Curator Talk – Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth & Reality

With Dr Andrew Shapland, Sir Arthur Evans Curator of Bronze Age and Classical Greece at the Ashmolean

Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth & Reality is the first major exhibition in the UK about Knossos. This archaeological site was famous in myth as the place where the Minotaur was imprisoned in a labyrinth and in history as the centre of the Bronze Age Minoan civilisation, the home of the earliest farmers in Europe and a thriving Greek and Roman city.

Dr Shapland's introductory talk will follow the thread of this exciting interactive exhibition, tracing the history of exploration of Knossos, from the early travellers searching for the mythical Labyrinth to more recent discoveries which include evidence for human sacrifice.

Dr Shapland will especially explore the excavations of Sir Arthur Evans, whose archive at the Ashmolean is the single most important resource for understanding the site of Knossos.