If technology is the making, modification, usage and knowledge of tools, machines techniques, crafts, systems and methods in order to solve a problem, as Wikipedia explains the term, then Minoans were pretty much beyond their own era.
It is true that before Arthur Evans, other archaeologists have only scratched the surface. The ancient Minoan civilization (27th Century BCE – 15th Century BCE), free from outside influences, have been a pioneer civilization that first understood the true meaning of technology. Evidence on ancient Minoans makes us understand much better that many areas have been using thousands of years ago advanced building materials such as sun dried bricks that most houses were made from, timber and stone and clay, all native building materials and transformed them in a magnificent way.
The excavated remaining suggest that usual homes were “Villas” with compounds used as storage facilities, Alibaba size storage jars, halls and full of artistic figures and decorations. Thin semi transparent alabaster has been used in the windows, which allowed light into the rooms.
Europe’s first precision main road has been established near Knossos. Also other masterpieces of urban design can be found in Knossos. Grand houses with hinged doors, drainage systems, flushed toilets and floors covered with limestone. Limestone today is used in many building projects around the world. The Kingdom itself was three times the size of the Buckingham palace.
The Minoans were the first civilization to use underground clay pipes for sanitation and water supply – 1500 years before the Romans.
The drainage and the water supply was bringing clean water, taking out waste water and storm sewerage canals for flow off of excessive rain. In order to transport water they used channels, clay pipes and aqueducts.
Not just the palace but ordinary houses were heated with sophisticated holocaust systems, where heat was conducted with the use of the heated chamber under the floor, the earliest known to exist in the history of the world.
In order to use stone Minoans prepared stonework from any type of stone. Even the well known painted columns in the site of Knossos were designed in an alternative way, unlike any other Greek and Roman columns tapered at the top. Light wells allowed into upper and lower rooms.
And these are just few of the in house innovations and achievements of the Minoan civilization of Crete. You can check out this video bellow to find out more about the importance of the Minoan civilization.
