Origins & Early Life

Sir Arthur John Evans (8 July 1851 – 11 July 1941) was a British archaeologist and pioneer in the study of Aegean civilization in the Bronze Age. The first excavations at the Minoan palace of Knossos on the Greek island of Crete began in 1877. They were led by Cretan Greek Minos Kalokairinos, a native of Heraklion. Three weeks later Ottoman authorities forced him to stop (at the time, Crete was under Ottoman rule).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Almost three decades later, Evans heard of Kalokairinos's discovery. With private funding, he bought the surrounding rural area including the palace land. Evans began his own excavations in 1900. Based on the structures and artefacts found there and throughout the eastern Mediterranean, Evans found that he needed to distinguish the Minoan civilisation from Mycenaean Greece. Evans was also the first to define the Cretan scripts Linear A and Linear B, as well as an earlier pictographic writing.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Arthur Evans was born in Nash Mills, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, the first child of John Evans (1823–1908) and Harriet Ann Dickinson (born 1824), the daughter of John's employer and maternal uncle, John Dickinson (1782–1869), the...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Arne Garborg — Contemporary (Born in 1851) (1851): Pioneering Norwegian writer and champion of Landsmål (Nynorsk) literary reform.
• Asa Griggs Candler — Contemporary (Born in 1851) (1851): American business magnate and politician, most famous for founding the Coca-Cola Company.
• Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi — Contemporary (Died in 1851) (1851): Pioneering German mathematician known for elliptic functions and differential equations.
• Adam Kuper — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Influential British social anthropologist known for research in Southern Africa.
• Adnan Khayr Allah — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Iraqi military officer and Minister of Defense, closely associated with the Ba'ath regime.
• Alan Mullery — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Iconic English footballer and manager known for his time at Fulham and Spurs.
• Albert of Saxony (philosopher) — Shared historical date (07-08 · Died) (1390): German philosopher and mathematician known for logic and physics, and Bishop of Halberstadt.
• Alexander Grin — Shared historical date (07-08 · Died) (1932): A celebrated Russian writer known for romantic fantasy novels and sea adventures.
• Aga Khan III — Shared historical date (07-11 · Died) (1957): 48th Imam of the Nizari Isma'ili community and founder of the All-India Muslim League.
• Alexander Prokhorov — Shared historical date (07-11 · Born) (1916): Soviet physicist known for fundamental work on optics, leading to the laser and maser.
• 1851 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1851
• July 8 (07-08) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 8
• 1941 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1941
• July 11 (07-11) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on July 11