ABSTRACT
Our knowledge of how Minoan cities were supplied with potable water is mainly acquired from the Palace of Knossos. A few cisterns, fountains, and wells were also found at other archeological sites like Zakros, Mallia, Gortys, and other Minoan palaces and cities. At Phaistos some cisterns have been discovered too, but owing to the nature of the ground, no wells or springs have been found there.[1]
Even at Knossos, the sources of water and the methods used for supplying it are only partially understood. Several wells have been discovered in the Palace area, and a single well slightly to the northwest of the Little Palace. The latter, restored to its original depth of about 12.5m and 1.0m diameter, continues to furnish an excellent supply of potable water.[4] In the Protopalatial stage (ca. 1900-1700 B.C.), several wells were used for drawing drinking water. Their depth did not exceed 20m and their diameter was not more than 5m.[5] At least six such wells have been reported.[4] The most important and best known is the one found in the north-west of the Palace in the basement of the House A, which belongs to the first stage of the Middle Minoan period. According to Evans,[4] its upper circuit was mostly a patchwork of rubble masonry, recalling the construction of Roman wells in the site. However, below its crudely built upper ‘‘collar,’’ the well was found to be cased in a series of terracotta cylinders of fine clay and of material so hard that it was initially mistaken for some kind of close-grained stone (Fig. 1).
