ed by Petrie at Illahun, but were substantial structures,
giving accommodation which, even to modern ideas, would seem
respectable. Of course, one must suppose that the poorer quarters
of the town would scarcely be represented on a fabric designed
for use in the palace; but the actual remains of a Minoan town,
unearthed at Gournia by Mrs. H. B. Hawes, show that that town,
at least, was largely composed of houses which must have pretty
closely resembled those on the porcelain plaques of Knossos.

Most surprising of all, however, in many respects, was the revelation
of the amazingly complete system of drainage with which the palace
was provided. The gradient of the hill which underlay the domestic
quarter of the building enabled the architect to arrange for a
drainage system on a scale of completeness which is not only
unparalleled in ancient times, but which it would be hard to match
in Europe until a period as late as the middle of the nineteenth
century of our era. A number of stone shafts, descending from the
upper floors, lead to a well-built stone conduit, measuring 1 metre
by 1/2 metre, whose inner surface is lined with smooth cement.
These shafts were for the purpose of leading into this main conduit
the surface-water from the roofs of the palace buildings, and thus
securing a periodical flushing of the drains. In connection with
this surface-water system, there was elaborated a system of latrines
and other contrivances of a sanitary nature, which are 'staggeringly
modern' in their appointments.

In the north-eastern quarter, under the Corridor of the Game-Board,
are still preserved some of the terra-cotta pipes which served as
connections to the main drain. They are actually faucet-jointed
pipes of quite modern type, each section 2-1/2 feet in length and
6 inches in diameter at the wide end, and narrowing to 4 inches at
the smaller end. 'Jamming was carefully prevented by a stop-ridge
that ran round the outside of each narrow end a few inches from the
mouth, while the inside of the butt, or broader end, was provided
with a raised collar that enabled it to bear the pressure of the
next pipe's stop-ridge, and gave an extra hold for the cement that
bound the two pipes together'[*] (Plate XX. 2).

[Footnote *: R. M. Burrows, 'The Discoveries in Crete,' p. 9.]

Indeed, the hydraulic science of the Minoan architects is altogether
wonderful in the completeness with which it provided for even the
smallest details. O