h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I disagree with you about Knossos. It is not "well-preserved", as you write, but rather "not-so-well-reconstructed". Sir Arthur Evans´ reconstruction of Knossos using concrete construction elements and bright colors was not inspired by scientific methods and research but by his rich fantasy and romanticism. When you walk through the excavation area (which is only recomended if you do not mind thousands of tourists hanging around there), you can clearly see that some of the original foundations do not match the reconstructed walls. When I visited Knossos it reminded me on some kind of historical Disneyland with all the gift-shops, souvenir-stands and taverns around the area. Nevertheless it is worth a visit if you like that kind of stuff.

I'm not sure I so much agree with you. Well, of course Sir Arthur Evans was doing his own thing, and the concrete is a bit over the top. But, as far as ancient ruins go, earthquakes and natural disasters aside, the palace at Knossos is preserved fairly well. You can clearly see the design of the palace from the ruins. And the remains frescoes that were taken into the Iraklio Arachaeological Museum are amazing. On an aside, if you want to avoid the tourists, visit Crete in early March. I was there the first week of March and there were only four other people visiting the palace. I had Phaestos to myself. It was grand.

well you are right, the ruins are preserved to an amazing level in some areas.but concerning knossos i have to tell you, that every upgoing wall more than a meter is pure fiction.even though arthur evans has brought up minoan archeology - and we thank him very much - we always have to keep in mind: he was a child of his time.
his interpretation of minoan society and palacial living is very much based on his own "victorian imagination" of an aristokratic society.
we can´t blame him, for the ability of having a neutreal look on past civilisations is not yet fully reached by scientists...but we are trying to do our best...
so enjoy yourself visiting excavations...but if you want to have a closer look never forget to look on the totality: building,living,destruction,excavation,reconstruction,restauration...

the idea of saying that "the saints are sinners who kept going" comes to mind when the topic of revisionist and half-true stories of the relatively ancient past is breached...