The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-15
GREAT FINDS N CRETE
IMPORTANT ARCHAEOLOGICAL IN
VESTIGATIOES IN PREHIS-
TORIC KNOSSOS
ABORIGINAL CIVILIZATION
A Royal Palace with the Oldest
Throne in EurOpe-Light
~ Dark Sub
1ect.

Athens correspondence of the London
Times.
Although the great Importance OF Crete
as a center of early civilization has long
been recognized, comparatively little
progress has hitherto been made in bring
ing to light the abundant remains of the
prehistoric age which undoubtedly ex-
list in almost every part Of this interest
ing and once celebrated island The
realm Of the legendary Minos, the great
conqueror and lawgiver, who at the close
of his temporal reign took his seat on
the dread tribunal of the neither world,
the abode of Daedalus the father of
architecture and plastic art, the haunt of
the mysterious Dactyls, the earliest arti-
ficers in iron and bronze, the refuge of
Europa and the birthplace of Zeus him
self, Crete was in remote times the home
of a highly developed. culture which van
ished before the dawn of history The
fertile island, with its thriving popua-
ton and its hundred Homerie cities
centum urbes, We are told of the Cfet-
ans, habitant, uberrima regna-attracted
the commerce Of Egypt and Phoenicia
and became the stepping stone of civili-
cation in its passage from the South and
East to the North and West. Those
ShadoWy mythical figures-the Cretan
Minos, the Cretan Daedalus and the
Cretan Zeus-represent the indebtedness
of the Greeks in the domains of law art
and religion to the Indigenous pre-Heilen-
lc population of Crete, the Eteccretes or
genuine Cretans'' of Homer Recent
researches throw an interesting light on
the civilization of this aboriginal race.
the zenith of whose culture and mower
was coeNal with the great Mycenaean
age.
THE CAPITAL OF MINOS
Among the pre-nistoric C ties of Crete
hnossos. the capital of Minos. is fndj
Gated by legend as holding the foren1os+
place. Here the great lawgiver promul
gated his famous institutions which
IKE those of Moses and Numa PomDilius
were derived from a divine source: here
he established q, maritime empire SIM
pressing piracy, conquering the islands of
the archipelago and imposing a tribute
on subjected Athens. Here Daada1,,s oo,,
SUI ucted the Labyrinth, the den of tha
M1notaur. and fashioned the wfngs-nar-
maps the sails-with which he and Tca 20.
TOOK hight over the Aegean In bistor;o
times the city wagedA acted s4r,,o.-
gle with its neighbor, Gortyna. far tbe
hegemony OF the island The attention
OF archae oieglsts has long been directed
to knossos; the late DR. Schliemann wa
anxious to excavate the site. which vvas
partially investigated by w. J. Stilinan
The difficulties attending the nrosec,I
uon Of research in Crete under Tur1-ic,,
rule nave now been removed. ana II no
been reserved for --rthur Evans to MAKE
systematic exploration of the ancient
stronghold with results which equal r.
lney DO not surpass, in Importance the
discover Of Sni1I ~-AO
Mycenae. anu
Like Athens, Megara Cor;nth ana otI,a1
towns which played part in Greek mar
itlnic history, knossos was sit,a+ad -
some little distance from the seq III
Akropoils, or fortified palace, now ex
caNated lies about four mites softheast
u :. Cahaia' which, under the name Herak-
lpii' was the seaport Of the town in
classical times. The palace stands on q
sn9ht eminence, overlooking a brook a,,d
| surrounded by an amphifheater of hills
| over which the ancient cityapparcntiv ex
tended Its site WAS marked by, y yvau of
| CFciopean masonry. the only yestiga Of
me structure remaining above tie mr.
race, a considerable portion of the build
| i's Nds now been brought 90 light. The
eI.fahce, which Is approached from :,
| paved court on the eastern side. Is flank
| ca py two columns and leads into q large
| ahtc-chamber furnished with s,ona
| benches. Ifcnee we pass into a s.nsIlla,lv
| interesting anartment which, adopting
! me system of nomenclature Initiated b..
! ~ Sch'ienann. we rl:ay designate the
/ Council Chamber of Ef:nos. Arainsf
/ the wall on the risht stands throi.e Of
t gyps':n!-the Oldest throne in Europe bv
/ ab..ut 20oe years-with q low seat and a
+, t;til' curiausly carved back, which SUI
| SHOWS traces of pairing. Along III
! W@tis on either side are continuous stone
| benches ike the seats in an old fasll.o: e j
! .3!4,iiy rev; one the opposite side, protect
! &C By high pa~apct 10 which seats are
! also attached. is an cblong rectangular
| depression, constructed with finely con-
! pacted slabs ard evidently Intended 10
contain wafer. This was probably KIND