Renovating the First Palace of Phaistos during the Middle Minoan IIA phase (18th cent. BC). Combining architectural and ceramic phases

This paper focuses on a phase of flourishing of the Minoan site at Phaistos, Southern Crete. The aim is to present the architecture and associated deposits dated to the M(iddle) M(inoan) IIA phase from the original and main structure of the First Palace of Phaistos, i.e. the three-floored South-West Building rising on the Lower West Court. My recent work at Phaistos allowed me to associate two MM IIA homogeneous ceramic deposits from the South-West Building with the first architectural transformations occurred in the building after its foundation in MM IB. These changes included some alterations to the access system and to the internal circulation patterns, likely due to a need of a major control of the building. Moreover, the technological study undertaken on the Protopalatial ceramics from Phaistos allowed me to affirm that a new forming technique – the wheel-throwing technique - was adopted at Phaistos in MM IIA. Considering the contemporary occurrence at MM IIA Phaistos of the remodelling of the South-West Building and the introduction of an innovative forming technique, I argue that the latter was adopted by a new group working at/attending the Phaistian building, and who was also the agent of the palace renovation.