Why are Evans's reconstructions controversial?

He rebuilt parts with concrete and repainted frescoes

What does the famous Bull-Leaping fresco show?

People vaulting over a charging bull

What is found in the Throne Room?

A stone throne with painted griffins

What is unusual about Minoan columns?

They are wider at the top than the bottom

Which myth is linked to Knossos?

King Minos and the Minotaur's labyrinth

Knossos Quiz: Minoan Palace Frescoes and the Labyrinth

This Knossos quiz walks the corridors of the Bronze Age palace near Heraklion on Crete. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on the Minoans, Arthur Evans, concrete reconstructions, the Bull-Leaping fresco, the Prince of the Lilies, dolphins, the Throne Room, Linear B, red columns and the Minotaur's labyrinth.

Start Knossos Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Island
On which island is Knossos?
People
Which civilization built Knossos?
Digger
Who excavated Knossos from 1900?
Concrete
Why are Evans's reconstructions controversial?
Bull
What does the famous Bull-Leaping fresco show?
Dolphins
Which sea animals decorate a fresco in the queen's rooms?
Throne
What is found in the Throne Room?
Columns
What is unusual about Minoan columns?
Script
Which script was found on clay tablets at Knossos?
Legend
Which myth is linked to Knossos?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: On which island is Knossos?
Answer: Crete
It lies near Heraklion.
Q2: Which civilization built Knossos?
Answer: The Minoans
They flourished in the Bronze Age.
Q3: Who excavated Knossos from 1900?
Answer: Arthur Evans
He named the Minoans.
Q4: Why are Evans's reconstructions controversial?
Answer: He rebuilt parts with concrete and repainted frescoes
Some guesses were imaginative.
Q5: What does the famous Bull-Leaping fresco show?
Answer: People vaulting over a charging bull
It shows athletic skill.
Q6: Which sea animals decorate a fresco in the queen's rooms?
Answer: Dolphins
They swim among fish.
Q7: What is found in the Throne Room?
Answer: A stone throne with painted griffins
It may be Europe's oldest throne.
Q8: What is unusual about Minoan columns?
Answer: They are wider at the top than the bottom
They are painted red.
Q9: Which script was found on clay tablets at Knossos?
Answer: Linear B
It records an early Greek.
Q10: Which myth is linked to Knossos?
Answer: King Minos and the Minotaur's labyrinth
The palace's maze of rooms fits the tale.

Knossos Quiz – Minoan Palace Frescoes and the Labyrinth

Knossos, near Heraklion on Crete, was the largest palace of the Minoan civilization in the Bronze Age. Arthur Evans excavated it from 1900 and gave the Minoans their name, after legendary King Minos.

Evans rebuilt parts of the palace in concrete and had frescoes repainted, which still sparks debate. Famous images include the Bull-Leaping fresco, the Prince of the Lilies and dolphins in the queen's rooms.

The Throne Room holds a stone seat flanked by painted griffins, and red columns taper toward the bottom. Clay tablets in Linear B were found here, and the maze-like rooms fit the legend of the Minotaur's labyrinth.

What This Quiz Teaches

History fans will enjoy these questions.

Where Knossos is
Who excavated it
Which frescoes it holds
What its architecture looks like
Which legends surround it

Did You Know?

Many original frescoes are in the Heraklion museum.
The palace had advanced drains and light wells.
Large storage jars called pithoi held oil and grain.
Knossos was destroyed around 1450 BCE.
Visitors walk raised paths to protect the ruins.