A dynasty of priestesses on Crete during the Dark Ages of ancient Greece

Here is an interesting report just in from USA Today:

'In an Archaeology magazine report, writer Eti Bonn-Muller details the results from last summer's excavation of a tomb at Orthi Petra at Eleutherna on Crete, where a team found the burials of a high priestess of Zeus and three acolytes this summer.

"People then may have considered them sorceresses, or intermediaries with the gods," Bonn-Muller says. Led by archaeologist Nicholas Stampolidis, the team dates the four burials to 2,700 years ago. Earlier digs had discovered the remains of other women, buried together in large "pithos" jars from 2,800 to 2,600 years ago. All of the women appear related, based on distinctive features of their teeth, the team reports. "What's really remarkable is the find shows these women were a dynasty that lasted at least 200 years in this location," Bonn-Muller says....(Cont.)...

Here is Bonn-Muller's article from Archaeology Magazine.