Research mazes on the web

Searchable Databases

A good starting point is The Ancient World Web , which has excellent links.

The Perseus Project covers all things Ancient Greek, with translations of all the myths. It is a searchable database, so you could try "labyrinth", "Theseus", "Daedalus" and so on for some really interesting background material.

The searchable database for Ancient Rome is Romarch, which has an irritating habit of moving. The Classical Myth homepage deals with mythology.

For the Middle Ages one has to search the confusingly named Labyrinth. The unfortunate name of the database presents real problems when searching for the word "labyrinth", which appears on every page. The Hill Monastic Library Resources is a growing location-list of resources for study of mediaeval manuscripts with great potential.

On the mathematical side, through mazes to mathematics is about the topology and combinatorics of classical and roman mazes. the Geometry Centre is a site for mathematicians. Try searching for anything from "arc" to "internal angles of triangles". This definitive site is beautifully succinct. If you are experienced in analytical geometry you might be interested in checking the pages for "involute" and "evolute". You could also check the MacTutor History of Mathematics for information on the interests of the Ancient Greeks and Romans.

For a broader approach to researching the labyrinth in the humanities, the HUMBUL Gateway can be a useful starting point.

Searches on the main search-engines and in their directories are generally swamped by information on pop-groups and the outpourings of some very prolific New Religious Movements, as well as the pages of the "Labyrinth" database referred to above.

Special Interest Groups

The best resource is the Caerdroia Project , which is run by Geoff and Deb Saward. It features extracts from their research newsletter "Caerdroia" - the word is Welsh for maze - and has many maze-related web-links. The Caerdroia Project is an eclectic group of maze researchers, builders and maze owners, and as such it reflects a wide variety of world-views. Well researched articles with the academic apparatus of the professional historian are published alongside reports from amateur antiquarians. Professional maze-builders also feature, including Adrian Fisher , the most creative maze artist in history.

Good luck. May the Information Super-highway rise up to meet you!