The Palace of Minos
A Comparative Account of the Successive Stages of the Early Cretan Civilization as Illustrated by the Discoveries at Knossos

Published 1921–35, this highly illustrated multi-volume excavation report documents the discovery of Minoan civilisation on Crete.

Arthur Evans (Author)

9781108061018, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 29 August 2013

806 pages, 553 b/w illus. 8 colour illus. 2 maps
29.7 x 21 x 4.1 cm, 1.9 kg

Inspired by Schliemann's discoveries at Mycenae and Troy, Sir Arthur John Evans (1851–1941), keeper of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum from 1884 to 1908, trustee of the British Museum and fellow of the Royal Society, used his inherited wealth to purchase land in Crete at Knossos. From 1900 he commenced excavations there in co-operation with the British School at Athens. Work continued for eight full seasons, uncovering a Bronze Age palace and bringing to light further architectural and artefactual remains of Minoan civilisation, including numerous texts in Linear A and Linear B. Evans' speculative reconstruction of the site in reinforced concrete remains controversial, and some of his interpretations are disputed, but his pioneering work is painstakingly detailed in this highly illustrated multi-volume work, published between 1921 and 1935, with an index volume appearing in 1936. Volume 1 (1921) opens with a sketch of Minoan civilisation and then surveys its early history.

Introduction
1. The Neolithic stage in Crete
Part I. The Early Minoan Age: 2. Early Minoan I
3. Early Minoan II
4. Early Minoan III
Part II. The First Middle Minoan Period (M.M.I): 5. Foundation of Knossian palace
6. The peak sanctuary of Knossos and the 'tomb of Zeus'
7. Ceramic phases
8. Metal-work, seals, and foreign relations
Part III. The Second Middle Minoan Period (M.M.II): 9. Consolidation of Knossian palace
10. Drainage and sanitary system
11. Royal pottery stores
acme of polychrome fabrics
12. The loom-weight deposit
13. The hieroglyphic deposit
14. Egyptian monument and relations
15. The town mosaic
Part IV. The Third Middle Minoan Period (M.M.III): 16. The beginning of a new era
17. The domestic quarter
18. North-east borders and basements of M.M.III East Hall
19. North quarter and entrance
20. North-west bailey and lustral area
21. West palace region, and double axe cult
22. Floor-cists or 'kaselles' of western palace region
23. The temple repositories and royal draught-board
24. Knossian faïence - the beads
25. The snake goddess and relics of her shrine
26. Minoan fresco
27. The palace pottery stores
28. Survivals of ceramic polychromy and rise of naturalism
29. The Linear Script A and its sacral usage
30. The Phaestos disk in its Minoan relations
31. Seal types and their relations with greater art
32. Winged creations and the 'flying gallop'.

Subject Areas: Archaeology by period / region [HDD]