It’s hard to believe that the near Rethymno is an ancient city-state Eleutherna. The ancient city had two names: Apollonia and Eleutherna, on behalf of the king smokes Eleftornosa. It was founded in the 9th century BC . Excavations have shown that the city was built with a clear layout of streets, temples, cemeteries, quarries in the vicinity
Praynes hill and well-preserved until now, huge bunkers pools to collect water. The city was a wealthy trading center with its own fleet, the port was in Panormo. The wealth and power he contended with the famous Knossos. 67 AD it was conquered by the Roman general Quintus blizzard. With the Roman conquest of Crete is a lovely villa, baths, and other public buildings, show that Eleutherna flourished under the Empire, to a catastrophic…
earthquake 365 years Elefterna became the seat of a Christian bishop bishop Eufratas built a large basilica in the middle of the seventh century. Assault Harun al-Rashid in the late eighth century led to the establishment of the Arab hegemony on the island. In the year 796 there was an earthquake that destroyed the remnants of the already almost deserted city.

Since 1985, systematic excavations in the region begins to University of Crete, conducted simultaneously in three different areas of the district. Eastern sector took Professor Petros Themelis, Professor Athanasios Kalpaxis center and west of Professor Nikos Stabolidis, who directs the excavations of the necropolis for 25 years.

N.Stabolidis In 2010, during the excavations of the necropolis archaeologists accidentally Obata attention on a stone slab, sticking out of the hill. Burial was hidden under a false fence to avoid being found and plundered tomb robbers. With great difficulty pushing 800 pounds. plate found some great pitchers, arranged one behind the other, this was the burial. Burial along the entire length dotted with small pieces of gold foil of various shapes – square, round and diamond-shaped, scientists literally getting out of this burial ground gold, not just land with a few pieces of foil. In a dual burial of VII century doNekr. Eleft BC 3000 pieces of gold foil. Gold foil pieces are small, between 1 and 4 cm in length. Once they were sewn onto clothing or burial shrouds buried here are women. Over the centuries, the fabric is completely rotted away, but the researchers were able to find a few white threads. Another surprising discovery of the tomb were gold jewelry girls depicting a bee. This was the first presentation of the bee as a goddess on the island of Crete. But what is surprising is that if you turn the decoration, the bee disappears and takes the place of a necklace from elefernykrasivaya lily. This dual jewelry caused general interest of archaeologists. Finally, in drugomkuvshine archaeologists made an unexpected discovery. Among the bones found in the golden eyes full size called Eye of Tutankhamun, identical to that found in the burial mask of the king of Egypt. Next to the deceased woman 25-27 years was a young man of 17 years, a woman apparently held during the life of a high social position. This is also the burial lay copper cup, ceramic bottles with the spices brought from Egypt or Syria and Palestine, hundreds of amber, crystal and porcelain beads. Also, scientists have originated question-who were these women and the youth, why were not cremated? In those days, all the rich people aged 15 and older were subjected to cremation and compre them priestesses and animals. In some cases, the bodies were burned to ashes, which were placed in a jar. Others were burned to the bone, the bone further purified and placed in a sarcophagus. Scientists continue to work on this burial. Excavations are very laborious and time-consuming, so grave or place of burning of 2 to 1.5 and 80 in depth requires 2 months of work.

N. Stabolidis plans to make a museum in vivo. Now the territory of the ancient city can be accessed only through the central entrance of the village old Eleftherna, the eastern and western entrance closed, there are conducted archaeological work.