The Palace of Knossos

About the Site
The Palace of Knossos is an ancient structure discovered on the island of Crete. It was first excavated in 1900 by archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans. Before this discovery, not much was known about the Minoan civilization of Crete. The small amount of information about this civilization came from Greek myths. This site is also the source of many myths, debates, and controversies in the archaeological world today.

Myths
After studying the site, Evans concluded that this palace site was where the myth of King Minos and the Minotaur originated. One of his justifications for coming up with this theory was that the palace's design was labyrinthine, similar to the labyrinth that contained the Minotaur in the myth. There are also double-axe symbols, or labrys, engraved on the palace's columns. Although this theory was widely accepted and very popular at the time of its discovery, now many people are skeptical.

Restoration
Evans' restoration effort of the Palace of Knossos has been critiziced for not being legitimate and true to the past and the Minoan civilization. The use of materials for restoration that were not traditionally used in Minoan architecture have lessened the site's credibility among archaeologists. However, some parts of the palace that Evans restored are now famous and celebrated, like the Throne Room.

What makes this excavation "great"?
This excavation and discovery was important because it taught us so much about a culture that was previously little known about. Many artifacts were discovered here that helped us learn about Minoan every day life and culture. There were many pots and frescos with images of bulls, suggesting that the culture utilized some form of bull-worship and bull sacrifice, perhaps because of the myth of the Minotaur. This also suggests that the Minoans had their own form of religion separate to that of ancient Greece. One of the most important discoveries at this site was about 3,000 writing tablets, written in languages previously unknown to scholars. These languages became known as Linear A and Linear B. The use of a different language further proves that the Minoans were a unique civilization in their own right.

http://www.athenapub.com/11evans.htm