Chronology of Crete
 Early Minoan Period - EBA Prepalatial period 3300 BC
 Middle Minoan Period – Protopalatial period 2100 BC.
 Middle Minoan Period IIIB – Neopalatial period 1700 BC.
All palaces were destroyed by an earthquake c. 1700 BC.
Eruption of Thera volcano and tsunami 1630 BC?
 Late Minoan Period 1600 BC Still Neopalatial period
All palaces except Knossos burned 1450 BC. – Interpreted as an
invasion by Myceneans. They establish capital at Knossos.
 Late Minoan II Period – Post Palatial Period 1425 BC.
Final destruction of Knossos palace 1200 BC. Mycenean
civilization collapses at this time.
Social
Chronology
 Early Minoan Period:
beginnings of social
stratification.
 Large EMII Tomb, Mochlos
Island, excavated 1908.
Middle Minoan period/First Palace Period
 “Palaces” at Knossos , Malia and Phaistos established.
Minoan Facts
 The Term “Minoan” was coined by Sir Arthur Evans, the
excavator of Knossos, inspired by the Greek legends
concerning King Minos of Crete.
 Where did they come from?: Who knows? Some hold that
they were Semitic language speakers from the Levant.
Others hold they were Luwian speakers, Greek speakers,
etc.
 The Egyptians of the New Kingdom period referred to
them as Keftiu. Some think this can be matched with the
Semitic Caftor. This is highly contentious.
Greek references
 Homer refers to a people he calls Eteocretans living on
the island. This means “true Cretans.” Homer’s
statement would have originated centuries after the
fall of Minoan civilization.
 Strabo cites this passage and goes to say that the
Eteocretans and another people called the Cydonians
were indigenous inhabitants of Crete. Strabo lived in
the 1st century BC.
Sir Arthur Evans (1851-1941)
“Horns of Consecration”
Minoan Scripts
 Minoan hieroglyphic – represented on the famous and
enigmatic Phaistos disk. 1625-1500 BC. Some symbols
are found in Linear A. Not deciphered.
 Linear A – Not
deciphered, though
some think the sound
qualities of the
symbols are the same
as those of Linear B.
 18th century BC -1450
BC.
 Linear B – Represents the first
written form of an archaic
version of Greek – hence the
language of the Mycenean
invaders. 1375-1200 BC.
 Linear B was deciphered by Michael
Ventris in 1951-3.
Minoan Religion: Epiphany
 What is called in the Classical literature “epiphany” is
what is called more generally “spirit possession.”
Gold ring from a tomb at
Isopata, Crete.
Lustration
Above: Lustral Basin, Knossos.
Left: “Adorants” fresco, Akortiri.
Libation
Rhyton
 Minoan Libation
table with Linear A
inscription
Mountain Top Shrines and Caves
Shrines in Buildings
Shrine of the Double Axes,
Knossos
Bull Sacrifice Ritual
Goddesses and Gods
 Deities are difficult to recognize in Minoan art as they
were rendered with few characteristics to set them off
from ordinary humans.
 Upraised arms may be one characteristic, holding a
staff or spear another.
 Scholars have long wondered whether the religion was
female-centric, given the many representation of
females engaged in ritual acts.
Was Minoan religion
gynocentric?
Crocus Gatherers Fresco,
Akrotiri,
‘Mountain Mother’ sealing,
Knossos.
Akrotiri on Thera
Minoan Thalassocracy? Described by Herodotus (5th cent. BC)
and Hesiod (8th century BC).
Akrotiri was buried under
20’ of ash as a result of a
volcanic eruption that
possibly occurred in 1628
BC or earlier, based on
radiocarbon and
dendrochronology dates.
Under excavation since
1967 – complete excavation
may take 300 years.
www.therafoundation.org
Mycenean Greece
 Civilization named after the kingdom of Mycenea, the
capital of Agamemnon (head of the most
dysfunctional family, ever).
 It is depicted in Homer’s oral epics Iliad and Odyssey,
committed to writing in the 8th - 6th century BC.
 The decipherment of Linear B revolutionized our
understanding of how Mycenean states were
organized.
Tholos Tomb: “The Treasury of Atreus” Mycenae
Mycenean king: Wanax
Chief administrator:
Lawagetas.
Equetas: governors.
Damokoro: administrator
of a damos.
Qa-si-re-u: local chieftain
who later became the
basileus (prince) in
Classical Greece.