A Study of the Minoan Palaces as a Setting for Ritual Movement Part 2 Dissertation 2019 Kate Ivinson Kingston University Kingston | UK This dissertation is an investigation of the Minoan palaces of Crete dating between 2000-1700 BCE. It explores the role of Minoan cosmology in the shaping of palatial architecture, and specifically the links between cosmic beliefs and the different types of ritual movement which the palaces hosted and enabled. The dissertation presents research on a number of Minoan structures, but focuses mainly on the palaces of Mallia, Phaistos and Knossos. It presents a holistic reading of the architecture and art of the Minoans in order to evidence the role of these palaces as settings for ritual movement. This dissertation demonstrates the primary importance of architecture for Minoan culture as a whole and the deep links between culture and nature. It shows that the palaces were not only ingenious feats of early architecture, but also spaces for immersing the individual and the greater community into the foundational beliefs of their culture. It demonstrates the key role that architecture played in defining the common ground of societies through the spatial manifestation of their cosmology and the structuring of settings for participatory rituals. Tutor(s)Dr Alexandra Stara