Kommos (Crete)

Kommos (Greek: Κομμός) is an archaeological site in southern Crete. During the Minoan period, it served as a harbour town for nearby Phaistos and Hagia Triada. After the Bronze Age, a sanctuary was built over the ruins of the earlier town. It is notable for providing evidence about international trade and local daily life.

The partially excavated site is located 5 km north of Matala, adjacent to Kommos Beach. It is not open to the public, but is visible from the beach.

Kommos is located on the coast of the Mesara Plain, one of the major population centers of the Minoan civilization. It is near the Palace of Phaistos and the town of Hagia Triada, with whom it has been described as forming "a great Minoan triangle". The archaeological site is next to Kommos Beach, a popular swimming spot. In ancient times, Papadoplaka reef islet would have partly sheltered the town from waves and wind, though it has been substantially submerged by rising sea levels and German bombing during the Nazi occupation of Crete.

The Minoan city was divided into two areas, demarcated by a broad road paved with stone slabs. The hilly northern sector was primarily a residential neighborhood, while civic buildings were constructed in the lower and flatter southern area. The site is stratigraphically complex, with remains from different periods often directly on top of each other.

The southern edge of the site is notable for its architectural parallels with Minoan palaces. Like the palaces, this area had a paved rectangular court surrounded by monumental wings. Because Kommos is thought to have been politically dependent on Phaistos and Hagia Triada, the presence of palatial architecture is a puzzle. In the words of excavator Joseph Shaw:

Could a relatively small and architecturally unpretentious town such as Kommos have promoted and maintained such an enormous structure, or have we misunderstood the palaces? Perhaps they were not so rare nor served such large regions as is generally supposed. Or perhaps in T we see an adaptation of the palace form for commercial purposes.

The palatial complex was rebuilt several times. The earliest known palatial building, Building AA, was constructed shortly after the first palace at Phaistos during MMII. However, an earlier walkway excavated under AA's central court suggests that it may have had a precedecessor. During MMIII, Building AA was replaced by the grandiose Building T, comparable in size to the palace at Phaistos, with a facade constructed from the largest ashlars used by the Minoans. These ashlar blocks are called "orthostats" Because they are large narrow slabs set on their edge. After an earthquake, the area was left in ruins before being redeveloped in the LMIIIA2 period. Buildings from this phase include the court-centered Building N and Building P. In this period, a pottery workshop including a kiln was built in the earlier court, which has provided archaeologists with crucial evidence regarding Minoan pottery production. The kiln was erected in a stoa of which six limestone bases for wooden columns were visible that bordered the courtyard of Building T on its south side. The kiln was erected after Building T's collapse, which leads archeologists to the idea that Building T lost its prestigious role and a kiln was built in its place.

The LMIIIA Building P has been described as "perhaps the most curious" building at the site. Consisting of six long narrow galleries, its layout resembles Minoan storerooms. However, the galleries were open on their western sides, suggesting that their contents were left unsecured. Particularly since the open side faces the sea, the building is standardly interpreted as an early example of a ship shed. However, unlike Classical-era buildings of this sort, Building P was not on the shoreline and lacked a slipway. Thus, archaeologists hypothesize that the building was used for longer term storage than later examples. This interpretation is bolstered by the discovery of residue from hematite anti-fouling paint in the building as well as a comparable structure at Knossos's port of Katsamba.