Knossos.—The frescoes at Knossos enable us to re-construct the entire life of the period. The variety and scale of the sub jects represented were extraordinary—life-size figure processions and bull-grappling scenes ; landscapes with figures, animals, birds and marine creatures, set as definite picture-subjects within bor ders; ceremonial scenes, often with crowds of figures and archi tectural backgrounds—the last mentioned extremely valuable in their structural suggestion and in their proof that the buildings of the palace were themselves coloured. The floors of the prin cipal rooms were paved with gypsum slabs covered with thin hard coloured stucco. Some of the ceilings must also have been of coloured plaster, in semi-geometrical or running patterns. The principle of coloured decoration was carried through the whole of the palace : even the storage rooms of the basement were finished with deep-red plaster, having skirtings and dado lines in grey and white. The fresco finds show that the elaborately dressed Minoan ladies were able to watch spectacular displays from windows with great facility; also that windows were large and had "mullions." Columns must have been of wood and have formed part of the colour scheme. Column bases of circular or oval form pro jected slightly above the floor and were of gypsum or limestone.
A few were of coloured marble or beautifully variegated stone, indicating a technique of which no further details are available.
Of architectural details and accessories the most important are some wonderfully carved stone bands with rosettes and other patterns; the gypsum benches that lined the walls of some of the rooms (those in the "Throne Room," dating from the last phase of the late Minoan period, being associated with a gypsum throne of unique character, showing clear indications of a wooden origin) ; the stepped balustrades of the staircases and of the low level tanks that were probably associated with religious rites; and, even more important, the niched seat or throne raised three steps as a centrepiece behind a low parapet at one end of the principal suite of apartments in the "Royal Villa," with its strong suggestion of the raised altar and apse of later Christian usage.
The layout and economy of the great centre which contained these features has been preserved almost entire in its ground plan. Broadly, it is a square of about 400 ft. with a central open court 175 ft. long and nearly ioo ft. wide. At the northern end of this, towards the sea, is the main entrance passageway, but this en trance was masked and probably strongly guarded. The main State entrance was on the west side, an indirect entry looking on to a great paved court and leading to the south terrace. Here the king may have "sat in the gate." The impressive size of the entry—which has a large central column dividing a total span of 37 ft.—and the frescoed richness of the processional way lead ing from it, formed a fitting approach by a double turn to a great suite of State apartments going northwards and raised some 8 ft. above the central court. The greater part of this western area
was carried on the massive basement walls which are now exist ing, the floor being below the level of the central court. The out standing feature of this basement is its great series of storage magazines, over 200 ft. in length.
On the east side of the central court the ground descended smartly to a pleasant river valley. A deep cut in this slope held the most perfectly preserved portion of the palace—the domes tic quarter—accessible from the central court by a fine staircase in tiers of two flights round a newel wall. This staircase affords conclusive evidence of three storeys ; in all probability there was a fourth storey. The domestic quarter at Knossos is the most complete epitome of Minoan planning on a grand scale that exists. The open balustraded area on the farther (east) side of the grand staircase was one of a system of five internal areas which gave light and air to the whole group of apartments. These areas were faced with limestone and paved with pebble cement, in contrast to the gypsum finish of covered quarters. Descend ing shafts and a perfect system of underground drains, all stone built, carried away the roof water and other drainage. Two smaller staircase systems served the treasury and the queen's apartments respectively. On the upper floors must have been bedrooms and nurseries and other rooms for general use. The whole system ends gracefully on a columned piazza with a spa cious verandah above, overlooking the river.
Phaestos, Hagia Triadha, Gournia, etc.—The palace of Phaestos, near the south coast of the island, is distinctly inferior to Knossos in size and importance, but it was probably the seat of a king, though perhaps a tributary one. It supplements in an admirable way many things that Knossos has lost, owing to the fortunate fact that the great stepway leading to its State apart ments still exists complete and is here a truly monumental fea ture, about 42 ft. across. The peristyle character of at least a considerable part of the central court at Phaestos is clearly evi dent and also the existence of smaller courts of peristyle type. The little summer palace of Hagia Triadha, near Phaestos, is more complete in a domestic sense. Its fragment of "cat and bird" fresco is one of the greatest treasures of Minoan art. There were other centres in the eastern part of Crete, of which Gour nia, close to the north coast, is the most perfect Minoan town that has so far been discovered. Its whole extent is less than that of the palace at Knossos, but it contains streets, houses and a tiny palace. It also illustrates, equally with Knossos and Phaestos, the skilful choice of a Minoan site.