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The Minoan civilisation
1. MINOAN CIVILISATION
The Minoan Civilisation was an Aegean Bronze Age Civilisation on the island of Crete and other Aegean
islands that flourished from approximately 3650 to 1400 BC, belonging to a period of Greek history
preceding both the Mycenaean civilisation an Ancient Greece. The period was redescovered at the
beginning of the 20th century through the work of British archaeologist Arthur Evans. The civilisation
has been referre to as the earliest of its kind in the European chain.
The term "Minoan" refers to the mythic King Minos, and was originally given as a description to the
pottery of the period. Minos was associated in Greek myth with the labyrinth and the Minotaur, which
Evans identified with the site at Knossos, the largest Minoan site. The poet Homer recorded a tradition
that Crete once had 90 cities.[4]
The Minoan period saw significant contacts between Crete, the Aegean and the Mediterranean,
particularly the Near East. As traders and artists, Minoan cultural influence reached far beyond the
island of Crete—throughout the Cyclades, to Egypt's Old Kingdom, to copper-bearing Cyprus, Canaan
and the Levantine coasts beyond, and to Anatolia. Some of its best art is preserved in the city of
Akrotiri, on the island of Santorini, destroyed during the Thera eruption.
The Minoan language and writing system (Linear A) remain undecipherable and a matter of academic
dispute, but seemingly convey a language entirely different from the Greek dialects in later periods. The
causes of the changes to bring about the end of the Minoan period (around 1,400 BC) are unclear,
though theories include an invasion from the mainland, or the volcanic eruption of Thera.
2. ETYMOLOGY
The term "Minoan" refers to the mythic "king" Minos of Knossos. Who first
coined the term is debated. It is commonly attributed to the archeologist Arthur
Evans (1851–1941).Minos was associated in Greek myth with the labyrinth, which
Evans identified with the site at Knossos. However, Karl Hoeck had already used
the term Das Minoische Kreta in 1825 for Volume II of his major work, Kreta,
which appears to be the first known use of the term Minoan to mean ancient
Cretan. Likely, Arthur Evans read the book, continuing the use of the term in his
own writings and finding.
3. HISTORY
The Bronze Age began in Crete around 2700 BC. In the late 3rd millennium BC,
several localities on the island developed into centers of commerce and
handwork. This enabled the upper classes to continuously practice leadership
activities and to expand their influence. It is likely that the original hierarchies of
the local elites were replaced by monarchist power structures—a precondition
for the creation of the great palaces. The Early Bronze Age (3500 BC to 2600 BC)
has been described as showing 'promise of greatness',[20] in the light of the later
developments on the island. At the end of the MMII period (1700 BC), there was a
large disturbance in Crete, probably an earthquake, or possibly an invasion from
Anatolia The palaces at Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, and Kato Zakros were
destroyed. At the start of the Neopalatial period, population increased again the
palaces were rebuilt on a larger scale and new settlements were built all over the
island. This period (the 17th and 16th centuries BC, MM III / Neopalatial)
represents the apex of the Minoan civilization. There was another natural
catastrophe around 1600 BC, possibly an eruption of the Thera volcano. The
Minoans rebuilt the palaces, however they drastically changed.
4. PALACES
● Knossos – the largest[28] Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete; was purchased for excavations by Evans on March 16,
1900.
● Phaistos – the second largest[28] palatial building on the island, excavated by the Italian school shortly after Knossos
● Malia – the subject of French excavations, a palatial centre which affords a look into the development of the palaces in the
protopalatial period
● Kato Zakros – a palatial site excavated by Greek archaeologists in the far east of the island. This is also referred to as
"Zakro" in archaeological literature.
● Galatas – the most recently (in the early 1990s) confirmed palatial site
Agia Triada – an administrative centre close to Phaistos
Gournia – a town site excavated in the first quarter of the 20th century by the American School
Pyrgos – an early Minoan site on the south of the island
Vasiliki – an early Minoan site towards the east of the island which gives its name to a distinctive ceramic ware
Fournou Korfi – a site on the south of the island
Pseira – island town with ritual sites
Mount Juktas – the greatest of the Minoan peak sanctuaries because of its association with the palace of Knossos[29]
Arkalochori – the find site of the famous Arkalochori Axe
Karfi – a refuge site from the late Minoan period, one of the last of the Minoan sites
Akrotiri – settlement on the island of Santorini (Thera), near the site of the Thera Eruption
Zominthos – a mountainous city in the northern foothills of Mount Ida
5. RELIGION
Goddesses
The Minoans seem to have worshipped primarily goddesses, and their culture has been described as
being based on a "matriarchal religion. Professor Nanno Marinatos stated: "The hierarchy and
relationship of gods within the pantheon is difficult to decode from the images alone." She denies earlier
descriptions of Minoan religion as primitive, saying that it "was the religion of a sophisticated and
urbanized palatial culture with a complex social hierarchy. It was not dominated by fertility any more
than any religion of the past or present has been, and it addressed gender identity, rites of passage, and
death. It is reasonable to assume that both the organization and the rituals, even the mythology,
resembled the religions of Near Eastern palatial civilizations. Although there is some evidence of male
gods, depictions of Minoan goddesses vastly outnumber depictions of anything that could be
considered a Minoan god. While some of these depictions of women may be images of worshippers and
priestesses officiating at religious ceremonies, as opposed to deities, several goddesses appear to be
portrayed. These include a Mother Goddess of fertility, a Mistress of the Animals, a protectress of cities,
the household, the harvest, and the underworld, and more. They are often represented by serpents,
birds, poppies, and a somewhat vague shape of an animal upon the head.
![MINOAN CIVILISATION
The Minoan Civilisation was an Aegean Bronze Age Civilisation on the island of Crete and other Aegean
islands that flourished from approximately 3650 to 1400 BC, belonging to a period of Greek history
preceding both the Mycenaean civilisation an Ancient Greece. The period was redescovered at the
beginning of the 20th century through the work of British archaeologist Arthur Evans. The civilisation
has been referre to as the earliest of its kind in the European chain.
The term "Minoan" refers to the mythic King Minos, and was originally given as a description to the
pottery of the period. Minos was associated in Greek myth with the labyrinth and the Minotaur, which
Evans identified with the site at Knossos, the largest Minoan site. The poet Homer recorded a tradition
that Crete once had 90 cities.[4]
The Minoan period saw significant contacts between Crete, the Aegean and the Mediterranean,
particularly the Near East. As traders and artists, Minoan cultural influence reached far beyond the
island of Crete—throughout the Cyclades, to Egypt's Old Kingdom, to copper-bearing Cyprus, Canaan
and the Levantine coasts beyond, and to Anatolia. Some of its best art is preserved in the city of
Akrotiri, on the island of Santorini, destroyed during the Thera eruption.
The Minoan language and writing system (Linear A) remain undecipherable and a matter of academic
dispute, but seemingly convey a language entirely different from the Greek dialects in later periods. The
causes of the changes to bring about the end of the Minoan period (around 1,400 BC) are unclear,
though theories include an invasion from the mainland, or the volcanic eruption of Thera.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/minoancivilisation-170419142750/85/The-Minoan-civilisation-1-320.jpg)
