Arthur Evans Archive (Knossos excavations)

"The Arthur Evans archive consists of the archaeological records and papers of Sir Arthur Evans (Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, 1884-1908), which he bequeathed to the Museum on his death in 1941. A large part of these relate to his excavations at the Bronze Age site of Knossos on Crete, carried out between 1900 and 1931.Of particular importance are the series of architectural plans and elevations and archaeological sections, which relate both to the architecture of the site as it was uncovered and to the reconstructions carried out in situ by Evans and his architects. These reveal information not disclosed in the selectively published plans and/or obscured by the restorations. The series of fresco reconstruction drawings, which reveal different stages and versions of reconstruction also have a crucial role in revealing information about the original state of the frescoes lost or obscured in the published reconstructions"