Larnakes on Crete

On Crete, the clay larnax was an important object in Minoan burial culture. This Minoan coffin was used to bury the dead. The term Minoan is generally used to refer to the Bronze Age culture on Crete. It is named after king Minos, whose wife Pasiphaë gave birth to the mythical Minotaur. Larnakes became standard practice on Crete from the 14th century BCE onwards. Since clay larnakes have hardly been found on mainland Greece, they seem to be typical Cretan objects. However, the origin of the larnax may not have been Cretan. If you’re interested in the debate and the possible Egyptian predecessors of the larnax, you can read the extension below.

The special features of this specific larnax will be discussed in the following steps, so if you can’t wait to dive into this, please click ahead. Let’s bring this larnax back to life!