During the Early Minoan period (3000-2000 BC) a new type of grave appears: the larnax or sarcophagus - a clay burial container, presumably a copy of a wooden trough. The first larnakes were elliptical, they were low in elevation and were not decorated. In eastern Crete larnakes have been found in pits in the soil while in some sites they were found in built, cist graves. This kind of burial was extended during the Middle Minoan period (2000-1550 BC) to the Mesara cemeteries.
During the Late Minoan period III (1400-1100 BC) a characteristic type of larnax with inscriptions appeared. The larnakes of this period were oval with a flat base and handles positioned horizontally. The drain for liquids on the lower side of the base reveals that larnakes were originally designed for domestic use.
Larnakes were made of coarse clay and decorated with schematized themes which often covered the entire surface. Among the decorative themes many religious symbols are discernible: sacred horns, bulls, ships and human figures in mourning. Representations of a reciting type are more rare. Such larnakes representing chariots, processions and hunting scenes come from Episkopi and Armenoi. The stone sarcophagus from the tholos tomb of Agia Triada with its rich side-decoration is the best source on the burial rituals we have. The Minoan custom of larnax burials and iconography were adopted by Mycenaean Greece.