Pendlebury, John D.; Synge, Wilfrid J. Millington [Hrsg.]: A Handbook to the palace of Minos, Knossos, with its dependencies: Foreword Sir Arthur Evans (London, 1954)

8 FOREWORD

Minos and Daedalos - the most ancient centre of civilized life in
Greece and with it, of our whole Continent. It may be confidently
said indeed, that no equal plot of Earth's surface has been productive
in such various directions of so many unique records bearing on our
earliest culture. Not only have we here the first evidences of an
advanced linear script, but architecture is already fully developed on
novel lines, and with a no less original form of fresco decoration
carried to great perfection, while masterpieces in sculpture and
moulding have here come to light - from the ivory figure of the
leaping youth to the forepart of the charging bull in painted stucco
from the Northern Portico and the high reliefs of parts of athletic
human figures from the Great East Hall - which for instantaneous
spirit and truth to natural forms have in their own line never been
surpassed.

The originals of these must be visited in the Museum at Candia.
Though of old a Palace, the 'Labyrinth' of which in spite of clear-
ing and partial reconstitution we have only today a fragment of a
fragment, is discontinuous in many directions and in places artificially
linked. The visitor who wishes to explore its full circuit still needs
the guidance that of old was provided by Ariadne's clew.

ARTHUR EVANS