The Middle Minoan Slipway for Ships at the Kommos Harbour, and Harbour Development in Prehistoric Crete

A previously overlooked Middle Minoan (MM) slab pavement at Kommos, Crete, has been re-evaluated as a unique slipway for ships, challenging earlier assumptions about its purpose. Unlike typical processional walkways found in Minoan palatial sites—often flat and connecting building complexes—the Kommos pavement slopes consistently toward the water edge, featuring seven evenly spaced gaps (0.15–0.20 m wide) every 2.40 m. Five of these gaps are intentionally aligned, suggesting a functional role in ship handling, likely for sliding vessels in and out of the water. This interpretation is supported by the absence of similar structures elsewhere in Crete, except for a Phaistos walkway with narrow gaps, which may have served as drains. The discovery sheds new light on prehistoric maritime infrastructure and the sophistication of Minoan harbor development.

Shaw, J. W. (2017). The Middle Minoan Slipway for Ships at the Kommos Harbour, and Harbour Development in Prehistoric Crete. Minoan Architecture and Urbanism. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198793625.003.0017