"Sir Arthur Evans was the archaeologist who, at an excavation in Knossos in 1900, discovered what he called the Palace of Minos and presented to the world his re-creation of Minoan civilization. This is the first full-scale biography of a very influential man - written by a scholar in the archaeology of Crete.". "When Evans went to Greece, he wanted to verify the factual basis for the myths that meant the most to him. He found what he was looking for in Crete: he believed he had located the origin of "tree and pillar worship," at the heart of Teutonic mythology in Europe but somehow linked to an early cult of the Greek god Zeus.". "Joseph Alexander MacGillivray shows that Evans's Minoans were perfect Victorians: a peaceful, literate, aesthetic, just society where wise men held political office and powerful women ruled people's hearts. Yet Knossos was not simply a lucky find, and MacGillivray shows Evans was a heroic figure struggling with many central themes concerning the origins of civilization. The author concludes with his own assessment of our current knowledge about ancient Crete."--BOOK JACKET.