Living Greek mythology: New discovery in Crete may be legendary Minotaur labyrinth

While working on a new airport, a 4,000-year-old structure was discovered in Crete, and may have been the legendary labyrinth built for Minoan King Minos, LiveScience reported last week.

Atop a hill near the town of Kastelli - and approximately 51 kilometers southeast of Heraklion, Crete’s capital city – the ancient structure features a unique architectural design, commonly attributed to the Minoan civilization, and is believed to have been constructed around 2000-1700 B.C.

The structure, measuring 48 meters in diameter, features two main sections: a central circular building and an outer area formed by walls and created by a pattern similar to the spokes of a wheel. The building consists of eight stone rings intersected by small walls, creating a labyrinthine layout.

The recently discovered circular building near Kastelli, according to the Greek Culture Ministry’s statement, appears to have functioned as a site for community-wide ritual feasts rather than a residential complex. This theory was made when bones of numerous animals, among other artifacts, were found in the area, suggesting ceremonies involving food, wine, and various offerings.

Unlike the traditional square or rectangular layout of Minoan palaces like Knossos, the Kastelli structure's circular design aligns more closely with that of Minoan tombs, marking it as a unique architectural find. Its specific dimensions and exact height remain undetermined as archaeological investigations are still underway.

Ongoing research efforts, conducted in collaboration with the Greek Interior and the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority, aim to further understand the building's purpose and ensure its preservation for future study. This collaborative work emphasizes the significance of the site in shedding light on ancient Minoan cultural practices and architectural diversity, according to LiveScience.

Who were the Minoans

A Bronze Age civilization, the Minoan people, once forgotten after the civilization’s collapse, was rediscovered by Sir Arthur Evans in his early 20th-century archaeological efforts. Evans coined the term "Minoan" after King Minos of mythology.

Archaeologists have dated the ancient culture to around 3000 and 1100 B.C. However, despite their complex culture and artifacts like pottery and frescoes, the Minoans' written language remains undeciphered.

Knossos, the most famous Minoan palace, represents their architecture: centered around a large open area with corridors leading to numerous smaller rooms. Despite being termed "palaces," these structures primarily served as administrative centers rather than royal residences.

The Minotaur and the Labyrinth

According to Britannica, in Greek mythology, when King Minos of Crete refused to sacrifice a majestic white bull with golden horns and hooves to Poseidon (who also gifted Minos the beast), the god punished King Minos by having his wife, Pasiphae, bear a half breed child from the same divine white bull. Poseidon's wrath caused Pasiphae to fall for the bull, and their offspring, the Minotaur, was confined within a labyrinthine structure crafted by Daedalus at King Minos’ request.

Later, when King Minos, sought vengeance for his son Androgeos' death in Athens, he demanded that seven youths and seven maidens be sent every nine years as tribute to the Minotaur. Theseus, the Athenian hero, volunteered to end this grim tradition. With the help of Ariadne, Minos' daughter, who fell in love with Theseus, he navigated the labyrinth using a thread provided by Ariadne and defeated the Minotaur.

Interestingly, a fragment of text from the poet Sappho showed that the story of Minos’ human tribute demands from the people of Athens already circulated at the start of the sixth century B.C., despite the Minotaur’s name never being mentioned. Moreover, while there was a focus on Theseus’ accomplishments, the Minotaur was mostly absent from his more popular stories, according to a report by National Geographic.

However, archeologists have not drawn parallels between the newly discovered structure and the home of the legendary Minoan Minotaur.