Nanno Marinatos

Authority on Classical Studies, Religion, & Society

Nanno Marinatos
Religion & Culture
Scholar.

Nanno Marinatos is a distinguished Professor Emerita of Classics and Mediterranean Studies whose research reshapes our understanding of Minoan religion, ancient ideology, and symbolic systems of power. Her scholarship bridges archaeology, mythology, and political thought, offering profound insights into how ancient civilizations expressed authority through ritual and art.
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About the Scholar

A Life Dedicated to Archaeological Interpretation

Nanno Marinatos (born 1950) is a Greek archaeologist and author, best known for her extensive work on the archaeology and religion of the ancient Aegean, particularly the Minoan civilisation. She is Professor Emerita of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago, where she previously served as Head of Department. Her academic research focuses on Minoan religion, iconography and symbolism, as well as ancient Greek religion more broadly, and she has been described as “a leading figure in the area of interconnections between the ancient Aegean and the wider world of the Eastern editerranean, the Near East, and Egypt.”

Expert on Minoan Civilization & Ritual

Dr. Nanno Marinatos

Professor Marinatos served at the University of Illinois, Chicago, where she specialized in ancient religion, iconography, and political ideology. Her work on Bronze Age Crete and Minoan civilization has contributed significantly to debates on ritual authority and divine symbolism. As the daughter of renowned archaeologist Spyridon Marinatos. She continues a legacy deeply rooted in archaeological discovery and classical inquiry.
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Scholarly Contributions

Publications on Minoan
Ideology and Iconography

From interpretive studies of ritual iconography to examinations of ideology embedded in house paintings at Thera, Professor Marinatos’ works engage critically with material culture and myth. Her scholarship is widely referenced in classical studies and Aegean archaeology.

★★★★★

Art and Religion in Thera:
Reconstructing a Bronze
Age Society

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★★★★★

Art and Ideology of Power
in the West House Paintings
Thera

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★★★★★

Sir Arthur Evans and Minoan
Crete: Creating the Vision of
Knossos

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★★★★★

Minoan Kingship and the
Solar Goddess: A Near
Eastern Koine

read on excerpt

★★★★★

Art and Religion in Thera:
Reconstructing a Bronze
Age Society

read on excerpt

★★★★★

Art and Ideology of Power
in the West House Paintings
Thera

read on excerpt

★★★★★

Sir Arthur Evans and Minoan
Crete: Creating the Vision of
Knossos

read on excerpt

★★★★★

Minoan Kingship and the
Solar Goddess: A Near
Eastern Koine

read on excerpt

NEWS ABOUT MINOAN RELIGION

Research Commentary &
Archaeological Insights

Recent Excavations and the Ritual
Landscape of Thera

Ongoing archaeological work at Akrotiri
continues to refine our understanding of ritual
practice within the prehistoric Aegean.
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Re-interpreting the Snake Goddess
as a Solar Goddess

The iconic Snake Goddess figurines from Crete remain central to discussions of Minoan religion.
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Procession Frescoes & Political Power

Processional imagery in Theran and Cretan
frescoes reveals carefully constructed visual
hierarchies.
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Sacred Architecture and
Spatial Theology

Recent architectural analyses highlight
the ceremonial logic embedded within Minoan
palatial complexes.
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Natural Catastrophe and
Religious Imagination

The volcanic eruption of Thera profoundly shaped the historical and symbolic consciousness of the Aegean world. Reconsidering the relationship between geological events
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Visual Documentation

Exploring
Fieldwork, and
Academic Life

This gallery reflects both the material remains of ancient civilization and the scholarly journey of interpreting them.

interest in

Music, Literature, Spirit

I like Classical Music because it has structure and contains emotion in reasonable boundaries. I especially like the music of Johann Sebastian Bach whose oratoria and cantatas transformed my understanding of religious experience.

But I am also deeply moved by the sonatas and concert of Ludwig van Beethoven.

I especially like how the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould interprets Johann Sebastian Bach and the piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven. His (Gould’s) performances have clarity, structure and force combined with a certain gentleness inspired by Gould’s love of nature and animals.

This music and the performances of Glenn Gould remind me strongly of the forceful observation of Minoan art.
Beyond archaeology, Nanno Marinatos draws on music and literature as expressions of sacred memory.

Spyridon Marinatos, The first Excavator of Akrotiri, guides scholars and students in the exhibition of Theran frescoes at the National Museum Athens 1972.

Sailor in the Attic Light

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Surreal Visions of Hellenism

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Contact us for

Lectures,
and Research Collaborations

For academic inquiries, lecture invitations, research collaborations, or institutional correspondence, please use the form below. Your message will be reviewed with care, and thoughtful scholarly engagement is encouraged.

Email Address

nannom@uic.edu