CRETE

The first proof of Minoan civilization and writing were found on seals, sold on an English fleemarket. The buyer was the, famous to be, archeologist and passionate digger Evans. These seals were the start of his obsession with the classical Greek island, which featured in ancient mythes and tales by means of King Minos, the Minotaur, the labyrinth, Theseus and Icarus.

Evans' excavation at Knossos unearthed an ancient palace dating from 1500 Bc. He thought it to be the Labyrinth, because of its complicated structure and multi-level buildings. Restaurations of buildings and wall-paintings are heavily critisised in later years.

Knossos was an un-walled, open city which was destroyed at his peak and never regained the splendour and glory of the Minoan civilization. Evanga was first attracted to Crete because of the writing he found of the seals he had bought, but during the dig he and his team found many more seals and mud-bricks with symbols and letters on them. The Minoans knew a form of wrting, resembling some hieroglyphs from Egypt. Evans was optimistic to decipher the script and even ordered a type-writers with the Minoan symbols. Until know the Minoan script, in fact there are two, Liniar A and B, has not been completely deciphered.

What brought the Minoan power down.

3600 years ago the island of Thera, an Minoan settlement, exploded. It was one of the greatest volcanic eruptions, the world has ever seen. Thera (or Thira) was ripped apart in a giant explosion, which turned the atmosphere black and caused giant tsunami's. This must have had a devastating effect on the Eastern-Mediterranian. It were the tsunami's who must have hit Crete that same day. The coastal people of this area were taken completely by surprise. Proof of a tsunami is found over 20 meters high. Stories go that the Minoans left Crete and migrated to the East and later became part of the Bible under the name of Philistines. Another biblical aspect links Egypt to the volcanic eruption of Thira. The effects of which, manifested themselves in the ten plagues, that led to the Exodus of the Jews out of Egypt and on their way to the Promised Land to meet an arch-enemy, the Philistines.