IN-PERSON ISTANBUL HERITAGE(S)

Abstract

By analyzing the vernacular architecture of Neopalatial Mochlos (1700-1450 BCE) on Crete, the interplay between built environments and social structures can tell us about the wants and needs of the households on the island. Employing space syntax methodology, this analysis investigates patterns of accessibility, visibility, and functional organization within domestic spaces and how these patterns facilitated social interactions between the household and visitors. Five houses on Mochlos were analyzed using access graphs and visual integration graphs, and reoccurring architectural conventions within these houses were mapped. Results indicate that activity rooms have two distinct spatial patterns: one facilitated social interactions, while the other remained isolated and controlled. Kitchens, storage areas, and workrooms were typically located in spaces with limited visual or physical connectivity, emphasizing their functional and private nature. Storage spaces were similarly distributed in controlled, less-visible areas of houses. The study highlights the duality in Neopalatial domestic architecture between inclusivity for receiving visitors and exclusivity for household activities. This architectural duality aligns with Mochlos’s role as a center of trade and production, where households engaged with external visitors while maintaining distinct private spaces for daily life and specialized tasks. These findings underscore the adaptability of spatial configurations to social needs, offering insights into the interplay between architecture, identity, and everyday life in Minoan Crete while contributing to our understanding of how built forms functioned as tools for both environmental adaptation and cultural expression in the Aegean Bronze Age.