The pithoi of Knossos are the giant Minoan storage jars that filled the palace magazines with oil, wine and grain. Plan tickets and tours through My Greece Tours.
The pithoi and storage magazines are among the most telling features of the Palace of Knossos. The sections below cover what they are, what they held, where the magazines are, how the jars were made and how to see them.
What are the pithoi at Knossos?
The pithoi at Knossos are huge ceramic storage jars, the largest taller than a person, used by the Minoans to store the palace’s surplus of oil, wine, grain and other goods.
The pithoi are giant clay jars. The Minoans made them. Storage was their job. The palace relied on them.
Some stand taller than a person. The scale astonishes. The rows stretch on. The capacity was vast.
Oil and grain filled them. Wine and produce too. The surplus rested inside. The wealth was stored.
Magazines held them in rows. The long rooms lined up. The jars stood ready. The system worked.
The pithoi at Knossos are large ceramic storage jars, among the most striking everyday objects to survive from the Minoan palace. Made of thick fired clay, the largest stand taller than an adult and could hold a great volume of liquid or grain. They were the principal containers in which the Palace of Knossos stored the agricultural surplus that underpinned its wealth and power, and rows of them once filled the palace’s storerooms.
These storerooms, known as magazines, were long narrow rooms lined with pithoi and with stone-lined pits in the floor for additional storage. Many pithoi survive in place at Knossos, still standing in the magazines where they were used thousands of years ago, which makes them one of the most evocative and tangible features of the site. They turn the abstract idea of a palace economy into something solid you can stand beside. Our guide to the Knossos layout covers the storage wings, and the next section covers what the pithoi held.
What were the pithoi at Knossos used for?
The pithoi were used to store the agricultural surplus of the Minoan palace economy: olive oil, wine, grain, pulses and other produce.
The pithoi stored the surplus. The harvest flowed in. The jars held it safe. The economy turned on them.
Olive oil filled the largest. Wine rested in others. Grain and pulses joined them. The staples were kept.
The palace gathered the goods. The region paid them in. The stores swelled. The wealth concentrated.
Redistribution followed storage. The palace shared the goods out. The system fed many. The power grew.
The pithoi were the storage heart of the Minoan palace economy. Knossos operated a centralised system in which agricultural produce from the surrounding farms and estates, olive oil, wine, grain, pulses and other foodstuffs, was gathered into the palace, recorded by the administration and stored in bulk. The great pithoi were the main vessels for this, holding the oil and other goods that represented the wealth of the palace.
This stored surplus served a range of purposes: it fed the palace community and its workers, provided a reserve against poor harvests, supplied goods for trade and exchange, and gave the rulers the economic muscle that backed their authority. Olive oil in particular was hugely valuable, used as food, fuel for lamps, and a base for perfumes and ointments. The scale of the storage, hundreds of jars across the magazines, shows the sheer scale of the wealth that flowed through Knossos. Our guide to Minoan trade covers the palace economy, and the next section covers where the magazines are.
Where are the storage magazines at Knossos?
The main storage magazines at Knossos run along the west side of the palace, behind the West Court, as a series of long, narrow parallel rooms opening off a corridor.
The magazines line the west wing. The long rooms run parallel. A corridor links them. The plan is clear.
The West Court sits before them. The facade rises behind. The storerooms stretch back. The layout reads.
Pithoi fill the magazines. The jars stand in rows. The floor pits add space. The capacity impresses.
The west side held the bulk. The storage concentrated there. The wing survives well. The visitor sees it.
The principal storage magazines at Knossos are located along the west wing of the palace, behind the great West Court and the western facade. They take the form of a long series of narrow, parallel rooms opening off a north-south corridor, a layout designed to pack the maximum amount of storage into the palace. This west wing was one of the main economic zones of Knossos, combining storage below with important rooms above.
Within these magazines, rows of large pithoi stood along the walls, while the floors were often cut with stone-lined pits, known as kaselles, used to store additional goods, perhaps more valuable items, beneath movable covers. The west magazines are among the best-preserved and most atmospheric parts of the palace, giving a vivid sense of the scale of Minoan storage. There were also storage areas in other parts of the palace. Our guide to the key features of Knossos covers the palace wings, and the next section covers how the pithoi were made.
How big are the pithoi and how were they made?
The largest pithoi at Knossos stand taller than an adult and were built up by hand in stages from coils of clay, then fired in sections or as a whole.
The largest pithoi top an adult. The height astonishes. The girth is wide. The scale impresses.
Coils of clay built them. The potter raised them in stages. The walls grew thick. The form rose.
Firing hardened the clay. The kiln set the jar. The body endured. The vessel lasted.
Rope-relief bands wrap them. The ridges circle the body. Decoration meets function. The grip improved.
The pithoi of Knossos are remarkable feats of pottery, especially the largest examples, which stand taller than a person. Such giant jars could not be thrown on a wheel in one piece; instead they were built up by hand in stages, using thick coils or slabs of clay added in rings and left to firm up before the next section was added, then carefully fired. Producing and firing a jar of this size without it cracking was a real technical achievement.
Many pithoi are decorated with raised bands modelled to look like ropes, along with other relief patterns and rows of handles. This rope-pattern decoration was partly practical: the ridges strengthened the thick walls and the bands echoed the real ropes that were slung around the jars to move and secure them. The combination of huge size, sturdy construction and bold decoration makes the pithoi distinctive works of Minoan craft as well as functional containers. Our guide to Minoan pottery covers the ceramics, and the next section covers how to see the pithoi.
Can you see the pithoi at Knossos today?
Yes, you can see rows of pithoi at Knossos today, still standing in the west magazines and other storerooms where they were used.
The pithoi greet visitors today. The magazines hold them still. The rows survive. The sight impresses.
The west wing shows them best. The storerooms line up. The jars stand in place. The scale reads.
The museum adds more. Fine examples sit there. The decoration shines. The collection completes it.
A guide brings them alive. The economy is explained. The jars gain meaning. The palace makes sense.
Yes, the pithoi are one of the highlights you can see on a visit to Knossos. Many survive in place in the west magazines and other storage areas, standing in rows just as they did in the Minoan palace, which makes them one of the most tangible and memorable features of the site. Walking past these towering jars gives an immediate, physical sense of the scale of the palace economy in a way that ruined walls alone cannot.
For the finest decorated examples, and for smaller storage and transport jars, the Heraklion Archaeological Museum displays a superb collection, including beautifully patterned pithoi and other pottery from Knossos and across Minoan Crete. Seeing the jars in place at the palace and the decorated examples in the museum together gives the fullest picture. Because the storage system is central to understanding why Knossos was so wealthy and powerful, a guide or audio guide helps bring the magazines and their giant jars to life. Plan your visit and tours through our Palace of Knossos guide.
More than almost anything else at Knossos, the pithoi make the palace economy real. Frescoes and thrones speak of power and ceremony, but it was the contents of these towering jars, the oil, the wine and the grain, that paid for it all. Standing in the dim west magazines among rows of jars taller than yourself, you sense the true engine of the palace: not conquest, but the patient gathering, storing and sharing out of a region harvest. The pithoi are humble in purpose yet monumental in scale, and they remain one of the most quietly powerful sights at Knossos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the pithoi at Knossos?
The pithoi at Knossos are large ceramic storage jars, among the most striking everyday objects to survive from the Minoan palace. Made of thick fired clay, the largest stand taller than an adult and could hold a great volume of liquid or grain. They were the principal containers in which the palace stored the agricultural surplus, olive oil, wine, grain and other produce, that underpinned its wealth and power. Rows of pithoi once filled the palace’s storerooms, known as magazines, long narrow rooms lined with jars and with stone-lined pits in the floor for extra storage.
What were the pithoi used to store?
The pithoi were used to store the agricultural surplus of the Minoan palace economy: olive oil, wine, grain, pulses and other produce gathered from the farms and estates around Knossos. The palace ran a centralised system in which goods were collected, recorded by the administration and stored in bulk in the great jars, then redistributed. This stored surplus fed the palace community and its workers, provided a reserve against poor harvests, supplied goods for trade, and gave the rulers the economic power that backed their authority. Olive oil in particular was hugely valuable, used as food, as fuel for lamps and as a base for perfumes and ointments.
How were the giant pithoi made?
The giant pithoi of Knossos were too large to be thrown on a potter’s wheel in one piece, so they were built up by hand in stages. The potter used thick coils or slabs of clay added in rings, letting each section firm up before adding the next, gradually raising the towering jar, which was then carefully fired. Producing and firing a vessel of this size without it cracking was a real technical achievement of Minoan craft. Many pithoi are decorated with raised bands modelled to look like ropes, along with other relief patterns and rows of handles. This rope-pattern decoration was partly practical, since the ridges strengthened the thick walls and echoed the real ropes slung around the jars to move and secure them.