A regional survey was undertaken in the central part of the Mirabello
Bay area: along the northeastern coast of Crete in the Gournia Valley
and the northern half of the Isthmus of Ierapetra, ending in the valley
of Episkopi, to provide a regional context for the Bronze Age palace and
settlement of Gournia. As this survey was the last and geographically
most central compared to three other surveys (Vrokastro, Pseira, and
Kavousi), conducted in the Mirabello region, it ties together the data
from all four surveys regarding the environment, population(s), and
social organization of an entire region. Furthermore, this volume goes
beyond the survey data to consider, at some length, the evidence from
local excavations, so as to provide an in-depth and integrated picture
of the regional socio-economic development. It is meant as a regional
archaeological study of the Mirabello Bay area.