The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-11

this Northern culture was derived from
the Egean. According to another, south
Russia or Central Europe was the home
Of the original Indo-Europcan race. which,
moving southwark al the end Of the Nro.
lithic Age, divided into two streams. one
crossing the H%ellespont and colonillug
Troy. while the other followed down the
coast of the Greek mainland. One or IN"
other of these streams is assumed to have
crossed into Crete and To have crcalcl
the Minosn culture. There is u thru
theory. deemed by our author most prob.
able. according TO which the ses"mGtt,nc
observed in the pottery of the lowe
D~anubian region and Of southwestern
Russia. on the one hand. and in thai g!
Crete on the other. are due to the parallel
development of various sections Of a kindrcl
race. There seems TO he no doubt thar
the civilization Of South Russia fell ~
early victim to its northern neighhors
Although, therefore, Indo-%E Europeans may
have entered the Egean world early in
Minoan history. they were not the mon
who created the mid European culture
They were rather the men who had do
stroyed il. That they did not come 10
Crete early enough vitality to affect Minoan
civilization is considered by our author
demonstrable. How early these Indo-
Europeans came to the Troad or the main
land Of Greece is another matter as TO which
opinions differ.
The final deduction drawn by Prof.
Burrows is that the discrepancies observ-
able bet the prehistoric civilization
Of the Greek mainland and that Of Crete
can be best accounted for on the assumption
that the same Egean civilization, which
reached its maturity in Crete. had its growth
arrested and modified on the mainland by
contact with the North. How early thl,
took place we do not know. The shifting
OF the centre Of gravity Of the Egean world
at the end Of the ate Minoan II. period
remains the first fact in it's political history,
the first valuable indication OF racial change.
For n detailed account OF the discoveries
by Mr.. Evans at Knossos. discoveries that
have brought about a revolution in our con
oeption Of the date. origin and character
OF the prehistoric civilization of the Agean
world. we must refer the reader 20 the first
four chapters of this volume, merely warn
ing him that since the book was published
in May of thisy year MIR. Evans has exteuded
that may compel the author 10 revise some
VI Alb SbhNiNbiCtAHs WV "NtAN Hph AbNf
leave OF the present work, however, with
out marking Prof. Burrows's conviction
that the great palace OF Knossos was itself
what the Greeks meant by a Labyrinth.
Whether the word in the Minoan language
did or did not mean place OF passages"
it may nave been applied TO places in Cara
and at Lemnos and at Clusium, as well as
to knossos. Few. We are told, who have
visited the Minoan capital; few. indeed.
who try 10 find their way through the plan
OF the palace containedin the present volume.
will question it's right 20 he thought OF as
a labyrinth or maze. As for the legend
OF the Minotaur, our author considers it
doubtful whether a Minoan would nave
understood what was meant by a Mino-
tauros, even when he had had the Greek
account Of it explained to him. He would
have pointed out TO a Greek friend that.
il il pleased him to give that name to the
figure on a Minoan signct ring. he should
remember the man-boar and the man-stag
that belonged to his neighbors, and invent
a parallel romance OF a Minocspros and
a Minolsphes. The Minotaur story was
helped out by the fantastic crea-
lions that the Greek invader found apound
him embodied in gems, and upon the palace
The choice Of a bull, however,
for the monstrous shape was not dictated
by any worship OF a pullman In Minoan
times, nor by that OF a bull either, save
in so far as the bull was the chief sacrifcial
animal and was associated with other sacred
object in cult scenes. NJ. w. H.