The Minoans In Ancient Greece

The ways that the Minoans were closer to the Near East from which they came then from the Mediterranean world in which they lived was due to the fact that they were settlers. They also traded a lot. In addition, this

Women acted as priestesses, made official decisions in and amongst the community, and were responsible for organizing commune functions (Witcombe 10). These responsibilities and duties were not often jobs of men in Minoan civilization, “Moreover men are rarely seen in commanding positions, despite attempts to identify them in such positions” (Witcombe 10). It is suggested that the reason why women played such a huge role in Minoan civilization was due to the fact that in Minoan religion they worshiped goddesses and they were greatly influenced by them. It is believed that The Snake Goddess was an important figure in Crete at this time, and was worshiped along side of the Huntress, and The Mountain Mother. Mainly focusing on The Snake Goddess she represented a strong, powerful female deity, who overall acted as an icon for women. The influence The Snake Goddess had on women was substantial. Women became more than just members of the community, and gained a place in society. It was no longer a man’s world but a world run by women. Even ancient frescoes and other forms of Minoan artwork provide evidence of women being more vital than men, because depictions of women were more common than men (Witcombe 10). After examining women’s key roles in Minoan civilization it becomes apparent that The Snake Goddess influenced women in Crete in many different ways and played a significant part in Minoan civilization.

One may ask, who are the Minoans? Well they are considered by many Historians and Archeologists to be the first great European Civilization. Some people believed that this was the mythical land of Atlantis. They were located near the Aegean Sea and lands such as Greece, Troy and Asia Minor. One interesting fact is that these people never called themselves the Minoans. There wasn’t any name listed in the history books for these people but the Ancient Crete Civilization. They were known as the Crete Civilization because they lived on the island of Crete which is now part of Greece. It wasn’t until a 19th century British Archeologist, Sir Author Evans gave them the name, The Minoans. He gave them this name because he believed he had found the legendary palace of King Minos. There has been many civilization collapses over the World’s history, but most can be explained in great detail. There are some that are very mysterious and not definitively explained. The collapse of the Minoan people happens to be one of those mysterious collapses which ranks 3rd in the top ten most mysterious collapses of the world and is still to this day debated on what actually caused their demise. There are many factors that go into the collapse of a civilization, but this kind of catastrophe doesn’t just happen in a blink of an eye this is something that happens over a long period of time. This paper will touch on the climate and environment, the time period and culture, how they became

Ancient Greece became a very influential civilization. Founded by the Minoans who first moved to the island of Crete in around 2000 B.C and lasted to about 1400 B.C. The Minoans developed an advanced civilization and expressed their culture in their constructed palaces. Great monuments were reached at Greece’s Golden Age from around 500 B.C to 300 B.C. They created long lasting contributions in subjects such as Philosophy, Military, Health, and Government.

218-219). So nobility or at least an early form of it was present at this time due to knowledge that they were religious centered I think it could be possible that they could have had a semi-theocratic like situation. It is assumed that they are a fetish or symbol of a deity and it was discovered that to the Minoans it had a meaning close to that of a modern greek word for the weapon of the thunder god to the Greek but in to those of Minoan Crete, a Mother Earth god(Nilsson, 1950, p. 220).

(Bright, Hilda, and Helen Pocock.) The Minoans were the first advanced society in Europe 's history. The Minoans were found throughout mainland Greece and throughout the Mediterranean Sea and the island of Crete. Around the year 6500 the Cretans were documented in hunting, fishing, and engaged in pagan worship. In the year 3000 B.C. and the years following, immigrants from Northern Africa came to Crete. They were skilled in Bronze making. This would soon lead to the Bronze Age and the Greek empire would grow and become more powerful. In the years after 2000 B.C. is when most of the palaces and the other artifacts that are still visible today were made. (Kyriakopoulos, Victoria. pg. 23-24)

relating to the Bronze Age civilization on Crete that lasted from around 3000 to 1100 bc

Archaeologists noticed that these items did not come from a central location, but came from several specific locations. By analyzing the artifacts, archaeologists are able to determine which cultures came into contact and traded with each other. Through isotope analysis, it was determined that the copper ingots were from the island of Cyprus. The pottery was similar to those found throughout Canaan. Also in the wreck, there were logs of blackwood which grew in primarily Africa. There were also glass ingots that were the same as glass found in Egypt and Mycenaean Greece. In addition, there was ivory from elephants and hippopotamus primarily from Syria. Since all of these items were on one trading vessel, archaeologists were able to determine that there was “a vast trade network was well established among various racial and linguistic groups centered on the Mediterranean, from subtropical Africa and the Near East to northern Europe” (Bass 699). Therefore, underwater archaeology shows that there was multicultural trade during the Late Bronze Age. The various civilizations along the Mediterranean coast worked together in a cooperative fashion and relied on each other in order to thrive during the Late Bronze Age. In addition, trade was not localized but widespread throughout the Mediterranean.

The Minoan civilisation originated on the eastern Mediterranean island of Crete and was named by Sir Arthur Evans (1851-1941) after King Minos. The society saw the gradual development of a culture that was rich in artistic and technological achievement and whose influence reached far across the Mediterranean. The relationship between Thera and Minoan civilisation was shown through the similarities of their architecture, pottery, writings, frescoes, religion and

The Minoan civilization was named after King Minos and was influenced by the civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia. They were most likely destroyed later on by the Mycenaean civilization.

Two countries, located side by side in the Mediterranean sea. They share a similar climate, the Mediterranean sun, and many of the same landscapes. With overlapping histories, they both have a shared but unique heritage, which is reflected in their cuisine.

The Minoans were a civilization who flourished from 3000 BCE until 1100 BCE on the island of Crete, were greatly influenced by the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Syrians and the Anatolians (Britannica Encyclopedia). This civilization made major contributions to Western European development in the areas of language, architecture and art. It was the famous archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans who made the astounding discoveries at Knossos in the early 1900’s that introduced to the world the fascinating and wonderful sophistication of these early Greeks (Britannica Encyclopedia). The history of the island has been molded by its proximity to the Aegean Sea. Its geographical location gave it control over the sea and the lucrative trade routes. The Minoans traded with Egypt, the Levant, the Aegean, and beyond to Italy, and Sicily.

The Cretan Minoan Phaistos disk found in 1700 BC is a great mystery to historians all around the world due to its evidence of advanced technology in that certain time period. Many inventions were not made for the need of them, but for the curiosity and as a hobby. Inventors produced their inventions through trial and error and with discoveries made by prototypes created by their predecessors. Diamond states that technology occurs cumulatively and is made to satisfy curiosity, therefore its uses are developed after it is manufactured. For an invention to flourish there are four factors it needs. The invention should be an economic advantage, have social significance, compatible with the interest of the people, and the user should be able to

The Empire of Crete is an island strategically positioned in the Mediterranean Sea. Crete controls most of Eastern Mediterranean trade and taxes. Crete has the ability to trade with “Egypt, Syria, Cyprus, the Aegean islands, the mainland and west Sicily” (Thomas Sakoulas). This is how Crete gets its income. The issue is Crete has materials to build boats, but as soon as Crete reaches the mainland they lack animals to carry their goods across the Silk Road. The Crete Empire will secure trade along the Silk Road by forging alliances with the Bedouins and Ottoman Empire. The Empire of Crete will increase profits by capitalizing upon the alliances with Bedouins and the Ottoman Empire, in exchange for conditional access to Crete’s sea routes.

The Minoan civilization formed on the island of Crete during the middle of the Bronze Age. During this time they were known for their architecture and unique art style. They also significantly contributed to other Western European civilizations through trade of pottery, stone vases, and gold jewelry (Cartwright, 2018).