Knossos
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What is Knossos?
Knossos is an ancient city located in Crete that was the capital of the legendary King Minos. It is recognized as the main center of Minoan civilization, the earliest civilization in the Aegean.
The first inhabitants likely came from Anatolia around the 7th millennium BCE, establishing an agricultural society. The first palace was constructed around 2000-1580 BCE, but was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1720 BCE with colonnades and stairways. The administrative and ceremonial areas were located on the west side of the central court, while workshops were on the northeast, and residences were situated in the southeast. After 1400 BCE, Knossos was destroyed by fire, reducing it to a mere town.
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Where is Knossos located?
Knossos is located in Crete, a Greek island. The ancient city stands on a knoll where two streams meet, approximately 5 miles (8 km) inland from Crete’s northern coast.
Excavations at the site began in 1900 under Sir Arthur Evans, revealing a palace and surrounding buildings that were the heart of the Minoan civilization. The first inhabitants likely arrived from Anatolia around the 7th millennium BCE, establishing an agricultural society.
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Who built Knossos and when was it built?
Knossos, an ancient city in Crete, was the capital of the Minoan civilization. The first inhabitants likely came from Anatolia around the 7th millennium BCE, establishing an agricultural society.
The first palace at Knossos was constructed around 2000-1580 BCE. However, an earthquake around 1720 BCE destroyed it. The palace was rebuilt with colonnades and staircases. The Mycenaeans took control of Knossos in the 15th century BCE. After 1400 BCE, a fire destroyed the "Last Palace," reducing Knossos to a town.
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What was the Palace of Knossos used for?
The Palace of Knossos in ancient Crete served as the capital of the Minoan civilization and was the residence of the legendary King Minos. Built around 2000–1580 BCE, the palace's administrative and ceremonial sectors were located on the west side of the central court. The throne room housed a gypsum chair for the king, and long, narrow basement rooms were used as storage magazines for wheat, oil, and treasure. Workshops were situated on the northeast side, while residences were in the southeastern section.
Knossos had wide, paved squares flanking the palaces, and around them spread extensive towns, which seem to have been unwalled. The site had an advanced water and sanitation system and was connected to other Cretan towns by paved roads. Frescoes depicting scenes of dancing, sports, and dolphins adorned the walls. The Minoans also used the palace for religious ceremonies, such as bull leaping.
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What are some important discoveries made at Knossos?
Knossos, an ancient city on Crete, was the capital of the Minoan civilization. Excavations that began in 1900 by Sir Arthur Evans revealed a palace and surrounding buildings that were the center of a sophisticated Bronze Age culture.
Important discoveries at Knossos include:
* Evidence of a sophisticated Bronze Age culture that dominated the Aegean between about 1600 and 1400 BCE.
* The Palace of Minos, a large complex of rooms and corridors grouped around a central court, with grand porticoes, a theatrical area, domestic apartments with plumbing, storerooms, and state rooms.
* Clay tablets with the first positive evidence for Bronze Age writing in the Aegean.
* Frescoes depicting scenes of dancing, sports, and dolphins done in a naturalistic style.
* An elaborate system of drains, conduits, and pipes that provided water and sanitation for the palace.
* Linear B script, which is identical to that used at Mycenae and is deemed the prototype of Greek.
* Storage magazines for wheat, oil, and treasure.
* Paved roads connecting the urban complex to other Cretan towns and ports.3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Knossos influence later Greek culture and mythology?
Knossos significantly influenced later Greek culture and mythology through its sophisticated Minoan civilization, which flourished during the Bronze Age. Around 1580 BCE, Minoan culture began to extend its reach to mainland Greece, where it evolved into Mycenaean culture. The Mycenaeans, in turn, gained control over Knossos in the 15th century BCE.
Knossos is also central to Greek mythology, particularly through the legend of King Minos, the Minotaur, and the Labyrinth. These myths have been retold and reinterpreted throughout history, influencing art, literature, and popular culture.
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Knossos, city in ancient Crete, capital of the legendary king Minos, and the principal centre of the Minoan, the earliest of the Aegean civilizations (see Minoan civilization). The site of Knossos stands on a knoll between the confluence of two streams and is located about 5 miles (8 km) inland from Crete’s northern coast. Excavations were begun at Knossos under Sir Arthur Evans in 1900 and revealed a palace and surrounding buildings that were the centre of a sophisticated Bronze Age culture that dominated the Aegean between about 1600 and 1400 bce.
The first human inhabitants of Knossos probably came there from Anatolia in the 7th millennium bce and established an agricultural society based on wheat and livestock raising. At the beginning of the Early Minoan period (3000–2000 bce) they began using bronze and making glazed pottery, engraved seals, and gold jewelry. A hieroglyphic script was invented, and trade with the Egyptians was undertaken. The first palace at Knossos was built at the beginning of the Middle Minoan period (2000–1580 bce). It consisted of isolated structures built around a rectangular court. Knossos produced fine polychrome pottery on a black glazed ground during this period. About 1720 bce a destructive earthquake leveled most of Knossos. The palace was rebuilt, this time with extensive colonnades and flights of stairs connecting the different buildings on the hilly site. The remains of this palace occupy the excavated site in the present day. The administrative and ceremonial quarters of the palace were on the west side of the central court, and the throne room in this area still contains the gypsum chair in which sat the kings of Knossos. This area of the palace also had long narrow basement rooms that served as storage magazines for wheat, oil, and treasure. Workshops were located on the northeast side of the central court, while residences were situated in the southeastern section. An elaborate system of drains, conduits, and pipes provided water and sanitation for the palace, and the whole urban complex was connected to other Cretan towns and ports by paved roads. The art of Minoan fresco painting reached its zenith at this time, with scenes of dancing, sports, and dolphins done in a naturalistic style. The Minoans also replaced their hieroglyphic script with a linear script known as Linear A.
About 1580 bce Minoan culture and influence began to be extended to mainland Greece, where it was further developed and emerged as the culture known as Mycenaean. The Mycenaeans, in turn, achieved control over Knossos sometime in the 15th century bce; the Linear A script was replaced by another script, Linear B, which is identical to that used at Mycenae and is most generally deemed the prototype of Greek. Detailed administrative records in Linear B found at Knossos indicate that at this time the city’s Mycenaean rulers controlled much of central and western Crete.
Some time after about 1400 bce, what Evans called the “Last Palace” of Knossos was destroyed by a fire of uncertain origin, and fires destroyed many other Cretan settlements at this time. Knossos was reduced henceforth to the status of a mere town, and the political focus of the Aegean world shifted to Mycenae on the Greek mainland. Knossos continued to be inhabited through the subsequent centuries, though on a much-reduced scale.