Evening star., 1935-12-07
FIRST APARTMENT
. HOUSE EXCAVATED
Palace of Minos Stands on
Low Hill Near KnoSSos
on Crete.
nv JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.

RY JAMES WAADO
The worlds original apartment house
has been excavated. 1t STANDS on the
hrow of a low hill near KnoSsos IN
the Island of Crete, Is called Cne
palace of Minos and has been dis
inferred by Sir Arthur Evans OF OK
ford University. Begun in 1894, the,
work has occupied its sponsor 1or tne
better BART of four decades ana Is
regarded by archeologists as one OF
the most important enterprises OF ltS
kind ever brought to successful con-
clusion. How significant the long
task has been Is demonstrated by DR..
Herdman Fitzgerald Cleland OF VIII
liams College, who says: THE people
of Europe owe many. perhaps most
of the fundamentals Of civilization 10
the orient, but having obtained tnen'
they adapted and improved them untli'
before the first millennium before
Christ, they had created q distinct
civilization of their own. Europe owes
more to the early civilization OF Crete
perhaps than to any other country.
Living as it does between the Aegean
Archipelago and Egypt, and not farm
from the cost Of Asia Minor, Crete
could take advantage Of any progress
that was made in the south or east
without having its native genius over
whelmed and without losing its
Individuality. Moreover, although
largely mountainous, there are fertile
nlains and extensive pasture land ca
pable of supporting a considerable
population. AS the population grew
the Cretans were obliged to turn to
maritime trade and, in this way, their
culture. was carried to distant shores
of the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
Devised Chronology.
Sir Arthur invented the Woro
sNdinoan' to denote the early culture
of the beautiful island and its numer-
GUS inhabitants. Then, with sclen-
tific care, he devised chronology OF
three classifcations: Early, 340O to
2100 BIC; Middle, 2100 to 1880 Be,
and Late, 1880 to 100 B. c. His guide
IN the effort to frame this time
table" was the development OF the
main artistic phases detected in the
pottery fragments discovered in the
ruins of the palace" and rejecting
the cultural progress of many genera
tions of tenants.
The premier apartment house is
vast conglomeration of buildings rising
around a central courtyard. E. j.
Forsdyke Of the British Museum, Lon
don. describes it as possessing regular
details, but no symmetry OF design.
This effect" he continues, may be
largely accidental, but it is partly
due to a prediction for irregular
sites, a popularity also Of Minoan
town planning. There was sometimes
a difference of several stories between
the ground floors in one building,
Skillful use was made of varying lev
els to admit light and air to interior
rooms. one roof serving as terrace to
the apartments next behind it,"
But it would be a mistake to suppose
that the Cretans had no organized
concept of architecture. On the con-
trary, they perfected style which
resembles the Mycenaen, to which
Troy generically belonged, yet Is
notably their own. An athletic race
they were devoted to ornament, and
their homes, like their clothing and
1ewelry, were richly colorful. Prob
ably, their appreciation OF design was
the most compelling the world ever
had seen. 1t has not been excelled
since written history began.
Walls of MOnoIithic Stones.
Outer walls of the palace" were
constructed of monolithic stones, huge
in. size and weight and everlastingly
durable; inner walls were of rubble
set with mortar in a timber frame and
finished with a plaster face. Long
porticos, borne by massive square OF
circular pillars, gave shade and shell
ter in the great courtyardS. The
courts are paved with f1agstones and
cement, and are traversed by slightly
raised footpaths. Wide flights of steps
mount from one courtyard to an
other Entrances were square
porticos with single central column
in front and two doorways behind
giving access to corridor and q
porter's lodge"
Interior rooms were large or small
according to designated use, but In
Variably the ceilings were supported
by wooden or stone columns, tapering
downwards to stone bases which still
may be seen.
1.-THE area covered by the courts and
buildings" say Mr.. Forsdyke, "is about
6 acres On the east some ground
floor rooms have been preserved en-.
tire, together with the lVjt four flights
of the grand staircase that led dowr
to them. This was the domestic
quarter, with cool. secluded rooms anc
no direct approach from outside. Or
the opposite side of the central court
were public halls and Offices, theil
further walls bordering the west court
The outer ground floor contained the
magazines, a range of narrow rooms
originally % in number, opening from
one side of a corridor 200 feet long
"On the other side of the lont
corridor, facing the central court, Il
the throne room, an apartment evi
IDENTIFY used for royal ceremonies. I
takes the name from high-backeC