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 3): The great transitional age in the northern and eastern sections of the Palace (London, 1930)

6 N.W. INSULA FORMED BY EARLY KEEP

opposed South-West Corner of an extensive ' insula' of the Palace in its
original form.'

North-Western 'Insula' formed by 'Early Keep'.

N.W. The Corridor that follows the Western turn of this old angle of the

formed facade—named from a stone basin found within it—separated the large

by'Early West 'Insula' in question from another very characteristic structural island

also dating in its inception from the earliest or ' proto-palatial' stage of the

building. This is the ' North-West Insula' already mentioned as that with

which we are in this place principally concerned. Its area, as we have seen,

was originally composed of the ' Early Keep ', which dominated the Northern

approach to the Palace and at the same time the North-West Section of the

Central Court.2

This building, with its massive walls and deep dungeon-like, walled pits,
recalls the donjon of a Norman Castle. However comparatively open most
of the building may from the first have been, it is difficult not to recognize
in this tower-like structure, guarding the Sea-Gate of the Palace, a real strong-
hold for its early princes. It may be added, indeed, that the same fortifica-
tory intention attaches to the adjoining Northern Entrance system and in
a high degree to the mighty walls that run East of it in parallel lines, the
more so as in the upper part of this area there was no such need as on
the Eastern slope beyond of massive terrace walling. The blocks may well
compare with those of the citadels of Tiryns or Mycenae.
Elements It is true that the generally open character of this and other Cretan

fication in cities under the Pax Minoica of later days points to the neglect of such
£a,rly defensive works. But we are already warned bv the massive enceinte walls

Palace. t J

of the ' City of Refuge' on the sacred height of Juktas, going back to the
very beginning of the Middle Minoan Age,3 that the need of fortification
was still recognized in Crete at the epoch answering to the ' proto-palatial'
stage at Knossos.

In the Cyclades,4 at Phylakopi in Melos, at Chalandriane in Syros, at
St. Andreas in Siphnos, and elsewhere we have evidences of similar walled
strongholds going back in some cases at least to the last Early Cycladic Period,
contemporary with E. M. III. The faience mosaic, moreover, in any
case not later in date than the beginning of M. M. Ill, has given us a

1 See P. of M., ii, Pt. II, p. 661, and a white line in the General Plan A at the end
cf. Vol. i, p. 130, Fig. 96 (also Vol. ii, p. 799, of Vol. ii.

Fig. 521). 3 See P. of M., i, pp. 156, 157.

2 For the'Early Keep'see Vol. i, pp. 136- 4 See especially D. Mackenzie, Phylakopi,
9 and Figs. 100, 101. Itsareais indicated by pp. 255-8.