Crocus sativus the famous and expensive spice, appears often in the wall paintings and plays an  intricate part in the  ritual activities of the Therans in Akrotiri. In the Xeste 3 wall paintings Saffron is gathered and  offered to the goddess of Nature

and fertility...  This is the goddess described as “Mogostokos”, or the Goddess of the birth pains, by Homer. 

Nanno Marinatos describes the fresco as the renewal of the Mistress of Nature. Interestingly enough, saffron was prescribed  by Hippocrates, Dioscourides and Gallinos to heal gynecological problems...

       Today it is known to regulate the menstrual cycle (menagoge) and to relieve PMS. Eastern and western traditional herbal medicines have used saffron for centuries...Saffron is named as Karcom among  the special herbs in the Song of  Solomon 4:14*.

       After about one century of Industrial Pharmacology, the Medical and Agricultural   school of Athens and Thessalonica universities, are using it  experimentally to heal serious diseases like leukemia and cardiovascular anomalies with promising  results. Since  longevity is associated with nutrition, it should be necessary to compare the longevity of Crete and Thera (Santorini), to the case of the Hunja  village ,witch  till the middle of the 70s, was the first longevity village on the planet. Urban culture became familiar to Hunja, so they adapted a new dietary life...Today only one person is still alive more than 100 years old...[more about the Hunja relation with the prehistoric Therans and Minoans you can find in  the conclusion  . The religious importance of its pharmaceutical uses should be known as far as the evidence of growing up can show to us: The Babylonians offered it to Astrate (Venus-Aphrodite), the Egyptians used it also to preserve mummies, but specially its importance is painted in the palace of

Malgata where Tututghamon was born... The plant was not identified in the 70s, now with the saffron fresco we can understand why the mother of  Tutughamon an incarnation of HATHOR (Venus-Aphrodite) chose Saffron for the life- beginning  apartment of her son...

                                   Saffron three red ligaments

The Therans were apparently familiar with these important (religious-medical) uses of saffron, and therefore offered it to thank the goddess of nature and fertility for her valuable gift.