The Archaeological Museum of Heraklion sadly bids farewell to the important archaeologist and man Yannis Tzedakis, who constituted a great chapter in the archaeological research of Crete and was Head of the Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion (1978-1979).

He was also Head of the Ephorates of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of Western Crete, Cyclades, Palaeoanthropology-Speleology, the Directorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and General Director of Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture. He organized numerous temporary exhibitions abroad for the promotion of ancient Greek culture. He founded the Department of Educational Programmes of the Ministry of Culture and the Lithos Centre. He was President of the International Commission of Museums of Archaeology and History (ICMAH, ICOM) and co-founder and first President of the Greek Section of the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

Some of the numerous excavations he had organized were at the ancient cemetery of Armenoi in Rethymnon, the largest excavated Minoan cemetery in Crete, at the prehistoric cave of Gerani in Rethymnon, at the Minoan settlement of Apodoulos in Amari and at the Minoan mansion of Nerokurou in Chania.