Indeed a classic of accessible archaeological writing, Burrows’ study of ancient Crete was one of the main contributors to the commencement of modern understanding of the Minoans. Starting out with the palace of Knossos and the nautical ability of Minos, Burrows takes the reader along to the further palaces of Phaestos and Hagia Triada and the excavations of the eastern part of the island of Crete. The earliest traces of the Minoan civilization are sketched out before he turns to the historical periods when Minos flourished. The sack of Knossos and the end of the Bronze Age are narrated against the archaeological background. Aware of the cultural continuity of classical stories from the island, he introduces the topic of the minotaur and the famed labyrinth of Knossos. The international relations with the East and North are considered, as well as the place of Crete in the Homeric poems. For anyone interested in the roots of western civilization, or of the founding of classical civilizations, this book remains essential reading.

Ronald Montagu Burrows (1867-1920) was the archaeologist largely responsible for recovering Minoan civilization. He was Professor of Greek at University College, Cardiff and the University of Manchester. He eventually became Principal of King’s College London.