Palaces (anaktora) are the best-known Minoan building types excavated on Crete. They are monumental buildings with administrative purposes, as evidenced by large archives unearthed by archaeologists. Each palace excavated to date has unique features, but they also share aspects which set them apart from other structures. Palaces are often multi-story, with interior and exterior staircases, lightwells, massive columns, storage areas and courtyards.
The first palaces were constructed at the end of the Early Minoan period in the third millennium BC at Malia. Although it was formerly believed that the foundation of the first palaces was synchronous and dated to the Middle Minoan period (around 2000 BC, the date of the first palace at Knossos), scholars now think that the palaces were built over a longer period in response to local developments. The main older palaces are Knossos, Malia and Phaistos. Elements of the Middle Minoan palaces (at Knossos, Phaistos and Malia, for example) have precedents in Early Minoan construction styles. These include an indented western court and special treatment of the western façade. One example is the House on the Hill at Vasiliki, dated to the Early Minoan II period.[citation needed]
The palaces were centers of government, administrative offices, shrines, workshops and storage spaces (e.g. for grain). These distinctions might have seemed artificial to Minoans. According to historian and philosopher of history Oswald Spengler, culture was an attempt to overcome the fear of death; Spengler believed that the palaces were temples for a cult of the dead, with corpses sitting in its chairs. Architectural features such as orthostats have defined palatial architecture.
NOTES
We could add more specific information of how the palaces were constructed and how they looked.
Drafts
Palace of Knossos
1st Draft Ethan Pimentel Ruiz
Furthermore, the palace of Knossos was not just a regular Minoan palace. The Palace of Knossos was the biggest palace of the all the Minoan palaces the Minoans had constructed and it is connected to the mythological story of The Bull of Minos since it is in this palace where it was written the labyrinth existed. Focusing on the architectural aspects of it, the Palace of Knossos was combination of foundations that depended on the aspects of its walls for the dimensions of the rooms, staircases, porticos and chambers. The way the palace was built is that it was organized surrounding its central court and with its pillared stoned paved north entrance. The surrounding space around the court was covered with rooms or hallways that some were built into a hill or were either stacked on top of the lower levels to linked them with ramps and staircases. On the east side of the court’s palace there was a grand staircase that expanded through multiple levels that are believed to have been for the royal residents of the palace. Furthermore, along the west side of the court, the throne room can be found along with the frescoes that were decorated along the walls of the hallways and storage rooms.( Frescoes are paintings that were painted on a moist, plaster surface with colors ground up in water or a limewater mixture) NOT DONE ( Source: Palace of Minos at Knossos)
2nd Draft ….?
Furthermore, the palace of Knossos was not just a regular palace that the Minoans built. The Palace of Knossos was the biggest palace that the Minoan people had ever constructed.The Palace is about 150 meters across and it spreads over an area of some 20,000 square meters. With its original upper levels possibly having a thousand chambers. The Palace is connected to the mythological story of The Bull of Minos, since it is in this palace where it was written that the labyrinth existed. Focusing on the architectural aspects of the Palace of Knossos, it was a combination of foundations that depended on the aspects of its walls for; the dimensions of the rooms, staircases, porticos, and chambers. The Palace was designed in such a fashion that the structure was laid out to surround the central court of the Minoans. Aesthetically speaking, the pillars along with the stone paved northern entrance gave the Palace a look and feel that was unique to the Palace of Knossos. The space surrounding the court was covered with rooms and hallways. Some of which were built into a hill or stacked on top of the lower levels of the Palace being linked through multiple ramps and staircases. On the east side of the court’s palace there was a grand staircase different to that of the other staircases in the Palace. This staircase was built to go up through the many levels of the Palace. The staircase was added for the royal residents of the Palace. On the west side of the court, the throne room can be found along with the frescoes that were decorating the walls of the hallways and storage rooms.( Frescoes are usually, large mural like paintings that are painted on a moist, plaster surface with colors ground up in water or a lime water mixture) NOT DONE
3rd Draft Alia Hicks
Furthermore, the palace of Knossos was not just a regular palace that the Minoans built. The Palace of Knossos was the biggest palace that the Minoan people had ever constructed.The Palace is about 150 meters across and it spreads over an area of some 20,000 square meters. With its original upper levels possibly having a thousand chambers. The Palace is connected to the mythological story of The Bull of Minos, since it is in this palace where it was written that the labyrinth existed. Focusing on the architectural aspects of the Palace of Knossos, it was a combination of foundations that depended on the aspects of its walls for; the dimensions of the rooms, staircases, porticos, and chambers. The Palace was designed in such a fashion that the structure was laid out to surround the central court of the Minoans. Aesthetically speaking, the pillars along with the stone paved northern entrance gave the Palace a look and feel that was unique to the Palace of Knossos. The space surrounding the court was covered with rooms and hallways. Some of which were stacked on top of the lower levels of the Palace being linked through multiple ramps and staircases. Others were built into a hill, as described by the sights excavator Arthur John Evans, “...The palace of Knossos is the most extensive and occupies several hills. ” [Castleden, pg] On the east side of the court’s palace there was a grand staircase different to that of the other staircases in the Palace. This staircase was built to go up through the many levels of the Palace. The staircase was added for the royal residents of the Palace. On the west side of the court, the throne room, a modest room with a ceiling some two meters high [Castleden, pg], can be found along with the frescoes that were decorating the walls of the hallways and storage rooms.( Frescoes are usually, large mural like paintings that are painted on a moist, plaster surface with colors ground up in water or a lime water mixture) NOT DONE
1st Draft Alia Hicks
Pluming
During the Minoan Era extensive waterways were built in order to protect the growing population. These system had two primary functions, first providing and distributing water, and secondly relocating sewage and stormwater.[Angelakis and Rose pg 2] One of the defining aspects of the Minoan Era was the architectural feats of their waste management. The Minoans used technologies such as wells, cisterns, and aqueducts to manage their water supplies. Structural aspects of their buildings even played apart. Flat roofs and plentiful open courtyards were used for collecting water to be stored in cisterns. [Angelakis and Rose pg 5] Significantly, the Minoans had water treatments devices. One such device seems to have been a clay porous pipe through which water was allowed to flow until clean.
Reference:
Angelakis, Andreas N, and Joan B Rose, editors. Evolution of Sanitation and Wastewater Technologies through the Centuries. London, IWA Publishing, 2014.World Cat, http://web.b.ebscohost.com.research-db.letu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=261a9b14-803a-437d-8641-0efdad8fb7c8%40sessionmgr101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=923691&db=nlebk.
Castleden, Rodney. The Knossos Labyrinth : A New View of the "Palace of Minos" at Knosos. London, Routledge, 1990.World Cat, http://web.a.ebscohost.com.research-db.letu.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzg0Njc3X19BTg2?sid=95436823-8c3d-4ae4-ab8f-91a914ffcc11@sessionmgr4009&vid=0&format=EK&lpid=chap3&rid=0.
Scarre, Christopher, and Rebecca Stefoff. The Palace of Minos at Knossos. New York, Oxford University Press, 2003. World Cat, http://web.b.ebscohost.com.research-db.letu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=e77542ae-7088-4c41-bd38-a4f800e26fac%40sessionmgr101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=144885&db=nlebk.