Can you tell me about Sir Arthur Evans and the site at Knossos?

Dr. dig responds:

When Sir Arthur Evans excavated the site at Knossos, local laborers used hand picks and shovels to remove the soil from around the walls and foundations of the buildings.

The site is now owned by the Greek government. Excavations at Knossos have been ongoing for over 100 years, and are undertaken by both the Greek Archaeological Service and the British School at Athens.

The site at Knossos continues to be excavated today and the techniques have changed considerably since Evans' time. Artifacts receive sophisticated analysis and conservation using state of the art equipment. You can visit the site on the Web and take a virtual tour of the excavations and ruins by logging onto the British School at Athens at: www.bsa.gla.ac.uk/knossos