Minoan Civilization
By Caeden Horak & Anderson Resler
Basic Information
The Minoans lived on the island of Crete from 2000-1500 BCE
The Minoans thrived in the neolithic era. It is really unknown how the Minoans got to the island but historians know that the Minoans stayed on the island for roughly 500 years before being wiped out by a tsunami. The Minoans were based on the island of Crete, located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea. The island of Crete had an abundance of natural resources that the Minoans used to their advantage. The Minoans did a lot of farming because the soil was very rich and good for farming. Fishing was another thing that the Minoans did to gather food. The Minoans were also excellent craftsmen making pottery and sculptures out of bronze and clay. They also used these items to trade.Advanced Cities
Knossos was the biggest and most advanced city that Minoans had. It was were the king lived. The city was developed for most of the cultures activities and jobs. The city does not exist to this day because it was destroyed by a tsunami. Although there has been a monument made on the island of Crete named the temple of Knossos.
Social Structure
The Minoans were ruled by a king. He was at the top of the social class. Next came the king's advisers and the educated. After came the goldsmiths, sculptors, painters, and seal makers patronized by the royal court. Then there is a big bulk of the population that were employed in agriculture, pursuits and a small class of craftsmen. Lastly came the pheasants of the city who would do the dirty jobs and the slaves who would work at the kings palace.
Religion
Government
The Minoans were ruled by king, but it was not like a dictatorship or anything like that. The king did not abuse his power at all. The Minoans were very advanced in many ways and their government was no different. The way that the city was operated and organized was amazing. The city layout was very clean and a structured. Everything was uniform. The government also tied in with their trade. This is was their main source of income.
System of Writing
The one thing that was held historians back from learning the ins and outs of the Minoans is that we have never been able to truly decipher their language. We have been able to get bits and pieces but never have we truly grasped common knowledge of it. The Minoans also had lots of artwork, statues, and pottery that were symbols for certain things.
Contributions To Society/Technology
Without the Minoans the way that trade is conducted would not at be the same. The Minoans might not have invented trading but they developed it extremely well. Since the Minoans were isolated on a island, they engineered boats so they could reach near by islands. Sending out ships to trade goods such as food, pottery and anything which had value. They also sold they're high quality pottery. They became wealthy through this.
Four Artifacts
Primary Source
One of the most common forms of art in Minoan Culture was the frescoes. A fresco is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the pigment and, with the setting of the plaster, the painting becomes an integral part of the wall. One of the frescoes’ most common theme is nature, with the depicting of flowers, sacred animals, as bulls and griffins, and marine life. Characteristic, among others of this category is the Dolphin fresco, which comes from the Palace of Knossos. This fresco depicts dolphins underwater, painted in a remarkable blue paint, color quite common for a painting during this time.
Conclusion/Analysis
Citations
"History of Minoan Crete." History of Minoan Crete. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.
"Minoan Civilization." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
"Minoan Culture." Minoan Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
"Onassis Foundation (USA) Expert's Blog." Hellenic Civilization and Art RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2014.