Phaistos was an important Bronze Age settlement from the 3rd millennium BC. It was one of the largest in Crete, with the Palace of Phaistos dating from around 1900 BC. The palace is most famous for the discovery of the Phaistos Disc, a 15cm clay-fired disc with stamped symbols that have yet to be deciphered and are believed to be some of the oldest writing in Europe. The stones were alive with very small Jumping spiders - which were wonderful subjects for macrophotography. The males have small bright orange and black abdomens while the females are less well marked but slightly larger. We also saw a Scarce Swallowtail Butterfly and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. Three very similar 'Bee' orchids to finish - the Bumble Bee Orchid, Sombre Bee Orchid and Sawfly Orchid.
1 comment:
What wonderful spiders
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