European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 12, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                T r f r t a a a a t  a Ltd to Quot amp amp it $ j a a a. .�?�.�?��. It. A a a a a a a a a a a a  a. .1. .j.----. . A a a a i. A Marble pillar and other ruins lie in front of a Church in the old town of Gournia walking through Sas who. A. A amps Filo Large jars found at Knossos were probably used to hold Oil and other essentials. At left the Snake goddess is one of the prizes of the archaeological museum in her Klion. A 4\ra t a of a is 4  / t Kwh Puiu re of i h a a a few i Jeff of a w ,1 a if it it $ it opt to .9 Ltd  it leno1 a 4 tic Iota a a 1  # it. Log with in old Irv two of ohm Nik  Mim pm pin . S  Aars end Wipff of a Muzum we not of Vav i we went a viral time if a Start and Synn a i it and a it out top and dec h time we Wear Imp c 1 j with the abundant of Fhy a minoan Tipri Jwj with their we a therr astonishing agr the culture flowered from of nut 1900 to a >0 b c e hut Here were objects so attractive a i useful they d find places in Homes today. A to their Day of course they had found pane s in Homes around the Mediterranean the m moans were great sea traders and some of their Fine ceramics have been found Ira ancient egyptian tombs. We looked at the important things first like she figurines that startled the world when Evans unearthed them Graceful Bare breasted priestesses with sacred snakes Curling up their arms and around their necks. We also admired big Maroon vases decorated with lifelike three dimensional White lilies Fine Gold earrings and necklaces including a delicate Pendant of wasps and elegant ritual pitchers shaped like animal Heads a a lioness in White Alabaster and a Black Stone Bull Withrock Crystal eyes and Golden horns. But it was the humbler items that touched me a. Kitchen Strainer Jar its Bottom punched full of holes to let the contents Drain. A Platter with Oval cutouts for holding eggs a perfect for a picnic. Graceful cups As thin As porcelain a two inscribed with cuttlefish Ink id a writing no one has deciphered. A group of Little plaques the size of refrigerator magnets showing the facades of minoan houses. And the whimsy of a Jar painted with the swirling tentacles of an octopus whose big cartoon eyes stared Back like Little orphan Annie s. Twice  the museum so Long that the guards had to shoo me out. At Knossos we hired a guide. Usually we prefer to sightseer on our own. But the Palace of Knossos Grele s Best known sight is huge and complicated and to were still suffering Jet lag so we hooked up with an English a. Speaking group to get oriented. The Leader pointed to herself when she described what the ancient minoans looked like an elfin woman with a slightly hooked nose and a mass of Black curls she resembled the Wall paintings we d seen in the museum particularly the minoan Mona Lisa a gently smiling face in a Fresco known As la Parisienne. Archaeology got under Way on Crete in the i9lh Century and it s still going on but Arthur Evans is the name that stands out. Most archaeologists have to grub along on Grants from universities or museums. But Evans was privately wealthy the heir of a British manufacturer. He paid $500,000 for the Palace of Knossos our guide said a a lot of Money in 1900, it  dig the Way he wanted purists Are still criticizing Evans for rebuilding parts of the Palace but his work lets you sense How imposing it was a something that does t happen at Crete s other minoan Sites. Collapsed roofs and floors indicated that the Palace stood three and four stories tall a proof that the minoans had had sophisticated architects and engineers. At key Points a around the Central courtyard and in areas where Evans assumed the residents were Royalty a he had his workmen re create Walls roofs and unique minoan style pillars painted in their original colors. Black with red capitals they Start wide at the top and taper to narrow bases. The originals were Wood a probably inverted . Many frescoes have been restored too though often so few fragments remained that the results May be fanciful. The originals Are in the museum what you see at Knossos Are copies in what Evans called the Queen s rooms a which had bathtubs toilets and running water a the Waits Are decorated with cavorting Blue dolphins. Elsewhere Are stripes Magazine january 12, 1995