An elaborate, multi-storied building, with historical significance rivalling that of the famed Palace of Knossos, has unearthed a feature never before seen in a Minoan palace: a Portico Sanctuary, or...
By Michael Miller /University of Cincinatti A retired Classics professor from Texas donated a collection of papers to the University of Cincinnati detailing the deciphering of an ancient Greek...
The griffin is a legendary creature with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion. As the eagle was considered the ‘king of the birds,’ and the lion the ‘king of...
New Study Finds Dinosaur Fossils Did Not Inspire the Mythological Griffin For centuries, scientists thought they knew where the griffin legend came from. A new study takes a closer look at the data...
The latest excavation at Papoura Hill, near the town of Kastelli in Crete, has revealed an extraordinary find that is reshaping our understanding of Minoan architecture. Situated 494 meters (1,621...
Perhaps 3,000 years from now archaeologists will be debating the reasons for the diaspora that occurred in the lands around the Mediterranean Sea during the early 21st century. What would have...
One of the largest Bronze Age archaeological sites in Crete is the palace ruins at Knossos. The passageways have an elaborate layout and one can still see murals that show a sport in which men would...
The island of Crete, nestled on the edge of the Aegean Sea, harbored the extraordinary Minoan civilization, a beacon of sophistication during the Bronze Age. The credit for unveiling this forgotten...
The enigmatic script Linear A has long been one of antiquity's most enduring mysteries. Emanating from Bronze Age Crete, its undecipherable cryptic symbols have frustrated researchers, historians,...
The historic Lighthouse of Chania has proudly stood along the Cretan coast for centuries, serving as a vital beacon for Greek ships navigating treacherous waters. The Odyssey , an ancient epic,...
Minoan civilization may have been heavily dependent on celestial star paths up above to help them navigate their way throughout the Mediterranean. A study has found that Minoan palaces were even...
One of the most fascinating of the many discoveries to come from the island of Crete is the Hagia Triada Sarcophagus. This beautiful ancient artifact was discovered in 1903 in a chamber tomb in Hagia...
Excavations at the acropolis in Falasarna (also Phalasarna) in the far west of Crete continue to produce rich archaeological bounty. Most recently, hundreds of artifacts including female clay...
Even today, the Cretan town of Lissos can only be reached by sea or a seemingly endless hike across the stunning landscape and mountains that surround it. Despite previous excavations uncovering...
A new genetic research project has revealed evidence of the profound impact highly infectious and dangerous diseases may have had on the Bronze Age collapse in the Mediterranean and Near East region...
Believe it or not, but ideas of artificial intelligence and automata were alive and well over 2,000 years ago within Greek mythology. The myth of Talos (‘Τάλως’)—the first robot-like creature in...
The evolution of human bipedalism is supposed to be 4 million years old, beginning with primates, which caused the separation of the first hominids from the rest of the four-legged apes. Walking on...
In 1908, Italian archaeologist Luigi Pernier was working in southern Crete at an ancient Minoan palace located in the town of Phaistos. Digging amid the ruins he found a clay circular tablet that has...
One of the most intriguing myths of ancient Greece is that of the Minotaur on the island of Crete, the bull-headed human-animal hybrid of Greek mythology. The story of the bestial Minotaur trapped in...
A Minoan religious sanctuary and many “ idols ” have recently been discovered in a Minoan palace complex in Greece . The Minoan civilization of Crete is regarded as the first European civilization...
In a major breakthrough, European researchers have used new methods to decipher the ancient Linear A script of Minoan civilization. The team’s research focused on Linear A fractional mathematical...
Archaeologists working on an uninhabited island off Crete have made a series of amazing discoveries. They have uncovered a Minoan treasure trove linked to the production of a prized purple dye in...
Archaeologists have discovered large quantities of treasure, which may be called ‘Atlantean treasures,’ in ancient Minoan-era buildings in Crete. Excavations conducted this year by Lasithi...
It was a few years ago that a Greek-American archaeological team made a startling discovery – they found the oldest indications of seafaring and navigation in the world, in an area called Plakia on...