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1 The Minoan Civilization

The Minoan civilization was an Aegean Bronze Age culture that thrived on Crete between the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC, known for its unique art and architecture. It was rediscovered by archaeologist Arthur Evans through the excavation of Knossos, and the Minoans engaged in extensive trade, exporting goods like olive oil and wine while importing metals. The civilization's palaces served as administrative and religious centers until their destruction around 1450 BC, likely due to natural disasters or invasion by the Mycenaeans.

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21 views17 pages

1 The Minoan Civilization

The Minoan civilization was an Aegean Bronze Age culture that thrived on Crete between the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC, known for its unique art and architecture. It was rediscovered by archaeologist Arthur Evans through the excavation of Knossos, and the Minoans engaged in extensive trade, exporting goods like olive oil and wine while importing metals. The civilization's palaces served as administrative and religious centers until their destruction around 1450 BC, likely due to natural disasters or invasion by the Mycenaeans.

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THE MINOAN CIVILIZATION

1ST GRADE OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL


CLIL LESSON
SUBJECTS INVOLVED
HISTORY, ENGLISH
The Minoan civilization
It was an Aegean Bronze Age Between the 3rd and
civilization that flourished in Crete 2nd millennium BC

Arthur Evans excavated


Knossos

The term Minoan comes


from the mythical King
Minos
The Minoan civilization
• The Minoan civilization was an Aegean Bronze
Age civilization on the island of Crete which
flourished between the 3rd and the 2nd
millennium BC]. With their unique art and
architecture the Minoans made a great
contribution to the development of the western
European civilization. The civilization was
rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century
through the work of the British archaeologist
Arthur Evans who excavated Knossos.
Minoan trade
• During the Minoan period trade was
developed between Crete and Aegean and
Mediterranean settlements, particularly the
Near East. Through trade, the Minoan cultural
influence reached beyond Crete to the
• Cyclades,
• Egypt
• Cyprus
Minoan trade
• The Minoans exported mostly
• olive oil
• wine
• timber
• stone vases.
• They imported metal and other raw materials in
order to make tools, weapons and several works
of art, such as copper from Cyprus and silver
from the Cyclades.
• Trading made the Minoans rich and powerful.
Minoan palaces
• At about 2000 BC the first Minoan palaces
were built. The four principal Minoan palace
sites were at
• Knossos,
• Phaistos,
• Malia
• Zakros.
KNOSSOS
THE PALACE OF KNOSSOS
Minoan palaces
• After destructive earthquakes and fires, they were re-built again at about
1700 BC. These second palaces survived until their final destruction at
about 1450 BC, once again by either earthquake, fire, or possibly invasion
or a combination of all three. The palaces were, monumental buildings
with:
• one large rectangular court each
• a great number of rooms around it
• colonnades
• staircases
• drainage systems
• light wells
• ‘theatre’ areas for public spectacles
• beautiful wall paintings from which we get useful information about their
everyday life
There were no walls around them.
Trading and Administration
• Each palace was the residence of the King and
also acted as a local administrative and trade
centre where wine, oil, grain, precious metals
and ceramics were gathered. It was also a
religious centre. So in the palace lived and
worked a great number of people, such as
state officials, servants, skilled workmen.
Minoan scripts
• Although the Minoan language and writing
systems remain undecipherable, we know that
they spoke a language entirely different from
the later Greek.
• The Minoans used two kinds of scripts:
• Cretan hieroglyphs ( on the famous Phaistos
Disc ) and
• Linear A.
Minoan economy
• During the period of the New Palaces (1700-
1450 BC) the Minoans travelled with their
ships all over the Aegean Sea selling their
products, mostly works of art (pottery,
jewellery, stone statuettes).
• They were very rich and powerful by then.
The Mycenaeans at Knossos
• At about 1450 BC the Minoan palaces are
destroyed probably because of a volcanic
eruption except that of Knossos. After that
the Mycenaeans from mainland Greece had
the chance to invade Crete and make it a
Mycenaean province.
THE DESTRUCTION

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