The Khavania Topographical and Architectural Mapping Project took place in 2019 and 2021. Directed by Rodney D. Fitzsimons (Trent University) and D. Matthew Buell (Concordia University), and with the support of the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete, the project focused on documenting Khavania, a small peninsula on the western shore of the Mirabello Bay in eastern Crete.
Over two field seasons, the peninsula was subjected to intensive pedestrian survey and architectural study. The aim of the project was to determine the settlement history of the peninsula and assess its role within the broader Mirabello Bay network and, by extension, its connections to wider Cretan and Aegean exchange systems. Featuring natural harbours to both its north and south and access to inland routes, Khavania offers a strategically situated point for understanding regional dynamics along the relatively understudied western shore of the bay. All natural and anthropogenic features at Khavania were documented to produce a comprehensive topographic map of the site, as well as an accurate digital elevation model. 77 visible architectural features were identified and integrated into the overall site plan, 24 of which were cleaned. The study of ceramic material collected during the survey aims to refine the site’s chronology and trace patterns of connectivity and trade across its phases of occupation, with pottery spanning from the Late Prepalatial through to the Roman period.
Select Bibliography
Buell, D.M., R.D. Fitzsimons, J. Francis, & R.A.K. Smith. 2023. “Canadians in East Crete: Exploration at Chavania.” Kentro 26: 5-11.
Perreault, J.Y., R.D. Fitzsimons & D.M. Buell. 2023. “Fieldwork of the Canadian Institute in Greece 2019-2021: The Khavania Topographical and Architectural Mapping Project,” Mouseion, 20.2: 157-165.
