Minoan Religion: Did you mean...?

Minoan limestone sarcophagus, c. 1400 BCE. Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Crete. This painting appears on one of the two longer sides of the sarcophagus. It shows a sacrificial procession, part of a funerary ritual, with a woman offering...

A Minoan octopus, detail from a New-Palace period (1500-1450 BCE) Cretan Clay askos with 'Marine Style' decoration, (Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Crete)

The rooms of Minoan frescoes, Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. At the right end is the fresco of the Prince with the Lilies.

The vase bears a black-painted linear decoration. Middle Minoan I Period (2100-1800 BCE). Made from clay. (Hellenic Museum, Melbourne, Victoria).

Zarathustra (also given as Zoroaster, Zartosht, Zarathustra Spitama, l. c. 1500-1000 BCE) was the Persian priest-turned-prophet who founded the religion of Zoroastrianism (also given as Mazdayasna “devotion to Mazda”), the first monotheistic...

Ideally situated in a sheltered gulf surrounded by mountains, Zakros (or Kato Zakros) in south-eastern Crete, was the fourth largest Minoan settlement after Knossos, Phaistos and Malia. The ancient name has been lost and the present one derives...

The Minoan ivory scepter discovered in Crete in 2024 is engraved with the longest Linear A inscription ever found. The inscription consists of approximately 119 signs covering the entire surface of the circular head and both sides of the...

The Snake Goddess is a faience figurine depicting a woman holding a snake in each hand. It was found in the main sanctuary of the Palace of Knossos in Crete and dates back to around 1650-1550 BCE. Heraklion Archaeological Museum.

In ancient Greece, dance had a significant presence in everyday life. The Greeks not only danced on many different occasions, but they also recognized several non-performative activities such as ball-playing or rhythmic physical exercise...

Part of the reconstructed 'Procession Fresco' from Knossos showing five men walking to the right and carrying ceremonial vessels. They are dressed in kilts while their arms and legs are decorated with jewellery. Neopalacial period, 1600 -...