Knossos and the Herakleion Museum - Essay Example

Archeology Your Name: Subject Name: Instructor’s Name : 18th April, 2013. Introduction Archeology can be described to be the study of peoples' way of life starting from the their religion, artistic designs and culture. This is mostly based on a particular group practice. Additionally, the practices may include artistic designs which are attributed to a certain community. Community archaeology deals with a lot of aspects some of them being community interpretation as it is used to describe archeological powers in the past and this interpretation gives a deeper explanation of why cultural practices happened as they did. Having community interpretation as an archeological approach helps gather a lot of information on different aspects of research. With the help of ethnographers, a lot of information is gathered in a community and this explains why they engage in activities that they do. This essay will take a look at two Mediterranean communities which are Knossos and Pompeii where there will be archaeological discussions of each society and thereafter a comparison of different archeological excavations. Knossos Religion is the core of every society and the Minoan religion is centered in this society where symbols are usually seen on tablets and paintings indicating different types of arts. Some of them depict who this society worships as depicted in most of the art, the society places much emphasis on the goddess of fertility, harvest, animals and the underworld among many. Knossos being under the Minoan culture indicates that it is based under the Greek mythology and it is through this that their temples are built in L shapes1. This design is able to handle many rooms not forgetting its height. Though the temples are a major highlight in this society, The palace of Knossos seems to be a major archaeological site for it occupies at least 24,000 yards and inside it are more than 60 rooms. There exists a relationship between Knossos and the palace as the palace as many would say prefers to be the residing place of a monarch and suitable for Royal families, the palace from time in memorial has served to be a center that holds economic, religious and civic events hence was referred to as a palace complex. Initially Knossos was a town that surrounded the Kephala hill and as said, this hill had no steep heights hence was unfortified2. Knossos is widely known for its complex palace if not the designs built in the similar design as in the palace. Out of the excavation made in this town, to the south lie Caravanserai and the Minoan houses. The road stretches across Vlychia that enters to a stepped stairway into the palace. The palace exhibits customized houses that present a modern village between the palace and the Royal Villa. Another archeological site is the Royal road that makes a connection to the palace complex. As seen in the present day, the royal road was replaced with modern road. The excavated road also played part of the palace as the junction connects the modern road to the little palace. To the northwest of the road lies Villa Ariadne built by Evans which acted as an administrative center. This property was also excavated and has been renovated and now serves as a museum. The palace contains general features as dating back in 1700, there has been a lot of destructions and rebuildings taking place on the Kampala hill and in the present age, some of the rebuildings done have turned out to be residential areas where people inhabit3. The palace presents a unique layout where over 1300 rooms have been constructed. Inside the palace is a theatre and many storerooms referred to as magazines which hold large clay containers that are believed to store things such as dried fish and oil. The palace as an excavated site remains to be one unique piece of architecture. The palace has a unique way on how it stored its water and managed it. The drainage system had two separate ways where one was for runoff water, the other was for draining way waste water while there was one for supply. This unique water management was articulately constructed according to the source where the water was coming from to where the water would be emptied4. Security river was the source of the water which passed through the palace and the town and it came into the palace using terracotta pipes where the drainage passed through a closed system away from the hill. Inside the palace there were toilets but the most unique piece was the queens’s Megaron that portrayed the first ever flushing system where water was poured using a jug that was hit and poured water into the toilet. In the whole 1300 rooms, the toilet and bathroom system were found to have exceptional designs and drainage systems. This ensured that no waste water would come into contact with clean water. The channels that were used were also uniquely constructed as many are the times when the source of water was affected by torrential rains hence the need for a a runoff system. Channels built were flat that contained a catchment area that would help in controlling water and the speed in which it got into the palace. Manholes acted as a necessity to provide access to all covered drainages and this ensured that there was a constant flow of water all the time. The palace presented unique ventilation columns where there was access to wind as it was located near the sea. By provision of air shafts, the Minoan columns presented a unique art of the Greek architecture where the columns were built using trunks of cypress that were common in Mediterranean societies. The trunks were used to prevent sprouting and were painted red with a pillow like stones. The pottery styles of Knossos presented heavily decorated yet prolific through the diagnostic layers. This pots presented a unique chronology as what was used to make them was never kept away. With the presentation of Greek buildings, there had to be a classical aspect where the palace situated at Knossos presented high color such as red gotten from red ochre that painted the palace walls and pavements. The palace was a mix of colors that presented people, animals and mythological creatures attributed to the peoples’ way of life and this pieces were meant for decorative purposes. Something unique about the paintings was that they represented a unique memory which would be carried out in generations to follow. With these paintings, culture is repeated and held constant among people in this town. This is reflected in the society’s way of life and the behaviors seen in individuals. Pompeii Pompeii offers a variety of excavated features where many of the sites depict the Roman way of life. Unique designs ranging from the bathrooms and houses are among the features that have been excavated in this society. An example of a villa is the Villa of Mysteries. Activities are also preserved in this society through different inscriptions and the use of art for example in wine glasses and jars5. The graffiti on the walls gives broad information about classical and different dialect in the form of Latin. The town depicts the Roman history and it is seen to be where people of Pompeii derived their culture from6. With the formation of the Roman Republic, there was a vast development where there was a development of a swimming pool that saw water being provided to more than 25 fountains located in the streets and public bathrooms not forgetting the businesses that were in the city of Pompeii. The development of the amphitheatre presents a design that is sophisticated. In case of drought situations, Pompeii ensures that it has a constant water supply through three pipes that have been branched from the aqueduct. A unique piece of art is the many pools that are located in the streets which are meant for decoration. Pompeii has a well preserved history through the daily recording of frescoes and the innovation of Pompeian style regarded to as the third style7. Their archaeology presents erotic culture where there is the use of the phallus and good luck charms which are an indication of decoration and until recently have been kept in the university of Naples. This town was a haven of Romans as many had build their villas here where they would use them for holidays. This town remains to be the only archeological town that has not been modified and is depicted from the topographic images seen to date. With regard to the Roman tradition, streets in Pompeii are built using polygonal stones .Additionally, the streets are a mix up of shops and houses arranged in a straight grid8. Pompeii was also the center for entertainment where there was a bar, amphitheatre and a gymnasium. This place offered social meeting points in town. It is in this town that objects have been excavated that had been buried for many years as a way of preservation9. On excavation, there was discovery of wealth as both natural and man made forces increased the rate of deterioration .The discovery of the source of the Sarno river gave information that there were people living along this channel and most likely, these were the Venetians . Comparison Due to many archaeologists having an interest in these sites, this has lead to a lot of destruction as there have been poor methods being practiced once people want to reconstruct the sites. With increased theft, most archeological features and artifacts have not been traced and this lowers the cultural understanding of where these two towns have come from. In comparison of the two towns , Pompeii is believed to have originated for the Roman empire as many of the activities and decorations depict the way of life of the Romans. On the other hand, Knossos in all their architecture presents the Greek way of life .This has much been seen through the palace and villas that have been excavated. Something similar in both towns is the water drainage system where both towns ensured that there was a constant flow of water from the source through the town. Both had unique bathrooms and flushable toilets meaning that they were very cautious on the wastewater system and safe water. A great feature that is present in Pompeii is the pools and swimming pool that acts as decorations10. Through the excavations done in both towns, there has been a contribution towards the present living. Initially, there were traces of shops and streets in both towns. This indicates that the towns have invested in businesses as their main source of income and most people can be said to be business class. In both towns, there has been a unique arrangement of the building and this is traced back in the archeological excavations done where there was an accurate planning and complex decision making so as to create space in the towns. This indicates that the ancient society was more detailed and planned in their architecture. Both towns have entertainment joints such as bars and theaters. This indicates that there was an appreciation of culture through arts and dance from their culture. Conclusion To make a summary of the above archeological excavations, the essay has taken different aspects but in community excavation, archaeology has been described to be the study of peoples' way of life starting from their religion, food and culture. This is mostly based on a particular group practice. Additionally the practices may include artistic designs which are attributed to a certain community. There has been similarities and differences in the two towns mentioned where in Knossos, Religion is the core of every society and the Minoan religion is centered in this society where symbols are usually seen on tablets and paintings indicating different types of arts. Some of them depict who this society worships as depicted in most of the art, the society places much emphasis on the goddess of fertility harvest animals and the underworld among many. Pompeii has also been seen to be a unique town through the display of sophisticated artifacts and different pools along the streets. It is also popularly known for its archaeology presents erotic culture where there is the use of the phallus and good luck charms which are an indication of decoration and until recently have been kept in the university of Naples. This town is a haven of Romans as many had build their villas here where they would use them for holidays. This town remains to be the only archeological town that has not been modified and is depicted from the topographic images seen to date. In comparing the two towns a similarity has been found where both have a unique system in which they manage their water and a similarity in the way they appreciate their art through wall paintings and different tools which they use. References Knossos Davaras, Costos; Doumas, Alexandra (1957). Knossos and the Herakleion Museum: Brief Illustrated Archaeological Guide. Athens: Hannibal Publishing House. Gere, Cathy (2009). Knossos and the Prophets of Modernism. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. MacGillivray, Joseph Alexander (2000). Minotaur: Sir Arthur Evans and the Archaeology of the Minoan Myth. New York: Hill and Wang (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). McEnroe, John C. (2010). Architecture of Minoan Crete: Constructing Identity in the Aegean Bronze Age. Austin: University of Texas Press Papadopoulos, John K (1997), "Knossos", in Delatorre, Marta, The conservation of archaeological sites in the Mediterranean region : an international conference organized by the Getty Conservation Institute and the Paul Getty Museum, 6–12 May 1995, Los Angeles: The Paul Getty Trust, p. 93 Pompeii Beard, Mary (2008). Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town. Profile Books. Kraus, Theodor (1975). Pompeii and Herculaneum: The Living Cities of the Dead. H. N. Abrams. Maiuri, Amedeo (1994). "Pompeii". Scientific American. Perring, Stefania (1991). Pompeii: The Wonders of the Ancient World Brought to Life in Vivid See-Through Reconstructions: Then and Now. Macmillan Books. Steven, Ellis (2004). "The distribution of bars at Pompeii: Archaeological, spatial and viewshed analyses". Journal of Roman Archaeology 17 (1). Read More