Years ago I went to some courses about Minoan civilisation, and sketchbook in hand, visited the Ashmolean to see the collection of Sir Arthur Evans, a keeper at the museum, who excavated Knossos.
The interest was sparked by encountering, on a postcard, two huge storage jars
(they have been much photographed!). I did a whole term's embroidery work based on these jars, and often went to the British Museum to see the similar jars there.
An unexpected outcome was this interpretation of the cataclysm (eruption of Santorini) that is thought to have ended the Minoan civilisation -
Thanks for mentioning the Ashmolean - illuminating to look through the archive at Oxford Digital Library and see the difference before and after restoration. We're off to Crete in April hoping to visit what Ian calls the 'Arthur Evans Theme Park'
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about those pots -covetable. I had a photo taken of me next to one when I last visited nearly 20 years ago.