edited by Philip P. Betancourt
• Pseira II: Building AC (the “Shrine”) and Other Buildings in Area A edited by Philip P. Betancourt and Costis Davaras in 1997
• Pseira III: The Plateia Building by Cheryl R. Floyd in 1998
• Pseira IV: Minoan Buildings in Areas B, C, D, and F edited by Philip P. Betancourt and Costis Davaras in 1999
• Pseira V: Architecture of Pseira by John C. McEnroe
• Pseira VI: The Pseira Cemetery I: The Surface Survey edited by Philip P. Betancourt and Costis Davaras in 2003, about the land and methods used.
• Pseira VII: The Pseira Cemetery II: Excavation of the Tombs edited by Philip P. Betancourt and Costis Davaras in 2003
• Pseira VIII: The Pseira Island Survey, Part 1 by Philip Betancourt, Costis Davaras and Richard Hope Simpson
• Pseira IX: The Pseira Island Survey, Part 2: The Intensive Surface Survey edited by Philip Betancourt, Costis Davaras and Richard Hope Simpson

There was also a special CD-ROM for people who wanted to learn more about Pseira in a simple way.