The Minoans

1. around 2000 – 1450 BC The Minoans

2. Table of contents • The Palace Civilization of the Aegean • Excavations • The Land • The History of the Minoans • General • Language • Politics • The History of the Minoans • 1. Economy • 2. Architecture • 3. Sports • The History of the Minoans • 1. Social equality • 2. The downfall - Thera eruption • Sources

3. The Palace Civilizations of the Aegean • Around 1700 BC, on Crete: highly sophisticated culture grew up around palace centres (saw themselves as Asians) The Minoans: • named after Cretan King Minos • history of them is mostly lost • only their palaces, their records and their incredibly developed visual culture is left • oriented around trade and bureaucracy • little or no proof of a military state • unique culture lasted only a few centuries • war-like people oriented around a war-chief created a new civilization on the mainland of Greece The Myceneans: • named after best-preserved of their cities • culture of battle and conquest • Greatest triumph: destruction of Troy • afterwards “black ages”: Greeks stopped writing and left their cities

4. Excavations • most of the Minoan history was lost in the haze of generations of oral tradition • Homer (Greek poet, 700 BC) wrote poems about Minoan culture • 1870: amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann determined to find the “real” Troy of Trojan war (which was the centre of Homer’s poems) • found and digged the old Troy • found two other ancient Greek cities: Myceanae and Tiryns exposed a civilization that has only existed in poems and drama of Homer • inspired Arthur Evans (British archaeologist 1851-1941) to start digging in Crete • wanted to find remains of the Mycenaean culture on the island but he found remains of the Minoans

5. The Land • Civilization of the Minoans began on the island of Crete • Crete has got a comfortable climate & fertile soil • Many people came there resources were narrow • They had to migrate to other islands in the Aegean Sea • The Minoan culture, religion and government spread also called “Aegean Place Civilization” • People who stayed there became traders • Export : wine, oil and jewellery • Import : raw material and food • Built up the first navy • Minoans profited of their geographical uniqueness • No warfare, no territorial greed

6. The History of The Minoans General • Cretan culture • around 2000 BC (Bronze Age) • named after King Minos • Crete was settled by people from Asia Minor • Women played a big role in society • Language • Language we don’t understand, unreadable script • only known through ruins • Spoke no-Hellenic → Greeks called them barbarians • Politics • Monarchy • Governments dominated by priests

7. Economy • International trading • Great control over the economy • No military navy/ concentrated on trade and mercantilism • Wealthy population • Good relationship to Egypt • Architecture • 2000 BC already living in cities • Magnificent palaces (most famous: Knossos, Phaistos, Kato Zakras) • Multi-room buildings ( also for the poorest) • Sports • Boxing • Bull-jumping • Women also participated

8. Social equality • usually in the ancient world: no equality but inequality • Crete: life was pretty good for everyone • seems to be no inequality about gender lines • The downfall - Thera eruption • 1500 BC: earthquake in Crete • 1500 – 1450 BC: a volcano destroyed the island Strongphyle into very small islands. Thera eruption • The Myceneans had the Minoans under control • finally took their last piece of palace civilization in 1400 BC

9. Text Sources: http://www.wsu.edu:8000/~dee/MINOA/MINOANS.HTM http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/history/latebronze.htm http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/aegean/pre-greece/minoan/minoan.html Image Sources: http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/262/268312/art/figures/KISH_02_29.gif http://tuerkei.fototrip.de/Troya/troya1/troja2.jpg http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/aegean/pre-greece/minoan/minoan.html http://essentialhumanities.net/images/arch2_1_01.JPG http://www.wsu.edu:8000/~dee/MINOA/HISTORY.HTM