The English admiral Th. Spratt, who travelled in Crete in the middle of the 19th century, reports the finding of gold sheets at the site "Helleniko Livadi". In 1915, Joseph Chatzidakis started a trial excavation on the hill called "Azymo", and brought to light the southern half of the west wing of the palace, as well as the tombs by the sea, but he stopped the investigation. Finally, the French School of Archaeology at Athens resumed the excavations, which are continued until today with intervals, at the palace, the sectors of the town and the cemeteries on the coast. The results have been published in the series of "Etudes Cretoises" since 1928, and in the works of H. Van Effenterre and O. Pelon. The finds are exhibited in the Museum of Herakleion, and some in the Museum of Aghios Nikolaos.