The First Minoan settlement of Vasiliki is situated in the Ierapetra Isthmus in eastern Crete. The so-called House on the Hilltop is a typical example of the First Minoan settlement architecture. In the planning of this large and complex building, the administrative centre of the Vasiliki settlement, features of the initial conception of Minoan palaces are discernible.

The House is composed of several rectangular rooms of various sizes which are connected with corridors. There may have been an upper floor. The external areas consist of two wings which have survived. Initially the House on the Hilltop must have had four wings surrounding a central court. The southwest wing was occupied by magazines and residential quarters. To the west of this wing was a paved court. On the southeastern wing of the building were the larger rooms. The masonry consisted of stone foundations and mud bricks which were supported at some points on square wooden beams while the inside walls were covered by red plaster.