The word “detis” in the Cretan dialect stands for a cliff or a steeply sloping land. This word was commonly used in Crete to describe a dangerously steep terrain and secondarily to connote the slope between two consecutive terraces. On the other hand, the word “gero” in Greek means old. When used to characterize a location, it testifies to human presence in the distant past. We often find places in Crete with the designations geros, gria, gra, gre and it is safe to assume that they may also be archaeological sites. Consequently, the name "Gero Detis" describes a location between the villages of Alagni and Patsideros that has been used since ancient times and is steep.