Dan Snow's History Hit: Knossos

Episode Date: August 24, 2025
Host: Dan Snow
Guest: Dr. Steve Kershaw (University of Oxford)
Theme: Exploring the history and myth of Knossos, the legendary center of the Minoan civilization on Crete—where archaeology, myth, and memory intermingle.

Episode Overview

Dan Snow journeys to Crete, introducing listeners to the evocative landscape and ancient atmosphere that surrounds Knossos. He is joined by Dr. Steve Kershaw, expert in ancient history, to unravel the mysteries of the Minoans, the legendary labyrinth, and the enigmatic archaeological remains. The episode balances storytelling about the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur with current historical and archaeological understanding, while examining the site's later rediscovery and controversial reconstruction.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Crete’s Landscape and Timelessness

• Dan Snow paints an immersive picture (02:17–03:08) of Crete: rugged mountains, turquoise seas, and vibrant villages.

• “If paradise exists, folks, well, for me, it probably looks quite like the Georgian dockyard in Portsmouth... But for most people I can imagine, paradise must look and feel something like this. Like Crete.” – Dan Snow (03:08)

• The island’s deep past is palpable: Byzantine chapels, Venetian fortresses, ancient customs.

2. The Myth: Theseus and the Minotaur

• Dan vividly recounts the legend (05:21–10:30), detailing the Athenian tribute, Ariadne, the labyrinth, and Theseus’ victory over the Minotaur.
  • “He stepped out from the crowd of onlookers and offered himself. ‘Send me,’ he told his father. ‘Either I end this, or I end with it.’” – Dan Snow (06:41)
  • Ariadne’s role and the famous ball of thread feature prominently.
  • The sorrowful ending, with King Aegeus mistaking black sails as a sign of failure, gives the Aegean Sea its name.

3. Separating Myth from History—Knossos as the Minoan Center

• Popularity and Structure of the Myth

  • The Minotaur story was everywhere in ancient Greek culture—literature, vase painting, coins (11:30–12:05).
    • “It's one of the fundamental stories of ancient Greece, really.” – Dr. Steve Kershaw (11:30)
  • Unusual that Crete, not a classical ‘great power’, dominates Ancient Greek myth as the 'boss' over Athens.

• Historical Reflections of Power and Empire

  • Myths may contain memories of Crete’s real dominance in the Bronze Age (12:20–14:22).
  • The Minoans possibly exercised the first sea-based empire, connecting Crete to Greece, Egypt, Anatolia, the Near East.
    • “It is possible, I think, it seems that this civilization that's based on Crete was very well connected with all sorts of other cultures...” – Dr. Steve Kershaw (14:22)

• Timeline & Context

  • Minoan civilization: c. 1900–1450 BCE, flourishing long before Classical Greece and even the Trojan War (13:06–13:56).
  • Referred to as possibly the “first European civilization” (16:12–17:51).

4. What Made the Minoans Special? – Archaeology and Culture

• Palatial Culture

  • Monumental palaces, advanced civic amenities, drainage, sophisticated water systems, remarkable artwork and ceramics (16:49–17:51).
    • “You have wondrous artworks. You have fabulous ceramic production as well. So... that's architecturally sophisticated, it seems to be politically sophisticated, with great artistic sensibilities as well...” – Dr. Steve Kershaw (17:06)
  • Influence extended beyond Crete: widespread cultural expansion into Aegean islands (18:09–19:03).

• Connectivity and Exotic Influence

  • Evidence of connections to Egypt and the Near East: monkeys depicted in frescoes, exotic plants (19:03–19:39).
  • Bronze as a technological enabler—the Minoans did not introduce it but exploited it fully (19:39–20:20).

• Sophisticated Society

  • Centralized palaces likely served political, economic, religious, and social functions (20:28–21:10).
  • Writing: Linear A script, remains undeciphered; Minoans loved "bureaucracy" and lists, but their language and even self-designation remain a mystery (21:10–22:13).
    • “Just about the only word that we can decipher is two syllables that say ‘total’, because you can do the maths on some of these tablets where it's written...” – Dr. Steve Kershaw (21:44)

5. Knossos, Bulls, and the Labyrinth

• Bulls in Minoan Culture

  • Bulls were powerful and sacred, closely tied to art, ritual, and probably social hierarchy (25:17–26:18).
    • “In Cretan culture, you find [the bull] again on frescoes. You find it on sculptures as well... almost like some kind of ritual of bull leaping...” – Dr. Steve Kershaw (25:43)

• The Palace-Complex at Knossos

  • Complex administrative, religious, and storage structures. Not a classic ‘palace’ with an obvious throne room or king (26:26–28:06).
    • “Knossos... has a great central courtyard, and around it is built a number of storage facilities... There seems to be a combination of administration and religion and perhaps rule...” – Dr. Steve Kershaw (26:50)

• Labyrinth Reality?

  • No literal labyrinth found, but the site's multi-storied and complex structure was likely the inspiration (28:06–28:58).
    • “It's quite a complicated structure, and it's built on many layers. It has underground levels... you think, oh, yes, it's gotta be. This is a confused and confusing and labyrinthine kind of structure that perhaps could feed its way into the mythological stories...” – Dr. Steve Kershaw (28:10)

6. The Fall of Knossos and the Minoans

• Cultural Shift and Collapse

  • Around 1450 BCE, burial practices, language, and dress change: evidence for Mycenaean infiltration or takeover (29:06–31:21).
    • “So what you see is a culture, cultural change that's quite profound...The administrative language of the island becomes Greek... Something fundamentally changes and the culture shifts from our Minoan one to one that is deeply embedded and linked with the culture of the mainland of Greece.” – Dr. Steve Kershaw (29:06–29:59)

• Thera/Santorini Eruption

  • The volcanic eruption (c. 1625 BCE) was huge but likely not the sole cause of Minoan collapse. Its timing and effects on trade are still debated (33:09–35:01).
    • “...the Santorini eruption would obviously have created major cultural realignments in the region... but as a sort of single smoking gun for the eradication of the Minoans, that's probably too crude a yardstick...” – Dr. Steve Kershaw (34:15)

• Mycenaean Use of Knossos

  • After the Minoans, Mycenaeans adapted palace sites like Knossos, which continued for generations before its eventual decline (36:04–36:59).

• Knossos ‘Lost’ and Remembered

  • Knossos lingered in Greek memory and myth but ‘disappeared’ archaeologically for centuries, with sporadic habitation and coins referencing the labyrinth even in later antiquity (37:05–38:18).

7. Rediscovery and Arthur Evans

• Evans and the Excavation

  • Arthur Evans (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) was drawn by stories of ancient writing and began excavation in 1900, following local discoveries by Minos Kalokairinos (38:18–40:17).
    • Evans' methods were advanced for their time, though later controversial for their extensive use of reconstruction and concrete.
    • His prodigious publishing makes it possible to re-examine his finds (40:27–41:40).
    • “His methods for the time were as good as they could be... He published, and he published scrupulously and on a huge scale.” – Dr. Steve Kershaw (40:27)

• Reconstruction Debate

  • Evans' reconstructions were both imaginative and practical (needed for preservation) but are now seen as partially speculative (41:40–42:39).
    • “There's much of it that's speculative and controversial and unpopular... On the other hand, though, he created a remarkable image of these people that is still very persistent...” – Dr. Steve Kershaw (41:51)

• Ongoing Discoveries

  • Archaeology at Knossos and in Cretan countryside continues, gradually revealing more about Minoan life (42:50–43:19).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the myth-history blur:
  “It is a place where the line between history and myth is blurred. It's difficult to know where one begins and the other ends.”
  — Dan Snow (03:49)

• On the Minoans as Europe’s first civilization:
  “One of the things that's so often been said about the Cretan culture is exactly that, that it is the first European civilization, in a sense.”
  — Dr. Steve Kershaw (16:12)

• Regarding the undeciphered script:
  “Just about the only word that we can decipher is two syllables that say ‘total’...”
  — Dr. Steve Kershaw (21:44)

• About Evans' impact:
  “He created a remarkable image of these people that is still very persistent and is still drawing like a couple of million people to that site every year.”
  — Dr. Steve Kershaw (42:20)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:17 – Arrival in Crete: setting the scene
• 05:21 – The Theseus and the Minotaur myth narrative
• 11:30 – Dr. Steve Kershaw joins: myth in ancient Greek culture
• 16:12 – Cretan civilization as the “first European civilization”
• 19:49 – The role of bronze in Minoan society
• 21:10 – Linear A script and the mystery of the Minoan language
• 25:34 – The bull’s significance and bull-leaping culture
• 26:26 – Functions and mysteries of Knossos palace
• 29:01 – The end of Knossos & Minoan culture: Mycenaean influence
• 33:09 – The Thera/Santorini eruption and its impact
• 36:04 – Continuity, Mycenaean adaptation, and eventual disappearance
• 38:18 – Arthur Evans: rediscovery and legacy
• 41:51 – Reconstruction controversies at Knossos
• 42:50 – The future of Minoan archaeology

Tone and Style

The episode is atmospheric and inquisitive, mixing Dan Snow’s evocative travel narrative and engaging storytelling with Dr. Steve Kershaw’s accessible, scholarly insights. The legendary is balanced by the archaeological, myth tested against stone and artifact, always underpinned by a sense of ongoing mystery.

Final Thoughts

For listeners, this episode is an ideal mix of adventure, myth, and scholarship. It traces how ancient stories shape our perceptions, why Knossos remains a place of fascination, and how the quest to understand the Minoans is very much alive. If Crete wasn't on your bucket list, it may well be now.

End of episode summary. For further exploration, Dan’s next journey heads to London’s Tower of London—another palace with deep historical resonance.