Evans, Arthur J.: The Palace of Minos: a comparative account of the successive stages of the early Cretan civilization as illustred by the discoveries at Knossos (Band 1): The Neolithic and Early and Middle Minoan Ages (London, 1921)

M.M. II: CONSOLIDATION OF KNOSSIAN PALACE 211

of the later floor, a pure and overlying M.M. 11 deposit 14 cm. thick, was found
a finer polygonal pavement of a new type (Fig. 155) l, which seems to have
come in about the close of this Period. This class of pavement consisted of
smooth polygonal slabs of iron-stained limestone—locally known as ' almond-
stone ' or dfivySaX67T€Tpa, and so closely grained as almost to resemble the
texture of a lithographic block. Its interstices were filled with white or red
plaster, and the brilliant effect of this veined polygonal arrangement led our 'Mosaiko'
Cretan workmen to describe it as ' mosaiko '. Good examples of it recurred Pclving-
in the Magazine of the ' Medallion Pithoi', described below, and much frag-
mentary remains of this class of pavement came to light in the North-West
Portico (Fig. 161 and Suppl. PI. IX). The interval between this and the
'kalderim' (14 cm.) was occupied by a pure M. M. II deposit.

From the last phase of the M. M. Ill Period, (b), onwards, gypsum or Varie-
plain limestone was almost exclusively employed for the bases of columns, Materials
which were themselves reduced to a very slight elevation, often rising only of Column

, , T . & J Bases in

5 cm. above the pavement level. In the earlier Periods, however, there was Early
a much greater use of coloured materials such as variegated breccia and Paaces-
conglomerate, veined marble and limestone, serpentine, or porphyry—the
materials employed often recalling those of the early stone vases.

These polychrome column bases of the Early Palace were decidedly Higher

fori of

higher than the later class. One at Phaestos, of black limestone with E£rl
quartzite veins, was as much as half a metre in height as compared with Poly-

. chrome

a diameter of 70 cm.2 Others belonging to the original building on that site Column
approach these dimensions,3 and an example of variegated limestone still bases-
existing in situ in the North-West Portico at Knossos which apparently goes
back in its original form to M. M. II is of the same high shape, though its
upper surface has been somewhat broken away (see Fig. 161, and Suppl.
PI. IX). The foundation slab of another column base is seen in a line with
it, and bordering these are the remains of a polygonal ' Mosaiko' pavement.

The use of such comparatively high column bases of variegated materials Survival
survived both at Knossos and at Phaestos into the earlier phase of M. M. III. hito^6
Two bases of this class were found in the area of the 'Spiral Fresco', the M.M. II.

1 See pp. 320, 321, Figs. 233, 234. diminutive peristyle.

2 Those, for instance, abutting on the great 3 A column base of the earlier Palace at
light-well at Phaestos, above the Early Maga- Phaestos is seen in situ on a higher level,
zines. The South-Eastern House at Knossos, a little East of the old West Portico, worked
the original features of which may belong to into the later pavement of Corridor 7 Its
the M. M. Ill Period, shows good examples of diameter is 83 cm., and the material is deep
rich variegated bases on a small scale in its red with crystalline veins.

P 2