History. See the future. It’s in the past.

Join us for this history course as we explore the career of Sir Arthur Evans and his contributions to historical understandings of Crete in the Bronze Age. We will particularly investigate the perspectives of modern archaeologists and revisions of Evan’s legacy.

British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans is widely credited with the discovery of the Minoans of Bronze Age Crete, but some scholars would argue that Evans did not ‘discover’ the Minoans as ‘invent’ them. Evans had read about King Minos, the legendary ruler of Crete, and because he believed that myths might have some basis in fact, he went looking for the palace of King Minos. The subjects of this legendary king he named the Minoans. Everything Evans found he interpreted in terms of his own pre-conceived ideas about Minos and his happy and peaceful kingdom.

Evans’ interpretations have always been controversial, but by the 1980s many of his assumptions and theories were challenged by archaeologists. 21st century archaeologists, whilst acknowledging their debt to Evans, are re-interpreting, re-assessing and revising aspects of Evan’s legacy.

Join us across the ‘wine dark’ sea to Crete as we visit the palace of Knossos, rebuilt by Evans, and a wide range of other archaeological sites.

Aims

This aim of this course is to examine the career of Sir Arthur Evans and his contribution to historical understandings of Crete in the Bronze Age. We also aim to draw attention to the influences an