ALL ABOUT GREEK MINOAN CIVILISATION

PROLOGUE

The 20th century had just dawned when Sir Arthur Evans first swung his pickaxe on Kephala Hill, south- east of the city of Heraklion on the island of Crete, at the same location where Minos Kalokairinos had excavated 22 years earlier. Soon, the remains of an advanced civilisation which had flourished 4000 to 4500 years ago were brought to light. Evans named this civilisation “Minoan” after Minos, the mythical Cretan king, in time, it came to be considered by archacologists and historians alike the first advanced civilisation to develop on European soil.

The palace of Knossos was unearthed right there on Kephala Hill, and other related monuments and finds were discovered at various locations on Crete, confirming that a highly developed society had indeed flourished on this southeastern Medi- terranean island during the Bronze Age.

The best places to catch glimpses of this ancient civilisation are the archaeological site of Knossos and the Heraklion Archaco- logical Museum, although scattered traces can also be found at a number of other palace centres, too, including those of Zakros, Phaistos and Malia.