• Email Us: [email protected]
  • Contact Us: +1 718 874 1545
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Medical Market Report

  • Home
  • All Reports
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

4,000-Year-Old Minoan Labyrinth Found In Crete, Home Of The Minotaur

June 13, 2024 by Deborah Bloomfield

In Greek mythology, the island of Crete provides the setting for a legendary battle between the heroic Theseus and the half-human, half-bull monstrosity known as the Minotaur, which is said to have lived inside a maddening labyrinth. And while there’s little truth to this fable, archaeologists have just discovered a monumental labyrinthine structure atop a Cretan hill.

Advertisement

According to a statement from the Greek Ministry of Culture, the unusual construction is the first of its kind to be discovered in Crete and was likely built by the Minoans between 2000 and 1700 BCE. Often regarded as the first true civilization in Europe, the Bronze Age Minoan culture is famed for its monumental palaces and innovative writing system.

Advertisement

The newly discovered labyrinth is located at an altitude of 494 meters (1,621 feet), at the summit of Papoura Hill, and was found during the installation of a radar system for a new airport servicing the town of Kastelli. Officials have announced that the construction of the airport will still go ahead, but that a new location will be found for the radar equipment so that the ancient site can be excavated and protected.

Consisting of eight concentric circular walls – with an average thickness of 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) – the unusual structure measures 48 meters (157 feet) across and covers a total of 1,800 square meters (19,375 square feet), with the maximum height of the surviving walls estimated at 1.7 meters (5.6 feet). The labyrinth is divided into four zones by a series of radial walls that intersect the various rings, while small openings act as passageways between these sections.

At the center of the labyrinth is a circular building, which is also divided into four quadrants. According to the Ministry of Culture, the full layout and total height of the confusing structure remain unknown, but will hopefully be revealed as excavation work continues.

Crete labyrinth

The labyrinth’s monumental size and prominent location hint at its symbolic importance.

Image credit: Greek Ministry of Culture

In all likelihood, the site was built around the time that the very first Minoan palaces were erected. Based on the distribution of animal bones within the inner rings of the maze, experts believe it probably served as a ceremonial space where rituals involving offerings and feasts were conducted.

Advertisement

Despite the temptation to draw parallels between this stunning discovery and the mythological lair of the Minotaur, it’s highly unlikely that the two are connected. For one thing, the hideous bull-man creature is said to have lived in an underground labyrinth in the ancient town of Knossos, so the locations don’t match.

So far, no evidence that the Minotaur or his subterranean hellhole existed has ever been discovered – and it probably never will. Still, the appearance of a labyrinth on the island of Crete is sure to excite mythology lovers.

Deborah Bloomfield
Deborah Bloomfield

Related posts:

  1. Slovak bishop who met Pope Francis last week tests positive for COVID
  2. Wells Fargo to pay $37.3 million to settle U.S. claims it fraudulently overcharged customers
  3. EU warns of security risks linked to migration from Afghanistan
  4. China Could Face A Catastrophic COVID Surge As It Lifts Restrictions – Here’s How It Might Play Out

Source Link: 4,000-Year-Old Minoan Labyrinth Found In Crete, Home Of The Minotaur

Filed Under: News

Primary Sidebar

  • Why Is There No Nobel Prize For Mathematics?
  • These Are The Only Animals Known To Incubate Eggs In Their Stomachs And Give “Birth” Out Their Mouths
  • Constipated? This One Fruit Could Help, Says First-Ever Evidence-Led Diet Guidance
  • NGC 2775: This Galaxy Breaks The Rules Of “Galactic Evolution” And Baffles Astronomers
  • Meet The “Four-Eyed” Hirola, The World’s Most Endangered Antelope With Fewer Than 500 Left
  • The Bizarre 1997 Experiment That Made A Frog Levitate
  • There’s A Very Good Reason Why October 1582 On Your Phone Is Missing 10 Days
  • Skynet-1A: Military Spacecraft Launched 56 Years Ago Has Been Moved By Persons Unknown
  • There’s A Simple Solution To Helping Avoid Erectile Dysfunction (But You’re Not Going To Like It)
  • Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS May Be 10 Billion Years Old, This Rare Spider Is Half-Female, Half-Male Split Down The Middle, And Much More This Week
  • Why Do Trains Not Have Seatbelts? It’s Probably Not What You Think
  • World’s Driest Hot Desert Just Burst Into A Rare And Fleeting Desert Bloom
  • Theoretical Dark Matter Infernos Could Melt The Earth’s Core, Turning It Liquid
  • North America’s Largest Mammal Once Numbered 60 Million – Then Humans Nearly Drove It To Extinction
  • North America’s Largest Ever Land Animal Was A 21-Meter-Long Titan
  • A Two-Headed Fossil, 50/50 Spider, And World-First Butt Drag
  • Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Is Losing Buckets Of Water Every Second – And It’s Got Cyanide
  • “A Historic Shift”: Renewables Generated More Power Than Coal Globally For First Time
  • The World’s Oldest Known Snake In Captivity Became A Mom At 62 – No Dad Required
  • Biggest Ocean Current On Earth Is Set To Shift, Spelling Huge Changes For Ecosystems
  • Business
  • Health
  • News
  • Science
  • Technology
  • +1 718 874 1545
  • +91 78878 22626
  • [email protected]
Office Address
Prudour Pvt. Ltd. 420 Lexington Avenue Suite 300 New York City, NY 10170.

Powered by Prudour Network

Copyrights © 2025 · Medical Market Report. All Rights Reserved.

Go to mobile version