Knossos: The House of the Frescoes

The House of the Frescoes at Knossos is a Neopalatial building uncovered by Sir Arthur Evans and Duncan Mackenzie in 1923 and 1926. A re-investigation of the House took place in 2016–2019, including on-site cleaning of the remains, detailed analysis of the pottery and other finds, and study of archival material from the original excavations. The results offer new insights into the architecture and finds contexts, as well as fresh perspectives on the buildings occupation, purpose, and abandonment. It suggests that the House of the Frescoes was a non-residential building with strong ritual connotations, and its memory survived for a while after its abandonment, as demonstrated by the structured depositions found within.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 30 April 2022
Publisher: British School at Athens

This comprehensive volume delves into the intricate details of the architecture and discoveries made at the House of the Frescoes, a Neopalatial structure unearthed by Sir Arthur Evans and Duncan Mackenzie in 1923 and 1926. Situated in a prominent location, just a few meters south of the Royal Road and near the Theatral Area and the northwest corner of the Palace, the House of the Frescoes derives its name from the substantial accumulation of painted plaster discovered within its ruins. A thorough re-investigation of the site occurred between 2016 and 2019, encompassing various aspects such as on-site cleaning of the remains in 2018, meticulous analysis of pottery and other artifacts, and a comprehensive study of archival material from the original excavations. The findings presented in this volume offer invaluable insights into the architecture and contextualization of the findings, as well as provide fresh perspectives on the building's occupation, purpose, and eventual abandonment. These results suggest that the House of the Frescoes was not a residential structure but rather served a public function with profound ritualistic significance. The structured depositions found within, including the remarkable frescoes, serve as evidence of its lingering memory even after its abandonment. Furthermore, this analysis underscores the urban context of the House of the Frescoes and its connections with the broader Royal Road area, where extensive archaeological work has been conducted since Evans' initial discoveries. The evolving picture that emerges from this research contributes to our understanding of Knossos, a pre-eminent center of Minoan Crete during the Bronze Age.

Dimension: 297 x 210 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780904887730