Ancient Minoa

The location of Minoa is excellently chosen.

• The 240 m hilltop offers an excellent view of the northern coast. Enemy ships could be spotted quickly.
• The sheltered bay of Katapola provides an excellent mooring for ships.
• The Katapola Valley offers excellent agricultural land with thick alluvial clay soils and water
• The surrounding slate hills were converted (with much labour) into fertile terraces on which grain could be grown.

Excavations have shown that Minoa was inhabited from the 11th century BC to the 4th century AD.

It is unclear why the settlement was abandoned.

Pascal Brackman