Issues of conservation and reconstruction in archaeological sites: The example of the Palace of Minos at Knossos

Résumé du document

The main issues of this paper are the conservation and the reconstruction of archaeological sites. Indeed, the aim of archaeology is to present the findings of the past to the public, in the most objective way . However, archaeological findings are never completely objective because they are presented in a specific way, depending on who did the excavations. Archaeologists are always influenced by their backgrounds, beliefs, prejudices, interests, and expectations . So, how authentic are the ruins presented to the public?

The excavation of the Palace of Minos at Knossos, did by Sir Arthur Evans between 1900 and 1930, is a good example of such issues. Indeed, Evans' reconstruction of the palace in situ has been widely criticized for a range of reasons.

In this paper, I will argue the following thesis: if conservation and consolidation made at Knossos by Evans can be justifiable, Evans' reconstructions according to his own and very personal interpretations are much more controversial.

Extraits

[...] It is important to keep it in mind when criticizing, later in the paper. How did the excavations take place? After having discovered large storage areas, the team led by Evans excavated the later named “Throne Room”. It was a very decisive discovery in the digs because Evans understood that he had excavated a major building which dated back to before Mycenae[6]. But in the Throne Room, there were wall paintings, and Evans was rapidly confronted to conservation's issues. Indeed, frescoes were fragile and vulnerable to weathering; for instance, the Throne Room was left open to the sky the first winter and it suffered rain damage[7]. [...]

[...] Furthermore, Evans was a man of his time, and that led him to interpret some evidence in relation to the Victorian society of the beginning of the 20th century. Thus, he imagined that the smallest rooms were allocated to women because they would be supposed to be regarded as inferior. But actually the archaeological evidence indicates the contrary: on frescoes women are shown dressed with spectacular boldness, exposing their breasts. They are painted with attention and they seem to have enjoyed a dominant role on major ceremonial occasions[22]. [...]

[...] The excavation of the Palace of Minos at Knossos, did by Sir Arthur Evans between 1900 and 1930, is a good example of such issues. Indeed, Evans' reconstruction of the palace in situ has been widely criticized for a range of reasons. In this paper, I will argue the following thesis: if conservation and consolidation made at Knossos by Evans can be justifiable, Evans' reconstructions according to his own and very personal interpretation are much more controversial. I will first argue that Evans did the reconstruction in a specific time (very beginning of the 20th century), when archaeological techniques were not so performing. [...]

[...] Thus, according to John Papadopoulos[8], the pre-war period was for Evans' team the stage of excavation and consolidation to preserve fragile remains. For instance, Evans roofed over the Throne Room in 1901 to protect it from the rain[9]. Moreover, another purpose was the safety for the excavators: walls needed to be consolidated in order to avoid collapsing in further excavations. Indeed, archaeological digs are always very dangerous. For instance, Professor Spyridon Marinatos died during excavations on Thera in 1974 because of a collapse[10]. Furthermore, Evans didn't reconstitute the palace without paying attention to details. [...]

[...] Thirdly, I will show that other means of conservation and reconstitution can be used for both preserving the authenticity of the site and present an enjoyable representation of the past to the public. First of all, it is important to look at the context of the excavations at Knossos. Excavations began on March Sir Arthur Evans was assisted by Duncan Mackensie and David Hogarth, who was the director of the British School of Athens at that time[3]. Indeed, the British School of Athens was very involved in Knossos[4]. [...]