Phaistos Project. The linear section on the southeast slope of the Christos Effendi hill and the evolution of Phaistos in the Protopalatial period: a contextual reassessment

During ten years of survey on the territory surrounding the palace of Phaestos, the "Project Phaestos", directed by Fausto Longo, under the aegis of the Italian Archaeological School of Athens and in collaboration with the Universities of Padua (Armando De Guio and Andrea Betto), Rome (Alessandro Greco) and Catania (Simona Todaro), has completed the survey (which also included some targeted trial excavations, restoration projects and the study of materials) of the territory surrounding the palace complex. The new data gathered allows the formulation of an updated picture of the 'urban phenomenon' of the settlement and its development from the Neolithic to the Hellenistic phases. The primary purpose of this paper is to present a case study of particular interest for the understanding of 'urban development' of Protopalatial Phaestos: the linear section that opens along the Phaestos - Matala road on the southeast slopes of Christos Effendi, documenting the presence of an important housing area in situ. The section will be examined in its topographical context (Alessandro Greco), from an archaeological and stratigraphic point of view (Andrea Betto), while the pottery excavated will also be presented (Simona Todaro and Laura Spampinato). Our primary aim is to present a study of this strategic part of the “urban area” of Phaestos, to be integrated and compared with other better known “urban areas” of the site, such as Chalara and Haghia Photini, taking into account both the previous literature and the new theoretical models of development of the urban phenomenon in the Minoan Era (possibility of a unitary architectural/urban development project vs random progressive additions; study of the formation processes of the so-called foundation deposits and identification of precise "ritual and technological practices" and the possible application of these models in order to read and understand the urban phenomenon of Phaestos)