Knossos Palace
Arthur Evans excavated this Minoan site in Crete in 1900, revealing a sophisticated labyrinthine complex with advanced engineering that vanished after a volcanic catastrophe. The 1,300-room palace featured vivid frescoes of bull-leaping rituals and clay tablets in undeciphered Linear A script, dating to 1700 BC. The structure contained flush toilets and ventilation systems far ahead of their time. Its destruction likely coincided with the massive Thera eruption that may have inspired the Minotaur myth.
