The Palace of Knossos
A ten‑minute journey through the archaeological record of Knossos, its art, architecture, and the myths that grew around it.
Chapters
- 0:07 Unearthing the Palace
- 1:52 Architecture and Art
- 3:37 Historical Voices
- 4:37 Myths, Labyrinth, and Modern Debate
On-screen text
- 0:07 Unearthing the Palace
- 0:14 Unearthing the Palace
- 0:31 Evans starts Knossos dig, 1900 Historical record · Arthur Evans, The Palace of Minos (1900)
- 0:49 Palace central court measured 50×20 m Historical record · Arthur Evans, The Palace of Minos (1900)
- 1:07 Linear B tablet lists palace supplies Historical record · Knossos Tablet KN 617 (Linear B, 13th c. BCE)
- 1:25 Double‑axe seal from Knossos Historical record · Minoan seal stone, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Seal 34
- 1:43 Marine style pottery from palace Historical record · Marine style pottery, Heraklion Museum, Vessel 210
- 1:52 Architecture and Art
- 1:59 Architecture and Art
- 2:16 Bull‑leaping scene on palace wall Historical record · Bull‑Leaping Fresco, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, EA 102
- 2:34 Prince of the Lilies fresco Historical record · Prince of the Lilies fresco, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, EA 105
- 2:52 Dolphin fresco in palace Historical record · Dolphin Fresco, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, EA 108
- 3:10 Evans' 1930 reconstruction The Institute's interpretation · Arthur Evans, Reconstruction plans (1930), British Museum
- 3:28 Macdonald: phased construction The Institute's interpretation · J. Macdonald, “Minoan Palaces and Their Architecture”, 2015
- 3:37 Historical Voices
- 3:44 Historical Voices
- 4:01 Herodotus mentions King Minos Historical record · Herodotus, Histories 5.93
- 4:28 Linear A tablets in palace Historical record · Linear A tablet from Knossos, Museum of Heraklion, LAA 1
- 4:37 Myths, Labyrinth, and Modern Debate
- 4:44 Myths, Labyrinth, and Modern Debate
- 5:01 Ovid on the Minotaur Tradition / scripture · Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.1
- 5:19 Evans' 1930 reconstruction The Institute's interpretation · Arthur Evans, Reconstruction plans (1930), British Museum
- 5:37 Macdonald: phased construction The Institute's interpretation · J. Macdonald, “Minoan Palaces and Their Architecture”, 2015
Sources
Historical record: Arthur Evans, The Palace of Minos (1900) · Knossos Tablet KN 617 (Linear B, 13th c. BCE) · Minoan seal stone, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Seal 34 · Marine style pottery, Heraklion Museum, Vessel 210 · Bull‑Leaping Fresco, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, EA 102 · Prince of the Lilies fresco, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, EA 105 · Dolphin Fresco, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, EA 108 · Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.4 · Herodotus, Histories 5.93 · Pliny the Elder, Natural History 8.13 · Linear A tablet from Knossos, Museum of Heraklion, LAA 1
Tradition / scripture: Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica 5.7 · Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.1
The Institute's interpretation: Arthur Evans, Reconstruction plans (1930), British Museum · J. Macdonald, “Minoan Palaces and Their Architecture”, 2015 · E. W. H., “Re‑evaluating Evans' Knossos”, Journal of Aegean Studies 2000
Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 145 s of CPU.
Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (10) — the next things to make
- A noble standing in a hall, lilies painted on the surrounding walls.
- A Greek historian speaking to an audience about the grandeur of Knossos.
- A Greek historian speaking to an audience about the grandeur of Knossos.
- A mythic labyrinth winding beneath the palace, shrouded in shadow.
- A Roman scholar admiring vivid wall paintings inside the palace.
- A Roman scholar admiring vivid wall paintings inside the palace.
- Myths, Labyrinth, and Modern Debate: Contrast mythic tradition with scholarly reinterpretations of the site.
- Archaeologists comparing surviving wall fragments with Evans’ plan.
- Archaeologists comparing surviving wall fragments with Evans’ plan.
- Cross‑section showing layered building phases from ground level upward.