Aqueducts during the Minoan Era

In this paper several archaeological, historical and other aspects of aqueducts in Minoan era are reviewed. During the Middle Bronze Age a “cultural explosion”, unparalleled in the history of other ancient civilizations, occurred on the island of Crete. One of the salient characteristics of that cultural development was the architectural and hydraulic function of aqueducts used for water supply in “palaces” and cities. Usually aqueducts were collecting water from springs located apart from the settlements. The Minoan hydrologists and engineers were aware of some of the basic principles of what we call today principles and practices of water sciences with emphasis on the construction and operation of aqueducts. The description of selected Minoan aqueducts could justify that Minoans could be considered as pioneers in those technologies.