Search Results: Minoan

The word labyrinth comes from the Greek labyrinthos and describes any maze-like structure with a single path through it which differentiates it from an actual maze which may have multiple paths intricately linked. Etymologically the word...

Civilization (from the Latin civis=citizen and civitas=city) is a term applied to any society which has developed a writing system, government, production of surplus food, division of labor, and urbanization. The term is difficult to define...

The Minoans and the Mycenaeans were both powerful civilizations of the Bronze Age Aegean, and often they are through to follow one after the other. However, this comparison video will detail through some of the similarities and differences...

Until Sir Arthur Evans unearthed the palace of Knossos, the half-man-half bull killed by Theseus was considered just a popular legend; archaeology changed that perception. King Minos, of Crete, fought hard with his brother to ascend the...

The column was an architectural invention that allowed for the support of ceilings without the use of solid walls. Columns increase the space which can be spanned by a ceiling, allowing the entrance of more light. Columns also offer an alternative...

The sistrum (rattle) was a musical percussion instrument first used by the ancient Egyptians, commonly used in ancient Greek musical practices, and often depicted in visual arts such as sculpture and pottery. Made from clay, wood, or metal...

Gortyn is located on the Mesara plain of central Crete and was an important settlement throughout antiquity from the Minoan to Hellenistic periods. In Roman times the city went on to gain even more importance as the capital of the Roman province...

The Minoan stone vessel known as the 'Harvester Vase', from Hagia Triada on Crete, 1500-1450 BCE. The vase is carved from serpentine and was originally covered in gold leaf. The scenes in relief depict a sowing festival and the vase was probably...

Inside the 'labyrinth' of the Minoan palace at Knossos, Crete, (c. 1500 BCE).

A stone carved labrys or double axe, a common motif in Minoan art and architecture, Malia (1700-1450 BCE).