Armeni Necropolis

The necropolis of Armeni is situated 38 km from Saktouria and 9km  of the town of Rethymnon,  The greatest Late Minoan III A-B (c. 1400-1200 BC) cemetery was discovered on a shallow hill called Prinokefalo,

Systematic excavations started in 1969 and 231, including one tholos, have been uncovered up to 2012. 

All the tombs were dug into the rock, and each consists of a corridor and a chamber. The corridor is composed either of a staircase or a ramp. The wealthier tombs possessed tombstones of different sizes.

Each tomb would probably represent a family group. 

The main finds in the tombs were clay larnakes, fine decorated pottery, bronze arms, utensils and ornaments, as well as sealstones and necklaces from semiprecious stones.

Among the most important finds are a boars’ tusk helmet, a basket made of reeds and decorated with small bronze pins, a steatite pendant with a Linear A and a stirrup jar with a Linear B inscription (mentioning the name wi-na-jo).