Vasiliki, Lasithi 2.35

Vasiliki is the name of a village in the municipality of Ierapetra, in the prefecture of Lasithi, on Crete, and the name of the nearby Minoan archeological site. The site took its name from the village.GeographyVasiliki lies on a small hill in the north of the Ierapetra isthmus. It is located about 2km inland from the north coast of Crete and the Mirabello Bay. The nearby archaeological site of Priniatikos Pyrgos is about 7km to the north-west.The exit of the impressive Ha Gorge is located nearby.ArchaeologyVasiliki was first excavated 1903-1906 by American archaeologist R. B. Seager. Nicolas Platon continued excavations in 1953. In 1970, A. A. Zois began meticulous work that lasted until 1982, and returned to the site again in 1990 to continue the work.The Minoan village was in use from EMIIA to LMIA. The first structures were constructed during EM IIA period. These buildings were destroyed and new buildings went up during EM IIB.From about 2500 BC onwards, the culture of Vasiliki resembled art elements as other Cretan sites such as Knossos and Trapezea based upon pottery finds. A nearby tomb from LMIII was once discovered, but the location has not been rediscovered.