Minoan Palace Research Paper

Discuss the design and function of the Minoan palaces with emphasis on the palace of Knossos.

The design and function of the Minoan palaces found throughout Crete enable modern day archaeologists to help determine possibilities of what life was like and how the civilization was portrayed as a group and society. What is known about Minoan palaces is based purely on what we know as archaeological findings and here say from various archaeologists throughout more recent years. From what little information that had been gathered about Minoan Crete, it was said that the society itself was unlike many of the Bronze Age society. It was a well-governed, prosperous and peaceful society. When researching this society it relies mainly on archaeological
Using what Evans believed to be correct, bright colours, including bright reds, yellow, blues and purples also virtually enhancing the frescos that were found within the palace itself made other archaeologists question whether what Evans believed to be correct was not in fact accurate. Ventris later questioned the theories of Evans after finding tablets that were in a complex Greek form of writing. The thorough layout of the palace of Knossos shows that the palace itself has been designed for a superior or royalhhhhbbhhn level and the central court was believed to be a stage for religious rituals. The architectural structure of the palace shows that not only were the homes for the wealthy, ruling families but they housed workshops and warehouses, and were administrative, cultural, and religious cult centres. The palace was also home to ceremonial purposes having a room dedicated to a throne meaning there would have been religious ceremonial practices within the palaces. The function of having the palace of Knossos was to cater for those throughout Crete; the structure shows that it is one of the main palaces in Knossos and for the royal family, the palace would be home to many as well as being like a “religious head quarters”. The throne room excavated led archaeologists to believe that the throne found was fit
Phaistos being 8400 square metres is built on the most spectacular settings of all Crete on a large hill over looking the entire Messara Plain. 2 Italian men excavated the palace, Federico Halbherr and Luigi Pernier. Phaistos was one of the other major Cretan centres, which had control over its own district. The palace, just like other palaces of Minoan Crete was destroyed three times before it was finally rebuilt on top of the old ruins of the previous buildings. The attention of historian’s was directed at the striking features of the ceremonial staircase that arose from the west court and believed to have acted as the main entrance into the palace. There are a number of open court areas found in the front part of the building, which would include an opening to residential areas and reception. There were also workrooms hidden in the northeast. The west building contained multiple storerooms for pithoi and more rooms for religious instalments. The full architecture of Phaistos is a simple design compared with Knossos and is built in an orderly arrangement. The palace fit into well-defined areas, that being guest’s rooms and cult rooms, main residential quarters, central courtyard, main public rooms and storerooms, workshops and domestic areas. Unlike Knossos, there have been no efforts at restoration but only