Europe Summer 2017: Greece 8 – Heraklion Archeological Museum

August 25

Heraklion Archaeological Museum

     The day before going to see the Knossos Palace site we visited the Heraklion Archeological Museum to see the bulk of the artifacts found by Arthur Evans' team at the dig site and to get something of an orientation to the dig itself before taking a look at it. We only did part of the vast museum and I took too many photos until my battery ran out. This was a good idea (not the part about running my battery down though) as it prepared us for what we could expect to see at the site and gave us a little foundation of knowledge to guide us around the site without benefit (or schedule) of a tour guide.

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EARLIEST C. 6500 - 3000 BC.

Marble figurine of male nude
c. 6500-5900 BC

Clay figurine of sitting female
c. 5300-3000 BC.

        The actual site of the palace at Knossos has been inhabited since around 7000 BC. Among the oldest artifacts we saw was the partial figurine of a remarkably realistic male dated around 6500 BC. As I did with the Archeological Museum in Santorini I will simply list my favorite pieces with a brief description where possible and dates. 

Clay cups
c. 4500-3000 BC.

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19th CENTURY BC

Male and female figurines at worship
c. 1900-1700 BC.

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18th -17th CENTURIES

Kamares ware fruit bowL
c 1750 BC.

Clay house model
c. 1700 BC

Female figurine with swollen leg
c. 1700- 1500 BC.

Double axes - gold silver bronze
c. 1700-1450 BC.

Burial pithoi
c. 1700-1450 BC.

Miniature art
Neopalatial period c. 1700-1400 BC

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16th CENTURY BC.

Female figurines with elaborate hairstyles
c. 1650-1500 BC

Bull leaping fresco
c. 1600-1400 BC.

Bull leaping ivory figurine
c. 1600-1500 BC.

Snake Goddess
c. 1650-1550 BC.

Knossos Game - Zatrikion
c. 1600 BC.

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15th CENTURY - abandonment of Knossos Palace

Libation vessels of
hollow rings
c. 1500-1450 BC.

Linear B script
c. 1450 BC.

Jewelry . . .
c. 1400-1300 BC. 

. . . Gold, amethyst, silver, ivory,
sard, glass, faience
c. 1400-1300 BC.

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My personal favorite

     Small luxury rhyton of rock crystal, a piece of technical and artistic perfection. The ovoid body is made from a single core of hard stone. The neck, produced from another core, is attached to the body by a ring of crystal beads and gilded ivory discs. The raised handle consists of spherical crystal beads threaded into bronze wire. 

c. 1500-1450 BC.