Str252

Code name (Unique Key)

Str252

Type of structural unit

Staircases

List of related timber evidence

Other (to be specified in the cell 'General description')

Location code

Palace at Zakros

Space code

Spa251

List of chronological phases

Late Minoan I B (1500-1450)

Type of staircase

L-

Position in the space

Palace, West Wing, Room XXX (accessible from the Central Court)

General dimensions of the saved part of the staircases

1st flight (NW-SE): 4.95 x 1.32
2nd flight (NE-SW): 4.40 x 1.52

Existence of landing

Yes

Height of each flight of stairs

Not preserved

Dimensions of the steps

Not preserved

Presence of dorosis

Unknown

Steps and pavement of landing

Other (to be specified in the 'General description' cell)

Loadbearing system of staircase: presence of solid built stone or mud-brick base under the first steps

No

Loadbearing system of staircase: presence of main timber beams

Unknown

Loadbearing system of staircase: presence of secondary timber beams

Unknown

Type of masonry of the stringwall

Mud-brick wall with ashlar base

Presence of vertical timber reinforcements of the string wall

Yes

Stringwall: presence of stone bases at the end of the stringwall

Yes

Stringwall: distance of vertical timber elements / pairs (between and from the ends of the wall)

0.32 from the SE end of the stringwall

Stringwall: type of infill of the vertical timber pair (transversally)

Same as masonry

Stringwall: presence of timber piers at the end of the stringwall

Yes

Stringwall: general dimensions of the stringwall

L-shaped string wall:
The part on the axis NE-SW: 1.60 x 0,65 (max.)
The part on the axis NW-SE: 1.90 x 0.42 (max.)
Max. preserved height: 1.25

Type of masonry of the walls around the staircase

Mud-brick wall with ashlar base

Plaster or cladding on the wall

Plaster

Connection of the staircase with the surrounding walls

Adjusted to the pre-existing Room XXX

Presence of parapet along the staircase

Unknown

State of preservation when excavated

Medium

Current state of preservation

Partly restored

Type of destruction

Fire

Method of documentation

On site
Bibliographical

Media legend and metadata

Photo_Zak_Str252_001
Photo_Zak_Str252_002

General description of the staircases

L-shaped timber staircase constructed/adjusted along the NE and NW walls of the pre-existing LM IB Room XXX. The wall supporting the staircase ("string wall") is also L-shaped, built of mud-bricks on an ashlar base of poros stones with a rubble stone cladding at its NE and NW sides (the inner sides of the staircase). The staircase was constructed between the 'string wall' and the NE and NW walls of Room XXX and it was accessible to the one entering the room (XXX) from the Central Court to the right. The sotto-scala under the NW flight of the staircase was accessible via an entrance right next to the door leading from Room XXX to Room IX. No steps of stone were found leading the excavator to the assumption that all the steps were of wood.

Bibliography

Platon, Nikolaos. 1964. «Ανασκαφαί Ζάκρου», Πρακτικά της Εν Αθήναις Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας, 142-168 (at pp. 151-152).

Platon, Nikolaos. 1965. «Ανασκαφαί Ζάκρου», Πρακτικά της Εν Αθήναις Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας, 187-224 (at pp. 188-189).

Platon, Nikolaos. 1974. Ζάκρος. Το Νέον Μινωικόν Ανάκτορον, Athens (at pp. 189).

Excavation notebook 1964, p.p. 161, 175, 194, 217, 225.

Excavation notebook 1965, p.p. 64-65.

Linked resources

  • Tim465

    Longitudinal vertical chase on the NE side of the NE wall (on the axis NW-S...

  • Tim466

    Longitudinal horizontal chase on the NE side of the L-shaped wall in Room X...

  • Tim467

    Longitudinal horizontal chase on the SW side of the L-shaped wall in Room X...

  • Tim468

    Stone base at the SW end of the NW wall of the L-shaped wall in Room XXX th...

  • Tim469

    L-shaped staircase with wooden steps that have not been preserved. Timber e...

  • Tim470

    Longitudinal vertical timber element at the SW side of the NE wall of Room ...