Vaulted Tomb of Maleme

The vaulted tomb of Maleme is situated about 17km west of Chania, on the rise "Kafkala". It was discovered by chance and looted at the beginning of the century. In 1943/44, a bomb exploded and caused part of the roof to collapse. The tomb was excavated in 1966 by the then Director of Antiquities K. Davaras.

In 1970 restoration works were conducted. It is an important built tomb, which is dated in the late Minoan III B period. Its funerary chamber is carefully built with sandstone blocks. It has a total height of about 4 m. and a square ground plan. Its roof was possibly pyramid-shaped.

Access to the tomb was possible through a long “dromos” (13,80m in length), the walls of which were covered with carefully elaborated stones and a thin reddish coat covered its floor. The entrance was 2m in height and 1.60m in width. It had a large lintel, a “relieving triangle” and two stone mortars that possibly supported the wooden door covering the built barrier.