This is the first book to help the visitor understand Crete's remarkable landscape, which is just as spectacular as the island's rich archaeological heritage. Crete is a wonderful and dramatic island, a miniature continent with precipitous mountains, a hundred gorges, unique plants, extinct animals and lost civilisations, as well as the characteristic agricultural landscape of olive groves, vines and goats, Jennifer Moody and Oliver Rackham explain how the island's peculiar and extraordinary features, moulded and modified by centuries of human activity, have come together to create the landscape we see today. They also explain the formation and ecology of Crete's beautiful mountains and coastline, and the contemporary threats to the island's fragile natural beauty.

This text aims to help the visitor to Crete understand its landscape. The authors explain how the island's peculiar and extraordinary features, moulded and modified by centuries of human activity, have come together to create today's landscape. They explain the formation and ecology of Crete's mountains and coastline, and examine contemporary threats to the island's natural beauty.

The excavation of a Minoan shipwreck dated to 1725/1700 BC is described. The cargo includes the largest known corpus of complete and almost complete clay vessels from a single Middle Minoan IIB deposit. The transport boat provides interesting information on a society that revolved around seafaring.

The Rough Guide to Crete is the essential travel companion to the largest and most diverse of the Greek islands with detailed coverage of all the top attractions. From the bustling modern city of Ir�klion to the laid-back beaches of Paleoh�ra, discover Crete's highlights inspired by dozens of colour photos. Rely on practical advice on travelling around the island and up-to-date descriptions of the best hotels, bars, clubs, shops, restaurants and resorts for all budgets. The Rough Guide to Crete includes insider guidance on a host of local activities including wine-tasting in rustic villages, where to find the best Venetian fortifications and exploring the fertile valleys and breathtaking Samari� and �mbros gorges. You'll find colour sections on the mountainous regions and coastal areas as well as a handy language section. Explore every corner of this captivating island with clear maps and expert background on everything from the country's distinctive traditions, music and wildlife to its long heritage as the seat of European civilisation. Make the most of your holiday with The Rough Guide to Crete.

The Rough Guide to Crete is the essential travel companion to the largest and most diverse of the Greek islands with detailed coverage of all the top attractions. From the bustling modern city of Iráklion to the laid-back beaches of Paleohóra, discover Crete's highlights inspired by dozens of colour photos. Rely on practical advice on travelling around the island and up-to-date descriptions of the best hotels, bars, clubs, shops, restaurants and resorts for all budgets. The Rough Guide to Crete includes insider guidance on a host of local activities including wine-tasting in rustic villages, where to find the best Venetian fortifications and exploring the fertile valleys and breathtaking Samariá and Ímbros gorges. You'll find colour sections on the mountainous regions and coastal areas as well as a handy language section. Explore every corner of this captivating island with clear maps and expert background on everything from the country's distinctive traditions, music and wildlife to its long heritage as the seat of European civilisation. Make the most of your holiday with The Rough Guide to Crete.

The Rough Guide to Crete is the ultimate guide to one of the most beautiful and hospitable islands of Greece. With stunning photography, detailed maps, suggested itineraries, and more listings and reviews than ever before, this guide will help you discover the highlights of this beautiful island. You'll find detailed practical advice on the best places to stay, eat, and drink, accounts of all the best hikes and outdoor activities, lively reviews of the island's laid-back coastal resorts, and full, expert accounts of the ancient archaeological sites. The Rough Guide to Crete will be your trusted companion in helping you explore this multifaceted island. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Crete.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME ON EARTH Discover Crete with this comprehensive, entertaining, 'tell it like it is' Rough Guide, packed with exhaustive practical information and our experts' honest independent recommendations. Whether you plan to trek down the Samariá Gorge, while away the hours on Crete's idyllic beaches or explore its many off-shore islands, The Rough Guide to Crete will show you the perfect places to explore, sleep, eat, drink and shop along the way. Features of The Rough Guide to Crete: Detailed regional coverage: provides in-depth practical information for every step of every kind of trip, from intrepid off-the-beaten-track adventures, to chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas. Regions covered include: Iráklio, Lasíthi, Réthymno and Haniá. Honest independent reviews: written with Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, and recommendations you can truly trust, our writers will help you get the most from your trip to Crete. Meticulous mapping: always full colour, with clear numbered, colour-coded keys. Navigate the entire island, from east to west, without needing to get online. Fabulous full-colour photography: features a richness of inspirational colour photography, including the imposing White Mountains, the verdant Amari Valley and the picturesque southern coastline. Things not to miss: Rough Guides' rundown of Iráklio, Lasíthi, Réthymno and Haniá's best sights and top experiences. Itineraries: carefully planned routes will help you organise your trip, and inspire and inform your on-the-road experiences. Basics section: packed with essential pre-departure information including getting there, getting around, accommodation, food and drink, health, the media, festivals, sports and outdoor activities, culture and etiquette, shopping and more. Background information: comprehensive Contexts chapter provides fascinating insights into Crete, with coverage of history, religion, ethnic groups, environment, wildlife and books, plus a handy language section and glossary. You might also be interested in... Rough Guide to Greece Rough Guide to Turkey Rough Guide to Cyprus About Rough Guides: Rough Guides have been inspiring travellers for over 35 years, with over 30 million copies sold. Synonymous with practical travel tips, quality writing and a trustworthy 'tell it like it is' ethos, the Rough Guides' list includes more than 260 travel guides to 120+ destinations, gift-books and phrasebooks.

Excavations at the Bronze Age seaport on Pseira Island uncovered the remains of sophisticated water retention systems that included the addition of retaining walls to prevent erosion, massive dams with associated reservoirs, and small check-dams to ravines that reached over one hundred meters in length in order to control water runoff and make it available for human use. Agriculture was one of the cornerstones of the Bronze Age Cretan economy, and it is no surprise that the ancient inhabitants of the island went to great lengths to control water runoff and make it available for human use. Despite the application of traditional archaeological survey methods, the full extent of the water management systems was not understood fully as the island's rugged topography prevented intensive and thorough survey of many places. The use of a differential Global Positioning System (dGPS) unit provided the opportunity to take a fresh look at the evidence for water management on the island. The results of this study contribute substantial amounts of new information on the little known subject of Minoan water conservation and control.

"Holy Landscape" is a term frequently used to describe a multidimensional phenomenon. What this actually comprises is hard to define. Precisely this question is addressed in this volume. The "holy landscape" depends on people's Weltanschauung and is influenced by their respective culture and ethos. It is not just a question of religious buildings and rituals, nor is a mere matter of explicating terms such as "pure" and "impure", magic and myths; it is about an expressive space in which the "ceremony and mood of rites and cults" take place. The contributions also deal with the emergence and continuing development of the term "holy landscape" and the changing expressions of religious mood.

Human Landscapes in Classical Antiquity shows how today's environmental and ecological concerns can help illuminate our study of the ancient world. The contributors consider how the Greeks and Romans perceived their natural world, and how their perceptions affected society. The effects of human settlement and cultivation on the landscape are considered, as well as the representation of landscape in Attic drama. Various aspects of farming, such as the use of terraces and the significance of olive growing are examined. The uncultivated landscape was also important: hunting was a key social ritual for Greek and hellenistic elites, and 'wild' places were not wastelands but played an essential economic role. The Romans' attempts to control their environment are analyzed. This volume shows how Greeks and Romans worked hand in hand with their natural environment and not against it. It represents an outstanding collaboration between the disciplines of history and archaeology.