Nikolaos Platon facts for kids

Nikolaos Platon (born January 8, 1909 – died March 28, 1992) was a very important Greek archaeologist. He is famous for discovering the ancient Minoan palace of Zakros on the island of Crete. His work helped us understand more about this amazing ancient civilization.

Who Was Nikolaos Platon?

Nikolaos Platon was born on January 8, 1909, on the island of Cefalonia, Greece. He studied at the University of Athens. There, he learned all about Archaeology, which is the study of human history through digging up old things.

After finishing his studies, Platon became a leading expert in ancient Greek history. He spent many years exploring and uncovering secrets from the past. His discoveries greatly added to what we know about the ancient world.

Discovering the Palace of Zakros

One of Platon's most exciting discoveries was the Minoan palace at Kato Zakros on Crete. The Minoans were an ancient civilization that lived on Crete thousands of years ago. They built huge, complex buildings called palaces.

Before Platon, only a few Minoan palaces were known. Finding the Zakros palace was a huge deal! It showed how advanced and powerful the Minoan civilization was. This discovery helped archaeologists learn more about their daily life, art, and religion.

Understanding Minoan Time

Archaeologists need ways to organize and understand history. Nikolaos Platon created a special system to help tell time in the Minoan period. This system is called Minoan chronology.

Platon's system divides the Minoan age into four main parts:

• Prepalatial Period: This was the time before the first big palaces were built.
• Protopalatial Period: This period saw the building of the first large palaces, like those at Knossos and Phaistos.
• Neopalatial Period: This was the time when the palaces were at their grandest, including the one Platon found at Zakros.
• Post-palatial Period: This was the time after the main palaces were destroyed or abandoned.

This system is based on how the palaces changed over time. Another famous archaeologist, Arthur Evans, had a different system based on how pottery styles changed. Both systems help experts understand the long history of the Minoans.

Later Life and Legacy

Nikolaos Platon continued his important work throughout his life. He taught at universities and wrote many books and articles. He helped train new archaeologists who would follow in his footsteps.

Platon passed away on March 28, 1992, in Athens, Greece. His work left a lasting mark on archaeology. Thanks to him, we have a much clearer picture of the amazing Minoan civilization.