Lustral basin

Consisting of a small sunken room reached by a staircase, they are characteristic of elite architecture of the Neopalatial period (c. 1750-1470 BC).

[9] Lustral basins were added to the palaces during the renovations that marked the beginning of the Neopalatial period (MM III, c. 1750–1700 BC).

[10] Lustral basins fell out of use and were filled in during the LM IB period (c. 1625–1470 BC), simultaneous with an island-wide change in religious practice that also saw the abandonment of peak sanctuaries.

Examples include a putative filled-in in the villa at Nirou Khani as well as one adjacent to the Queen's Megaron at Knossos.

[3][4][5][12] When Evans excavated the Throne Room Lustral Basin at Knossos, he initially mistook it for an impluvium and then for a culinary fishtank.