DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.807#0425
386
THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.
'The N.E. corner of the Central Court and by the Northern Entrance Passage.
Quaker" ^or tne sa^e °^ distinction the general name of the ' Northern Quarter' has
been given to this region,. It was flanked on its Eastern border by another
very distinct Quarter, described above as the North-East Insula.1
The quasi-independent character of this region is well marked. It was
approached from the North by a separate gate from which, as this area was
at a higher level, flights of steps led up to it. From this ' N.E. Entrance ',
moreover, a special stone-built conduit conveyed its surplus waters to the
main Northern drain. At the S.W. anode of this Ouarter, a stone staircase,
the original elements of which go back to the earliest age of the Palace, sup-
plied an avenue of communication with the Central Court. Opposite the
foot of these stairs, moreover, by means of an opening in the old Upper
Terrace facade and an adjoining Portico, this line of communication found
its continuation down the slope to a postern on the Eastern Palace border.
The doorway that here opens in the remaining section of the old gypsum
fagade above referred to, was in fact of the greatest functional importance
as holding the key to one of the principal through routes across the Palace
on this side. The doorway itself, of which one jamb has been preserved,
leads to a bi-columnar loggia on the same terrace level, here described as the
' North-East Portico '. The passage through this of the stone drain on its
way from the East Hall to the Court of the Stone Spout below has been
already described in a previous Section 2 and is well illustrated in Fig. 280.
Immediately above it to the left in the Figure appears a part of the gypsum
fagade, while to the right of the platform, resting on massive foundation blocks,
is one of the column bases in position.3 The great pains taken to secure the
stability of these and the corresponding column at a higher level on the slope
of the hill will be more fully realized from the view given in Suppl. PI. VIII.
The column base that has been preserved is of the same breccia as those
associated with the Spiral Fresco 4 and was originally of identical shape. It
had, however, been readapted for a wooden column of smaller dimensions
by a ledge cut round its upper circumference. In all probability these bases
had once formed part of a great East Hall of the Early Palace.
The North-East Portico which was thus a radial point of this whole
Palace region evidently gave access from the North end of its covered area
to the upper landing of a stepway decending the slope to the East. The
1 See Diagrammatic Plan, Fig. 152 and part was found actually in place. The cavities
p. 203 above. visible on its upper surface are not dowel-
2 P. 379 and Plan, Fig. 276. holes but are of natural formation.
3 The base had been broken and .only one 4 See above p. 370," Fig. 268.
THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.
'The N.E. corner of the Central Court and by the Northern Entrance Passage.
Quaker" ^or tne sa^e °^ distinction the general name of the ' Northern Quarter' has
been given to this region,. It was flanked on its Eastern border by another
very distinct Quarter, described above as the North-East Insula.1
The quasi-independent character of this region is well marked. It was
approached from the North by a separate gate from which, as this area was
at a higher level, flights of steps led up to it. From this ' N.E. Entrance ',
moreover, a special stone-built conduit conveyed its surplus waters to the
main Northern drain. At the S.W. anode of this Ouarter, a stone staircase,
the original elements of which go back to the earliest age of the Palace, sup-
plied an avenue of communication with the Central Court. Opposite the
foot of these stairs, moreover, by means of an opening in the old Upper
Terrace facade and an adjoining Portico, this line of communication found
its continuation down the slope to a postern on the Eastern Palace border.
The doorway that here opens in the remaining section of the old gypsum
fagade above referred to, was in fact of the greatest functional importance
as holding the key to one of the principal through routes across the Palace
on this side. The doorway itself, of which one jamb has been preserved,
leads to a bi-columnar loggia on the same terrace level, here described as the
' North-East Portico '. The passage through this of the stone drain on its
way from the East Hall to the Court of the Stone Spout below has been
already described in a previous Section 2 and is well illustrated in Fig. 280.
Immediately above it to the left in the Figure appears a part of the gypsum
fagade, while to the right of the platform, resting on massive foundation blocks,
is one of the column bases in position.3 The great pains taken to secure the
stability of these and the corresponding column at a higher level on the slope
of the hill will be more fully realized from the view given in Suppl. PI. VIII.
The column base that has been preserved is of the same breccia as those
associated with the Spiral Fresco 4 and was originally of identical shape. It
had, however, been readapted for a wooden column of smaller dimensions
by a ledge cut round its upper circumference. In all probability these bases
had once formed part of a great East Hall of the Early Palace.
The North-East Portico which was thus a radial point of this whole
Palace region evidently gave access from the North end of its covered area
to the upper landing of a stepway decending the slope to the East. The
1 See Diagrammatic Plan, Fig. 152 and part was found actually in place. The cavities
p. 203 above. visible on its upper surface are not dowel-
2 P. 379 and Plan, Fig. 276. holes but are of natural formation.
3 The base had been broken and .only one 4 See above p. 370," Fig. 268.