Knossos 1955-1957. Early Prepalatial deposits from Platon’s tests in the Palace

David E. Wilson Annual of the British School at Athens 105 (2010): 97-155.

Abstract

This article presents a selection of early Prepalatial pottery and a clay sealing found in tests made by Nikolaos Platon between 1955 and 1957 during a programme of conservation and restoration work in the palace. The pottery not only adds to the ceramic characterization of the Early Minoan I – Early Minoan IIB phases at Knossos, but also provides new information about the extent and scale of use of the early Prepalatial settlement. In addition, ceramic imports identified in the Early Minoan II deposits add to the growing evidence for inter-regional contacts both with the rest of Crete (including the Mesara and Gulf of Mirabello) and the Cyclades. The clay sealing, from an Early Minoan IIB context, is among the earliest yet found on Grete. Altogether these tests provide valuable new evidence for the early history of Prepalatial Knossos.