The dolphins fresco is located inside the restored area of “the Queen’s Apartments” within the Minoan palace. It has been remade based on authentic fragments found by the excavation of Arthur Evans at the start of 20th century and is believed to express the aesthetic approach of the ancient Minoan civilisation.
Knossos palace is considered the most important centre of the Minoan civilisation, built around 1,900BC, and then re-built around 1,700BC following an earthquake. Its architectural multi-level synthesis, gardens, storage rooms and sanctuaries inspired the mythology surrounding the Labyrinth and the Minotaur.
The fresco’s dolphin fragments were originally found in a light shaft at the eastern side of the master apartment of the Queen in Knossos palace, with Arthur Evans stating at the time of discovery that it was most likely decorating the wall above the room’s main entrance.
Most recent research suggests that the fresco was decorating the floor of the level above and not the wall. There are still unanswered questions about locale and age of the dolphins fresco but what remains certain is that it belongs to a long lasting Minoan tradition of picturing sea vistas of great historical importance for archaeology and the Minoan civilisation.
by Kiri_Tuscan
5 Comments
Given the ongoing seismic activity in the area I’d say that all ancient sites are liable to accelerated eroding events. You can’t exactly retrofit such things.
The fall of the pieces is a sad statement for the state of preservation of the palace complex. There’s just no excuse for one of the most visited archaeological sites in Greece, I think second only to Acropolis.
Just to note that the fallen plaster belongs to a copy that was installed in the 60’s, in the way they thought the fragments were pieced together. The original is [exhibited in the museum](https://heraklionmuseum.gr/en/exhibit/dolphin-fresco/) in a different configuration. From what I remember there are no original frescoes in the walls of the palace
Note, the one in situ is a copy. A copy of the (dubious) reconstruction which is in the museum.
Low-key dolphins deserve that for being asshole animals.
Given the nature of the fresco, it is no great loss imo.