ABSTRACT
The water supply system of the Minoan site of Knossos in Crete, as well as for several other island sites, has been discussed. Due to abundant rainfall on Crete, runoff water is generally available for collection into cisterns and due to the high water table, wells and springs are a further source of water at many of the island sites. Water distribution and control precedents observed within the palace structure represent many unique firsts not observed previously in the world archaeological record. The New Period Palace site of Mallia dating from Early Minoan III, Middle Minoan II times preserves a southwest located workshop area for ceramics, textiles and metal working that required an adequate supply of water for production of specific items. Some form of empirical hydraulic science derived from observation of water flow patterns was certainly available in early Minoan times as apparent from the pipeline and channel designs albeit in a formalism yet to be discovered.
