MINOAN CIVILIZATION PLUS
MINOAN CIVILIZATION SERIES

The inhabitants of Crete were not discouraged, however, and built new, more elaborate palaces in place of the old ones.

MINOAN CIVILIZATION SERIES

During archaeological work, small pottery or jewellery has also been found.Īround 1700 BC, a series of earthquakes probably occurred in the area, resulting in serious damage to the first major palaces and their adjacent towns. Probably because Crete was a naval power at the time and did not feel the need to protect itself from enemy attacks. Another characteristic feature of the Minoan palaces is the fact that they were not fortified. Each of these palaces is unique in some way, yet we can define several common elements - large entrance gates, several floors, a number of individual buildings clustered around a central courtyard, countless rooms, sanctuaries, storerooms, etc.

MINOAN CIVILIZATION PLUS

Plus several other, smaller palaces were scattered around the island. Four major palaces stood on Crete - the largest and most notable being the palace of Knossos, followed by the palaces of Phaestos, Malia and Kato Zakros. The first great palaces date from 2 000 BC onwards. The script is known as Linear A, but has not yet been reliably deciphered. The Minoans had mastered writing, which they used primarily for administrative and economic purposes (recording agricultural yields, redistributing production, etc.). Egypt in particular had a prominent position in the Cretan trade network. Clear traces of Minoan culture can be found, for example, on the Cycladic islands, in Cyprus, in ancient Egypt and in Asia Minor.

They mastered the skills needed to produce bronze, and the use of this alloy allowed them to build even better ships.Īlong with trade, Minoan culture and art spread along with it. Primarily engaged in maritime trade, the Minoans soon dominated virtually the entire Mediterranean in terms of economy and power. The Minoan civilization is characterized by the construction of huge royal palaces, which served as centers of culture, power and religion of the time and from where the adjacent areas were centrally controlled. The development of Minoan civilisation in Crete Here the word 'Minoan' is used as a synonym for 'ancient Cretan'. Arthur Evans, however, probably did not invent the word 'Minoan', but applied the nomenclature used in Karl Hoeck's 'Das Minoische Kreta' (1825). He then named the entire civilization after King Minos and the mythical Minotaur, who was supposed to be trapped in a labyrinth beneath the palace.

The name of this civilisation was given by the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, who uncovered the remains of the largest Minoan palace, Knossos, on Crete in the early 20th century. The authors of this study are therefore inclined to believe that the Minoan civilisation was made up of the descendants of the first farmers to arrive on the island from the Middle East. According to the latest research based on DNA analysis, there is a match with the population living in Europe at that time. Crete is situated in a very strategic location where three cultures - European, Asian and African - intersect.

However, it is not entirely clear where they came to Crete from, as the origins of the Minoan civilisation are still the subject of scholarly debate. The first representatives of the Minoan culture appear in Crete around 3000 BC. However, the first coherent and advanced civilisation to make a significant contribution to Cretan history was the so-called Minoan civilisation. The island of Crete was inhabited as early as the Neolithic period (roughly 6,000 BC), when hunter-gatherers lived here, living in caves and later in simple dwellings and keeping livestock.