Modern Interpretations:
Interpretation of Outer Architecture
The outer Architecture of the Palace at Knossos has become largely understood and interpreted to have functioned primarily as a means of defense and was intended to serve a high level of security first and foremost. The tight space between structures on a raised foundation above the earth served to both hoist the glorified citadel up from the countryside giving it the advantage of higher ground and limited means of entry as well as creating a confusing inner blueprint that was troublesome to traverse without sufficient knowledge. The choice of long terraced walkways served both an aesthetic beauty, needed airways to ventilate the many structures, as well as further means of protection …show more content…
Firstly, the existence itself of the intense amount of painting in the complex tells greatly about how well off and craftful in art the society was and we believe from viewing the sheer amount of painting that it was a way of delineating social class through structure by emphasizing a space through color. Dominant colors of the site are red, black, and white which leads many to believe these colors were either the most easy to create from their surroundings, or they were the most important to their society and were representative of aspects crucial to their theocratic government. The imagery of the many frescoes that littered the site have been inferred to show the importance of visual storytelling in this likely largely illiterate populace and the images they chose to represent are varied and differently interpreted. Common visual elements of the remaining frescoes are mythical beast such as the griffin, common animals such as the bull, and human figures as well. The griffin based on its presence in what have been decided to be throne rooms has been interpreted as a link between the griffin and the claim to the head of the government in the time of the complex, with the griffin either likely being representative of the ruling faith or the lineage of its rulers. Images of …show more content…
For a time where necessity was beginning to give way to greater agency in art this structure is extremely poignant in the timeline giving a basis for understanding when structure began to become a medium for art while still serving the growing needs of further developing societies. The intense planning necessary to go into its building and the many clues left behind in its paintings have told us more about the Bronze Age Aegean than any other sight. The beliefs of the sites central power and functionality are almost undisputed giving the sheer effort and vastness evident in the
Interpretation of Outer Architecture
The outer Architecture of the Palace at Knossos has become largely understood and interpreted to have functioned primarily as a means of defense and was intended to serve a high level of security first and foremost. The tight space between structures on a raised foundation above the earth served to both hoist the glorified citadel up from the countryside giving it the advantage of higher ground and limited means of entry as well as creating a confusing inner blueprint that was troublesome to traverse without sufficient knowledge. The choice of long terraced walkways served both an aesthetic beauty, needed airways to ventilate the many structures, as well as further means of protection …show more content…
Firstly, the existence itself of the intense amount of painting in the complex tells greatly about how well off and craftful in art the society was and we believe from viewing the sheer amount of painting that it was a way of delineating social class through structure by emphasizing a space through color. Dominant colors of the site are red, black, and white which leads many to believe these colors were either the most easy to create from their surroundings, or they were the most important to their society and were representative of aspects crucial to their theocratic government. The imagery of the many frescoes that littered the site have been inferred to show the importance of visual storytelling in this likely largely illiterate populace and the images they chose to represent are varied and differently interpreted. Common visual elements of the remaining frescoes are mythical beast such as the griffin, common animals such as the bull, and human figures as well. The griffin based on its presence in what have been decided to be throne rooms has been interpreted as a link between the griffin and the claim to the head of the government in the time of the complex, with the griffin either likely being representative of the ruling faith or the lineage of its rulers. Images of …show more content…
For a time where necessity was beginning to give way to greater agency in art this structure is extremely poignant in the timeline giving a basis for understanding when structure began to become a medium for art while still serving the growing needs of further developing societies. The intense planning necessary to go into its building and the many clues left behind in its paintings have told us more about the Bronze Age Aegean than any other sight. The beliefs of the sites central power and functionality are almost undisputed giving the sheer effort and vastness evident in the