Amnisos, also Amnissos and Amnisus, is a Bronze Age settlement on the north shore of Crete used as a port to the palace city of Knossos. It appears in Greek literature and mythology from the earliest times, but its origin is far earlier, in prehistory.

The historic settlement belonged to a civilization now called Minoan. Excavation at Amnisos in 1932 uncovered a villa with a house known as the "House of the Lilies" after a lilies theme depicted in a wall fresco.

Amnisos is seven km east of Heraklion (Iraklio) on a beach used for recreation by the citizens of the modern city, which is the main port on the north coast. The current sea level is three metres higher than the Bronze Age one. Drowned houses are visible.

The ancient settlement bears the same name as the river exiting there. Currently called the Karteros, from the Iron Age name of Caeratus, the river was the Amnisos in the Bronze Age. Across from its mouth is a very small island called Amnisos. It is a seasonal river, reducing out of season to a stream running through Karteros Ravine from a source on Mount Ida of central Crete. The divinities, Amnisiades, were associated with the river.

There was no navigable stream to Knossos, today part of the port city. The road was lined with very ancient cult sites. One is the cave of the goddess Eileithyia. It contained objects dating as far back as the Neolithic.

Amnisos was first excavated by Spyridon Marinatos in 1932, who discovered a villa that came to be termed "The House of Lilies" from the one fresco that could be restored. The two-story villa had ten rooms. There was a paved court, a hall with a polythyra, a kitchen area, a shrine and a bathroom.

The restored 1.8 m high frieze from the second floor (first storey) depicts red and white lilies, mint, iris and papyrus growing in pots. Concerning the date, Matz[1] has this to say:

"The blossoms ... are inlaid with coloured paste on a ruby ground, by a method similar to that used for inlaying intarsia. This is a rare technical process. Dating is made possible by concurrence with vases originating from a Late MM IIIa level."[2]

If it is on the border between the Middle Bronze Age (Middle Minoan, MM) and the Late Bronze Age (Late Minoan, LM) the fresco is an early, if not the earliest, instance of a style familiar to the early Late Bronze Age, LMIA, or "Palace Period." Often termed the "naturalistic style", it flourished ca. 1570-1470 BCE. In it are stylized motifs from nature, especially floral, and courtly scenes. The original colors of red, blue, yellow and black were bright.

The house was destroyed by fire during LMIA.

Around 1450 the villa was burned along with all the other major sites in Crete except for Knossos. These events are generally interpreted as an interest in ruling the island by Mycenaean Greeks. As the name Amnisos evidences the pre-Greek -ssos suffix, they probably took the name as it was.

Amnisos archaeological site Amnisos archaeological site Amnisos archaeological site Amnisos archaeological site Amnisos beach

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Korakas Beach by Rethimno, south Crete

White Beach Asterousia, South Crete, Heraklion

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Kataliki Beach by Kokkinos Pirgos

Keratokambos Beach by South Crete, Heraklion

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Maridaki Beach by Tsoutsouros

Salamias Beach Asterousia, South Crete, Heraklion

Kakopetros Beach by Asterousia, South Crete

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Tsoutsouros Beach, South Heraklion

Malia Potamos Beach in Heraklion, north Crete

Pahia Ammos Beach Tris Ekklisies in South Crete, Heraklion

Triopetra in Agios Pavlos South Central Crete

Preveli Beach and Palm forest. Holidays and apartments

Moires or Mires, south Crete. Messara

Gouves in Heraklion, Central Crete

Timbaki, Messara South Central Crete

Kalamaki coastal village by South Crete - Mesara

Analipsi village in Heraklion, Central Crete

Chersonisos in Heraklion, Central Crete

Adele village, Rethimno, Central Crete

Malia in Heraklion, Central Crete

Archanes in Heraklion, Central Crete

Perama in Geropotamos Rethimno, Central Crete

Kokkinos Pirgos coastal village by South Crete - Mesara

Old Hersonisos in Heraklion, Central Crete

Bali Village and Beach, Rethimno, Central Crete

Kasteli in Heraklion, Central Crete

Gournes Village in Heraklion, Central Crete

Kissano Gorge in Rethimno, Central Crete

Kounaviano gorge in Heraklion Crete

Kavoussi Gorge in Keratokambos

Selinari gorge in Heraklion Crete

Tripiti gorge in Lentas south Crete. Lendas area

Knosano gorge in Archanes Crete

The gorge of Vorizia

Kotsifou Gorge in Plakias, south Crete

Agios Antonios gorge by Asites

Keratokambos or Portela Gorge in south Crete Heraklion

Mintris gorge in Tsoutsouros Crete

Preveli Gorge in Rethimno, South Crete

Karteros or Astrakiano gorge in Heraklion Crete

Astritsi gorge or Agios Ioannis in Heraklion Crete

Kourtaliotiko Gorge in Plakias, south Crete

Minoan cemetery of Armeni. Necropolis archaeological site in Rethimno, Crete

Labyrinth: Knossos and History

The Fortress of Monopari, Rethimno, Crete

Smari Acropolis in Kastelli Heraklion

Agia Triada archaeological site in Crete

Knossos archaeological site on Crete, Heraklion

Sklavokampos archaeological site in Tilisos

Tylisos or Tylissos archaeological site on Crete, Heraklion

Juchtas Psili Korfi archaeological site in Archanes on Crete, Heraklion

Vathipetro archaeological site in Archanes on Crete, Heraklion

Pre-historic settlement of Kastelli Heraklion

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The Phaistos Disc, archaeological site in Crete

Zominthos minoan settlement archaeological site in Anogia Crete

Agios Antonios chapel in Agiofarago gorge, South Crete

Family Hotels Union of Makri Gialos

Culture Events in Rethimno Prefecture

Chania: History. Hania West Crete

Athena holidays villa in Makrigialos

Chania Lighthouse, West Crete

The Minoans were indigenous Europeans

Apokoronas Region in Chania, West Crete

Aeolus holidays Villa in Makrigialos

Greece and Crete and the Dept Crisis

The Holocaust of Kedros mountain area

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Cretan Hospitality in Maleme

The classic Crete

Earliest Sample of Minoan Hieroglyphics Found in Western Crete

South Crete: here the summer never ends