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Crete

Photo of the gate sanctuary unearthed at Minoan Palace of Archanes, and artist’s impressions.

Important Minoan Discovery! Gate Sanctuary Unearthed at a Palace on Crete

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...
The script Linear B on a clay tablet, and a book containing decipherment notes.

Archive Tells of Cracking Ancient Greek Language

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...
What Made the Griffin a Timeless Symbol of Power and Protection?

What Made the Griffin a Timeless Symbol of Power and Protection?

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...
AI rendering of a majestic griffin in rugged terrain.	Source: altitudevisual/Adobe Stock

New Study Finds Dinosaur Fossils Did Not Inspire the Mythological Griffin

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...
he Minoan monumental structure recently uncovered at Kastelli, Crete

Circular Labyrinthine Structure from the Minoan Era Discovered on Crete

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...
Poseidon, god of the Mediterranean Sea. Source: Luke / Adobe Stock

Poseidon’s Wrath: The Scourge of the Sea Peoples

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...
Ariadne and Bacchus. Source: Ruslan Gilmanshin / Adobe Stock

The Many Stories of Ariadne’s Life and Love

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...
Banner of Ancient Greece depicting Minoan civilization. Source: Matrioshka/Adobe Stock

The Minoans: The First Great European Civilization (Video)

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...
Linear A incised on tablets found in Akrotiri, Santorini / ancient Thera ( CC BY-SA 3.0)

Accountant Takes An Accurate Shot At Cracking Bronze Age Script, Linear A

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,...
Chania Lighthouse, Crete. Source: Matthew / Adobe Stock.

The Ancient Lighthouse of Chania was a Beacon for Greek Ships (Video)

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,...
Representational image depicting the use of star paths by Minoan civilization. Source: Alessandro Berio / CC BY 4.0

Star Paths Likely Guided Minoan Culture

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 long sides of the Hagia Triada Sarcophagus, showing Minoan burial practices  Source: Deyan Vasilev / CC BY SA 3.0

Magnificent Hagia Triada Sarcophagus Reflects Minoan Death Culture

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...
The Falasarna archaeological site in Crete, with a representation of the façade of the temple dedicated to the Goddess Demeter. Source: Greek Ministry of Culture

An Abundance of Artifacts Unearthed at Falasarna Acropolis in Crete

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...
Roman theater unearthed at the archaeological site of Lissos on island of Crete. Source: Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Timeworn Roman Theater Uncovered at Remote Site of Lissos in Crete

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...
Typhoid fever salmonella bacteria like this, according to the latest study, were a primary killer along with the plague that could well be the missing reason for the sudden Bronze Age collapse of Near East and Mediterranean societies. Source: sveta / Adobe Stock

Mediterranean Bronze Age Collapse Linked to Deadly Typhoid and Plague

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...
Illustration depicting the mythological Talos god. Source: matiasdelcarmine / Adobe Stock

Talos of Crete: A 2,000-Year-Old Tale of the First Robot God

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 rock slab at Trachilos, Crete, where the 6-million-year-old hominin Crete footprints were first discovered in 2002.	Source: Olaf Tausch / CC BY 3.0

Cretan Footprints Challenge Darwin’s Out of Africa Theory, Says Study

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...
Phaistos Disc Side A.		Source: C Messier/ CC BY-SA 4.0

The Phaistos Disc: Spiral Secrets Suggest It’s a Festival Calendar

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...
Minotaur

Myth of the Minotaur: The Making of a Monster

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...
One of the new room complexes found at Zominthos where the Minoan religious sanctuary was also found recently.   Source: Ministry of Culture

Minoan Religious Sanctuary and Idols Found in Palace Complex, Crete

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...
An example, one of very few, of the Minoan Linear A script, found on Crete, Greece.   Source: (Zde / CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Enduring Mystery Of The Minoan Linear A Script Partially Solved!

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...
Left: bird’s eye view shot of the excavation site, and right: Minoan treasure / gold ring unearthed at site.        Source: Greece Ministry of Culture and Sports

New Minoan Hoard Proves Snails Were Lucrative

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...
Lost ‘Atlantean Treasures’ Unearthed in Crete

Lost ‘Atlantean Treasures’ Unearthed in Crete

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...
Stone Age sea travel

The Discovery that Revealed Ancient Humans Navigated the Seas 130,000 Years Ago

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...

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