Short answers, pulled from the story.
Modern scholars reconstruct the belief system using paintings, statuettes, and ritual vessels due to the absence of readable texts. Archaeologists examine Minoan seals and rings alongside painted frescoes found in palace complexes. The lack of deciphered Linear A script leaves many questions unanswered.
Analysis identifies a central female deity often associated with animals and accompanied by younger male figures in art. One famous terracotta statue known as the Snake Goddess holds serpents in both hands while wearing a crown. No names exist for these deities, making identification difficult despite their visual prominence across Crete.
Religious rituals were performed within palace complexes and rural peak sanctuaries rather than traditional temple structures. Over three hundred such locations have been explored so far. Sacred caves also played important roles in community devotion.
Artistic depictions suggest ceremonies where deities appeared or were summoned through objects like trees and floating rocks. Nanno Marinatos interprets this rock as a special place where gods might manifest themselves. Unidentified floating objects often accompany these scenes, sometimes resembling constellations or sacred symbols.
By the end of the Second Palace Period, two main forms dominated: beehive-shaped structures called tholoi in southern Crete and rectangular house tombs elsewhere. Cremation was uncommon; most bodies were buried intact within clay vessels known as pithoi. Later periods introduced larnax coffins decorated with motifs resembling fresco paintings.