early people of the aegean. theseus and the minotaur
TRANSCRIPT
Early People of the Aegean
Theseus and the Minotaur
Mycenaean Civilizations
Minoan Civilization
• Crete • Birthplace of
Zeus• “First
Europeans”
Minoan Civilization1750-1500 BC
• Named after Minos the legendary king
• Palace at Knossos
• Maritime culture• Traded with
Spain, Egypt, Canaan Asia Minor
• Fishing• Farming• Art
Is this King Minos’ Throne?
Minoan Culture
• Egalitarian• Men and Women held
respected positions in religion, agriculture and craftwork
• Music and song• Bull-leaping• Boxing• Lack of fortresses, war
equipment, battle scenes
Minoan Metalwork
• Worked with both bronze and gold
• Decorative and functional
Prince with the Lillies
Palace at Knossos
Minoan Fisherman & Dolphin
Minoan Fleet
Minoan Bull Leaping
Minoan Civilization Disappears 1400 BC
• Vanished• Volcanic
eruption• Earthquake• Tidal wave• Invaders• Atlantis?
Minoan Artifact: Pendant of Bees
• Metalworkers used both bronze and gold
• Jewelry• Tools
Minoan Palaces
• Government• Community• Multistoried• Interior and exterior
staircases• Light wells• Massive columns• courtyards• Weapons storage
Minoan Artifact : Palace
• Centers of the community
• No locks, bolts, or protective outside walls
• Large rambling collections of rooms
• Workshops
Minoan Pottery
• Made by hand or on a wheel
• Red & white glazes yellow, green
Minoan Religion
• Peaceful Mother Goddess
• Carried figurines in processions
• Sacred symbols; lion, bull, snake
Minoan Water Management
•bathtubs decorated with colorful tiles
•Primitive showers
•Flush toilets
•Fountains in bedrooms for cooling
Samples of Minoan Linear pictograms and script
The Phoenicians Spread Trade and Civilization
• Wealthy city-state in eastern Mediterranean
• Skilled shipbuilders, seafarers; sailed around continent of Africa
• Set up colonies• Famous for red-
purple dye from Murex snail
Tyrian Purple
• purple-red dye• made from
mucus of Murex shell
• used as a fabric dye
• very expensive• color became
associated with power & wealth
What was the Great Legacy of the Phoenicians?
• Developed system of writing to record trade deals
• developed into western alphabet
Ancient Trade Routes
• Phoenicians wanted metals
• traded finished manufacture items for Iberian silver
Mycenae 2700 BCE
• Ancient Greek Myths originated here
• Homer used them in his writings
• Spoke early form of Greek
• Agriculture based on grains, grapes, olives
• Traded with Egypt Asia Minor
Mycenaean Culture• Strong military culture• Circular royal tombs• Decorated uniforms, elaborate
helmets• Chariots, • Daggers• Axes• Horses• Vehicles of war• Society was hierarchical• Kings and soldiers at the top• Prisoners of war were slaves• No recreation/entertainment• Only religious festival
Mycenaean Soldiers on a Vase
Mycenaean weapons
• Bronze smiths worked only with bronze
• Goldsmiths worked only with gold
• Weapons• Buried gold objects
with kings and nobles in tombs
Mycenae palace
• Centers of government & defense
• Surrounded by high walls
• Orderly rows of various rooms
Mycenaean Pottery
• Created pottery by hand
• Functional• Goblet was
used for celebrations and religious rituals
Mycenaean Religion
• Worshipped an Earth Goddess who protected warriors
• Bathed and prayed in palace sanctuaries
Mycenaean Water Management
• Bathtubs set into the walls and fixed to the floor
• Bathrooms had tilted floors to drain excess water
Mycenaean Palace• Highly
structured• Orderly
rows of rooms
• High stone walls for defense
Mycenae Written Language
•Linear B has been deciphered.
•made up of characters, which resemble letters, and ideograms, which represent ideas.