Borders and Focal Points in Gortyn at the Beginning of the First Millennium BC

In the ongoing scholarly discourse concerning the development of the polis on the island of Crete, the case of Gortyn has emerged as a particularly crucial subject, largely driven by literary and epigraphical sources. From an archaeological point of view, however, the scenario is difficult to interpret due to the significant Roman and Byzantine remains superimposed on earlier evidence and a body of previous, fragmented research. Recent archaeological investigations within the sanctuary of Apollo Pythios in Gortyn have yielded materials of unexpectedly early chronology. These findings present an opportunity to reexamine the origins, evolution, and significance of the sanctuary complex. Moreover, the comparative analysis of this evidence with the existing data on the occupation of the Gortyn area between the Late Bronze Age and the Archaic period allows for a reinterpretation of the formation of the polis, partly revising earlier views in favor of a greater continuity between the Protogeometric, Geometric, and Orientalizing phases. The cumulative dataset challenges established notions regarding the spatial dynamics of Gortyn’s early communities and invites a reevaluation of models pertaining to the timing and boundaries of the nascent polis.