Archaeologist GIORGOS RETHEMIOTAKIS (1953) is an Honorary Director of the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. He graduated from the Department of History and Archaeology of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Athens and holds a PhD in Archaeology (1991) from the University of Crete with a thesis on «Anthropomorphic Clay Figurines in Crete, from the Neopalatial to the Sub-Minoan Periods». Following a competition process, he joined the Archaeological Service of the Ministry of Culture (1979) and served first in the Ephorates of Antiquities of Volos, Western Attica and Delphi, and then for 25 years in the Ephorate of Heraklion and in the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion (as an independent Directorate) in the successive positions of Curator of Antiquities, Department Head of the Prehistoric and Minoan collections and Deputy Director.
As Director of the Heraklion Museum (2010-2014) he undertook the organization, coordination and promotion of a major project, namely the radical re-exhibition of all of its Collections. This project was successfully completed, bestowing on the public the new exhibition with its modern museological-museographical approach and systematic presentation with full documentation. The exhibition spreads across 27 rooms and numbers 12.000 exhibits.
During his many years of service, Giorgos Rethemiotakis participated in the organization of temporary exhibitions in Greece and abroad and carried out a series of rescue excavations, some outside Crete (Amfissa, Eleusis), but mainly in central Crete. Some involved Greco-Roman cities, cemeteries and sanctuaries (Chersonissos, Lyktos, Gortyna, Knossos, ancient Eltyna, Viannos, Kynigotafkos), other Minoan settlements (Kastelli and Galatas Pediada, Knossos), Minoan peak sanctuaries (Kofinas, Mamaloukos, Liliano, Gournos), and both Pre-palatial and Post-palatial cemeteries (Gazi, Kyparissi, Episkopi, Tertsa, Psari Phorada).
His main, systematic excavation activity (1991-2010) was the uncovering, as Director, of the new Minoan palace at Galatas in the Pediada district and the subsequent investigation of its architectural and functional structures in relation to the palatial authority of Knossos.
His academic interests focus on Minoan art, religion, iconography and architecture. He has written four books, published dozens of Greek and foreign language articles in reputable archaeological magazines and in multi-authored publications and has delivered lectures at a series of international scientific conferences in Greece and abroad. He has served as a member of the Local Council of Monuments of Crete and as vice-president of the Association of Greek Archaeologists.