Slightly reworking her December 2003 doctoral dissertation for the University of Amsterdam, Dutch archaeologist Prent compiles archaeological evidence from over 90 sanctuaries that were in use on the eastern Mediterranean island of Crete from about 1200 to about 600 BC. The golden age of the Minoan palaces have received much study and attention, but she examines later periods that were not so sexy and have been little studied. She does not challenge the conventional notion of an unusual continuity of Bronze Age religious tradition in Crete, but looks deeper into it, assessing its nature and extent in detail, and balancing that continuity with observed changes in religious customs and in the use of sanctuaries in the broader context of societal change. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)