Knossos

ancient greece · archaeology · minoan civilization

Massive palace ruins. Knossos was an enormous palace complex built by the Minoans around 4,500 years ago. It had colorful painted walls, grand staircases, and hundreds of rooms all connected together.

Center of Crete. Located on the island of Crete in Greece, Knossos was the largest and most important city of the ancient Minoan people. It sat near the coast where traders could easily sail in and out with goods from all around the Mediterranean.

Discovered in 1878. For thousands of years, Knossos was buried and forgotten. A British archaeologist named Arthur Evans dug it up starting in 1878 and pieced together one of Europe's oldest civilizations.

Advanced civilization. The Minoans who lived at Knossos were surprisingly modern for their time. They had running water, flush toilets, paved roads, and beautiful artwork showing they loved nature and dancing.

Occupied for ages. People lived at Knossos continuously for over 3,000 years, from the Neolithic period all the way into the first millennium AD. This makes it one of the longest continuously inhabited places in ancient Europe.