Map of Agean Sea- www.WorldAtlas.com
Shown above is a map of the Agean Sea region. The Agean Sea was once home to many emerging civilizations like the Mycenaen, Greek, and the Minoans. At the south end of the Agean Sea, the island of Crete can be found. Crete is most famously known for being the home to the Minoan civilization. The Minoans were named after legendary King Minos by British archaeologist Arthur Evans, who rediscovered the island of Crete and further research the Minoan culture.
The Minoan period is categorized into three divisions, based on the changes in styles of pottery: the Early Minoan (3650-2160 BCE), the Middle Minoan (2160-1600 BCE), and the Late Minoan (1600-1170 BCE). The Bronze Age society was surrounded by the sea, allowing the peoples of Crete to become great seamen. The Minoans participated heavily in trade and had a strong Navy. Native to the island are olives, figs, carrots, celery, lettuce, mint, sage, asparagus, the ibex goat, and boars. The Minoans are thought to have been a very peaceful society, having very few depictions of warfare and violence in their art. The peoples of Crete are well known for their art, pottery, and architecture.
Who were the Minoan people? Many people around the World are able to visit sites at Crete to experience and learn about the Minoan life. By examining these aspects of the Minoan culture, much can be learned about the ways of life and ideologies of this society.
Octopus Stirrup Jar-
The artifact above is a Minoan octopus stirrup jar. Stirrup jars were widely used by the people of Crete and the idea quickly spread throughout the Agean region. Most likely from trade, the Minoans influenced many styles to neighboring regions, like Egypt and the Cyclades islands. Evidence has been found of Minoan pottery in Egypt and that the Minoans borrowed ideas from the Egyptians such as architecture and papyrus. The Minoans utilized columns, a unique Egyptian design, and even used the ideas of hieroglyphs to influence their own writing and art styles. However, the Minoans have a distinct style that reflect their own way of life. Many pieces of art like frescoes and pottery illustrate images of floral designs, marine life, and landscapes that are symbolic of the importance of nature. Relying on the sea for a prosperous society, the Minoans had a close relationship with marine life. Many pottery pieces made by the Minoans served for practical uses such as stirrup jars for holding liquids, wafer-thin cups, and pithoi-large storage jars. The Maritime art styles of Minoan pottery offer insight into Minoan ideologies of life. Many peaceful depictions of art suggest a peaceful society living along the sea.
Palace of Knossos -
Above are two images of the Palace of Knossos at Crete. The first image depicts a reconstruction of what Knossos might have looked like in ancient times and the second image illustrates the ruins that can be found at the island of Crete today. Knossos is most popularly known as the largest center of power in the Late Minoan civilization. It was a center for politics, trade, ceremonies, and art. There are many features found in Minoan architecture that show representations of the natural environment. While complex centers such as Knossos may serve for economic reasons, its architectural style and art serve as an insight to Minoan life. Maritime style of art was produced in palaces like Knossos. After the development of palaces, forms of writing began to be produced. The Minoans are known for their two writing systems: 1) a hieroglyphic script, most likely inspired by the Egyptians and 2) Linear scripts known as Linear A and Linear B, which were mostly likely inspired by Cuneiform, one of the earliest systems of writing. Knossos was not only a place of royal residency but served as a location for the manufacturing of products such as paintings, pottery, and metalwork. This is different from other civilizations because many temples and structures of importance were used as places of religious ceremonies and political power. While Minoan palaces may have also been used for the same thing, it was also a place that manufactured great works of art. Because a center of such importance serving as a location for power also served as a production place for art, shows us the emphasis the Minoan people put on art.This importance of art helps us learn about the Minoans as a society. We are able to see where the Minoan people put their energy. Rather than have extensive military systems, artillery, and defensive walls, the Minoans put their money and time into pieces of art that reflected their culture.
Follow this link for an interactive, Google Earth map of Knossos!
http://www.interkriti.org/crete/iraklion/knossos.html?from=1110001&trad=30&keyword=att1110001&loc=gmap&vpg=1
The "Minoan Hall" -
Shown above is a drawing of the "Minoan Hall", a monumental piece of Bronze Age Crete. This architectural style suggestions that Minoans wanted to create an opening between the outdoors and indoors. The theme of the natural environment depicted through Minoan art suggests the close relationship the people had with it. It is very likely that Minoans wanted to be more a part of the world around them. This example of architectures provides plausible evidence that Minoans may have created space to sleep outdoors. It is suggested that the Minoans had different levels of privacy; being categorized into six sections: 1) Urban public, 2) Urban semi-public, 3) Group public, 4) Group private, 5) Family private, and 6) Individual private. A lack of privacy suggests the Minoans were peaceful people and trusted others. There are no defensive walls found at Crete, only watch towers.
Depictions of Minoan Potter's Wheel recreation experiment-http://www.academia.edu/360658/The_Minoan_Potters_Wheel_A_Study_in_Experimental_Archaeology
As we discussed previously, palaces were thought to be the centers for manufacturing products like potter, paintings, and metalwork. Not only do we know the importance of art placed on Minoan culture, we know the importance of art production on social complexity. The emergence of wheel-pottery implies a higher of level of social complexity by illustrating different jobs and classes within society. Events of importance such as political and religious ceremonies took place at the palaces; suggesting that the production of pottery also took place there implies it was of equal importance. Shown above, is a recreation experiment of the Late Minoan potter's wheel. The purpose of this experiment is to understand how ancient peoples once lived and used the natural materials around them. The results of the experiment showed ancient Minoan potters ability to construct various size pieces of pottery from small cups to large vases.
Minoan Frescoe -
Shown here is a classic Minoan frescoe. Frescoes were a popular art medium in Crete and many can be found in palaces such as the ones at Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, and Kato Zakros. Like the frescoe shown above, the art style is very similar to that of the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. This is an example of the influences Egypt had on the Minoans. The Minoans added their own unique art styles with the utilization of geometric shapes, curves, lines, and a much more realistic depiction of humans. Since many frescoes can be found in palaces and places of royalty, and not common homes, it is suggested that art symbolized power and prestige amongst the peoples of the island.
The Minoans relied heavily on trade with neighboring civilizations for a thriving economy. While they had a strong navy, the seafaring people were not of a violent nature and are not known for extensive warfare, merely defensive of their island. Minoan people traded goods like cloth, timber, olive oil, and lucury goods in exchange for imported goods like silver, fire stones, ivory, gold, tin, and copper. The architecture and art produced by the Minoan people create an almost a Utopian feel; a society, seemingly free of warfare and violence. The Minoans were heavily influenced by neighboring civilizations like the Egypt, however the Egyptians were also influenced by Minoans, as styles of maritime art became popular in Egypt. The Minoan culture began at the beginning of the eleventh century B.C. The end is still debated but scientists believe the eruption of Thera may have impacted the island greatly. Many believed the volcanic eruption allowed for the Mycenyaean people to easily conquer the Minoans.
The island of Crete is still a beautiful island today and welcomes many tourists to visit the ancient ruins of the civilizations that once flourished there. The Minoan art is more than just a visual display; it is a depiction of a unique and rich culture that gives insight to the peaceful, harmonious, and environmentally aware people that once thrived in the middle of the Aegean Sea. Much is still to be learned about these people, for their writing systems remain un-deciphered. Perhaps its the mystery surrounding the Minoans that attract a plethora of visitors from tourists to scientists.
Citations:
Betancourt, Phillip P. "Marine-Life Pottery from the Aegean" Archaeological Institute of America
Vol. 30, No. 1 1977
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41706106
Chapin, Anne P. "Power, Privilege, and Landscape in Minoan Art" The American School of Classical studies at Athens
Article Stable URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/1354062
Hitchcock, Louise A. "Naturalizing the Cultural: architectonised landscape as ideology in Minoan Crete" British School at Athens Studies, Vol. 15 2007
Article Stable URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/40960577
Hood, Sinclair "The Minoans: the Story of Bronze Age Crete" the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Vol. 33 2004
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/672760
Knappett, Carl "Traditional and Innovation in Pottery Forming Technology: Wheel Throwing at Middle Minoan Knossos" British School at athens , Vol.44 1999
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30103454
Morrison, Jerolyn "The Minoan Potter's Wheel: A Study in Experimental Archaeology"
Article Stable URL: http://www.academia.edu/360658/The_Minoan_Potters_Wheel_A_Study_in_Experimental_Archaeology
Palyvou, Clairy "Outdoor space in Minoan architecture: 'community and privacy'" British School at athens Studies, Vol. 12, 2007
Article Stable URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/40960778
reff : http://alimithrandir.blogspot.com/2013/11/museum-exhibition-minoans-of-crete.html
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