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POLIOCHNI – THE “BOULEUTERION”

Hoping that this time she will be vindicated and that the citizens will recognize the value of love and respect for her father, something that she prioritized over the political decisions of the women of the island, the deposed queen proceeds with courage towards the “Bouleuterion”. She draws strength from this very space and is ready to face the “elders” of Poliochni.

A public building, called the “Bouleuterion”, is chronologically placed in the “Blue” Period (3200-2700 BC), but dates as far back as the “Yellow” Period. A main entrance gate leads to it from the southwest of the settlement. The fact that the building contained stepped rows of seats on both its eastern and western sides led to an early assumption that the site was intended for the gathering of the settlement’s notables; this has not been confirmed, however, as such a site could in fact have had multiple uses, hosting, for example, religious rituals or artistic events. Without doubt, Poliochni appears to have an early political organization, which reinforces the identification of the building with a participatory decision-making space, although this has not been confirmed by archaeological research. The building occupies an area of more than 50 square meters (13,20 x 3,80-4,10 m) and it is estimated that it could have accommodated 50 people. Undoubtedly, the “Bouleuterion” of Poliochni is the earliest evidence in Europe of a place where people could meet and discuss their common problems. It was probably a meeting place for the representatives of the families of the settlement. It is noteworthy, however, that most of the houses are built with similar architectural features, without, at first sight, showing any marked social inequality among the inhabitants.

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