Minoan and Mycenaeans- Dark ages and recorvery 18th-12th BCE
September 12 2012

Minoan Civilization * 1700-1450 BCE (Ancient Crete) * Arthur Evans excavated in early 20th century * Named after King Minos (had a minotaur child because his wife cheated) * Palace has a lot labyrinths (agglutinative architecture) * Semi-destroyed due to earthquakes * Not really sure how Crete was colonized (speculated that people stopped for supplies but instead stayed) * Most of the labyrinths were for storing items * speculated that early Crete was a place for trading and economy * Tablets that were deciphered very little but indicated currency or a trading basis * stored in giant pots called pithoi or pithos * Government formed around a king and a redistributive Economy * King receives the fruits of the labor (ex. Wheat from farming) and stores it in a safe room and later distributes equally among the people * Tablets kept track of what was in the safe rooms * Many paintings (Frescoes) indicated a peaceful looking people (no armor and weapons) and connection to nature (lots of sea imagery since Crete is on an island as well as a sport called bull hopping) * Palace did not have a defensive wall because they had no expectations of enemies attacking

Mycenaeans * 1600-1100 BCE * Discovered by Heinreich and Sophia Schlieman by studying Homer’s Odyssey (also uncovered Trojan ruins) * Invaded the Minoans and decimated most of their culture * Much more warlike then Minoans because they had defensive walls * Frescoes indicated that * Woman had little rights compared to that of Minoans * Very warlike artwork (blood, armor, weapons) * Had a stratified (more structured) hierarchy unlike Minoans * Prepared for a big battle in 1200 BCE but lost badly and entered a dark age (speculated as a foreign force from Asia Minor)

Dark Ages * 1100-800 BCE * Loss of * Writing (not much scripture tablets to explain what happened * Luxury/bronze goods * Trade/contact with the outside world * Population declined drastically (moved away, attack by invaders, starvation) * Development of iron working * Beginning of recovery in 900 BCE

Revival of Dark ages * 800 BCE * Population growth and rise of the land-owning aristocracy * More dependency on land (wheat) because of a more stable staying * Increased communication and interaction within and outside Greece * Development of alphabet and writing * First Olympics (776 BCE) * Awarded big pots of Olive oil (a commodity) * Start to explore and populate around Crete and Greece and on Asia minor and Magna Graecia (Greater Greece)

Development of the Polis * Polis=City/state * synoecism= transition from a small society to a big community * Evolution of government and office (monarchy, democracy, Tyranny) * Hoplite Warfare * Developed because people started to fight for more than just themselves and for their government as a collective asset * First signs of patriotism * Shield stronghold based heavily on Teamwork * Much like Spartans in 300